Janet Jackson preview
By Ed Condran
Special to amNewYork
• Janet Jackson Madison Square Garden. Nov. 1, 8pm; $44.80, $99.75, $154.75, $300.
• Tickets for the October 16 show, which was postponed, will be honored.
Janet Jackson’s "Rock Witchu" tour isn’t a greatest hits jaunt but nostalgic fans will certainly be pleased by the veteran pop singer’s set list, which is filled with familiar cuts.
"Control," "What Have You Done For Me Lately," "Miss You Much," "Escapade" and "Rhythm Nation" are just some of the favorites Jackson will render when she performs her rescheduled show November 1 at Madison Square Garden.
"This show is for the fans so it was really put together for them,” Jackson said during a recent teleconference. “Fans tell me what they would like to see.”
More after the jump.
That’s an interesting choice of words since Jackson’s shows have always been very visual. Aside from the pyrotechnics and elaborate productions, Jackson is known for delivering performances that are highly aerobic.
“You know dance is my thing,” Jackson said. “I love dance music.”
That’s obvious after a spin of "Discipline," which is Jackson’s 10th album. The finest tracks are designed for JJ fans to get moving on the dance floor. “Rock With You," and "2Nite" are well-crafted, infectious cuts designed for fans to shake it. Jackson, 42, is middle-aged but she proves that she can move with those half of her age. She is clearly not ready to slip into ballad territory on a full-time basis.
“There are certain people that did not like the direction that I took within the company (Island) as far as making this album,” Jackson said. “They wanted me to take another route, a much calmer kind of route. There’s nothing wrong with that. If you put a song (a ballad) on the album, which I’ve done in the past but to do a whole album like that. I’m not ready for that just yet. I love dance. I enjoy it and I think my fans expect that of me. I’m all about the fans.”
Jackson has been a celebrity for so long that you would be surprised that she ever remembered being a faceless fan in the crowd. However, she recalls what it was like to see recording artists when she was a kid and that helped shape her as a performing artist.
“The shows are about the audience,” Jackson said. “I remember going to a show when I was young and going to see this one artist in particular. I’m not going to name names. I was a huge fan and when I saw them perform, I was like, ‘where are the songs that I love?’ It was everything from the new project and it bummed me out. I said that if one day it happens to me (becoming a recording artist) I’m never going to do that.”
After postponing some dates, including her show at the Garden, due to an undisclosed illness, Jackson returned to the stage two weeks ago in Washington D.C. Jackson will not reveal if her grueling two-hour show had anything to do with her recent stay in a Montreal hospital but the pop icon would note that her concert is demanding.
“I think the toughest thing is trying to get your endurance up because you have such the show,” Jackