J.
Jul 16th, 2001, 03:48 PM
By TIMOTHY FINN - The Kansas City Star
Date: 07/15/01 01:00
If her brother is still officially the prince of pop, that makes Janet Jackson the princess of something, but given the extraordinary response hailed upon her Saturday night at Kemper Arena, a larger title seems more appropriate.
For nearly two hours, Jackson and her svelte entourage -- eight hard-bodied dancers, a taut seven-piece band and lots of visual extravagances -- stirred a nearly full Kemper Arena into a few evangelical frenzies. To her credit, not once did anyone have to plead, "Kansas City: Make some noise."
Jackson opened with "Come On Get Up," a cut from her latest record, and, as it would all night, much of the crowd stood, danced and sang along, as if the song were one of her older hits.
As usual, Jackson got lots of, um, recorded vocal embellishment. In one song, she laughed as her lead vocals continued.
But what she lacks in live vocal prowess she more than compensates for with rigorous physical endeavor. She's 35, but -- to borrow a cliche from the sports pages -- she's in the best shape of her career. All night long she had no trouble hanging with her acrobatic dancers, some of whom were still in grade school when she was putting her first hits on the pop charts.
She's also a recent divorcee, and her new record, "All for You," is her declaration of independence, both sexual and emotional. The emotional part shone through in songs like "Son of a Gun," her duet with Carly Simon (who appeared via video) that samples Simon's hit "You're So Vain."
Jackson showed her sexual appetite graphically in an R-rated performance of "Would You Mind," during which she pulled a guy from the audience, strapped him down and grappled, groped and straddled him before they both disappeared into a trap door on the stage floor.
The crowd was familiar with nearly all the new stuff -- especially the new single, "Someone to Call My Lover" (which samples America's "Ventura Highway"), but this show was as much a celebration of Jackson's glittery past as it was a showcase for her new material.
So the classic songs, such as "What Have You Done for Me Lately," "Nasty" and "Rhythm Nation" provoked loud bursts of revelry. She tried hard to please everyone by using one of Prince's techniques: medleys of her hits, such as "Come Back to Me" and "Let's Wait Awhile."
During "Again," the video screen showed cuts from "Poetic Justice," the film she made in 1993 with Tupac Shakur, whose face drew one of the biggest ovations all night (especially the cut that showed he and Jackson making out).
This tour wasn't as visually garish as her Velvet Rope tour, which came to Kemper in 1998, but it included several spectacular sets. Her set designer this time is Mark Fisher, who has orchestrated several famously gaudy rock tours, such as Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and U2's "PopMart" tours.
The "All for You" tour relied less on monstrous stage props for its color and more on costumes. Jackson's dancers at times looked like a mix of Mumenchantz, Cirque de Soleil, "Phantom of the Opera" and "Alice in Wonderland." The best interplay between choreography, stage design and music came during one of the best numbers of the night: "Escapade," an orgy of costumes, rhythms, melody and dance.
It's significant that Jackson is out at the same time that such pop giants as 'N Sync are jumping from one football stadium to the next, Destiny's Child is about to launch its first headlining tour and Madonna is selling out arenas during her limited-engagement parade across America.
Jackson's tour, too, is doing well, which may or may not qualify as a surprise. Given her mega-platinum career, it should be no surprise that she can draw 18,000 people to an arena every three years or so, new album or not. But pop stardom is most finicky with pretty females, especially those who tasted fame in young adulthood. Jackson, though, has sustained her popularity by broadening her appeal without sacrificing style.
Some proof: Unlike audiences at most concerts, Saturday's crowd at Kemper was a cultural melting pot that cut across nearly every demographic: age, race, class and gender. And that, for now, makes Janet Jackson the queen of something more important than just pop music itself.
To reach Timothy Finn, pop music writer, call (816) 234-4781 or send e-mail to tfinn@kcstar.com.
POP MUSIC REVIEW
Who: Janet Jackson with 112
When: Saturday, July 14
Where: Kemper Arena
Audience: 17,500 (approx.)
Date: 07/15/01 01:00
If her brother is still officially the prince of pop, that makes Janet Jackson the princess of something, but given the extraordinary response hailed upon her Saturday night at Kemper Arena, a larger title seems more appropriate.
For nearly two hours, Jackson and her svelte entourage -- eight hard-bodied dancers, a taut seven-piece band and lots of visual extravagances -- stirred a nearly full Kemper Arena into a few evangelical frenzies. To her credit, not once did anyone have to plead, "Kansas City: Make some noise."
Jackson opened with "Come On Get Up," a cut from her latest record, and, as it would all night, much of the crowd stood, danced and sang along, as if the song were one of her older hits.
As usual, Jackson got lots of, um, recorded vocal embellishment. In one song, she laughed as her lead vocals continued.
But what she lacks in live vocal prowess she more than compensates for with rigorous physical endeavor. She's 35, but -- to borrow a cliche from the sports pages -- she's in the best shape of her career. All night long she had no trouble hanging with her acrobatic dancers, some of whom were still in grade school when she was putting her first hits on the pop charts.
She's also a recent divorcee, and her new record, "All for You," is her declaration of independence, both sexual and emotional. The emotional part shone through in songs like "Son of a Gun," her duet with Carly Simon (who appeared via video) that samples Simon's hit "You're So Vain."
Jackson showed her sexual appetite graphically in an R-rated performance of "Would You Mind," during which she pulled a guy from the audience, strapped him down and grappled, groped and straddled him before they both disappeared into a trap door on the stage floor.
The crowd was familiar with nearly all the new stuff -- especially the new single, "Someone to Call My Lover" (which samples America's "Ventura Highway"), but this show was as much a celebration of Jackson's glittery past as it was a showcase for her new material.
So the classic songs, such as "What Have You Done for Me Lately," "Nasty" and "Rhythm Nation" provoked loud bursts of revelry. She tried hard to please everyone by using one of Prince's techniques: medleys of her hits, such as "Come Back to Me" and "Let's Wait Awhile."
During "Again," the video screen showed cuts from "Poetic Justice," the film she made in 1993 with Tupac Shakur, whose face drew one of the biggest ovations all night (especially the cut that showed he and Jackson making out).
This tour wasn't as visually garish as her Velvet Rope tour, which came to Kemper in 1998, but it included several spectacular sets. Her set designer this time is Mark Fisher, who has orchestrated several famously gaudy rock tours, such as Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and U2's "PopMart" tours.
The "All for You" tour relied less on monstrous stage props for its color and more on costumes. Jackson's dancers at times looked like a mix of Mumenchantz, Cirque de Soleil, "Phantom of the Opera" and "Alice in Wonderland." The best interplay between choreography, stage design and music came during one of the best numbers of the night: "Escapade," an orgy of costumes, rhythms, melody and dance.
It's significant that Jackson is out at the same time that such pop giants as 'N Sync are jumping from one football stadium to the next, Destiny's Child is about to launch its first headlining tour and Madonna is selling out arenas during her limited-engagement parade across America.
Jackson's tour, too, is doing well, which may or may not qualify as a surprise. Given her mega-platinum career, it should be no surprise that she can draw 18,000 people to an arena every three years or so, new album or not. But pop stardom is most finicky with pretty females, especially those who tasted fame in young adulthood. Jackson, though, has sustained her popularity by broadening her appeal without sacrificing style.
Some proof: Unlike audiences at most concerts, Saturday's crowd at Kemper was a cultural melting pot that cut across nearly every demographic: age, race, class and gender. And that, for now, makes Janet Jackson the queen of something more important than just pop music itself.
To reach Timothy Finn, pop music writer, call (816) 234-4781 or send e-mail to tfinn@kcstar.com.
POP MUSIC REVIEW
Who: Janet Jackson with 112
When: Saturday, July 14
Where: Kemper Arena
Audience: 17,500 (approx.)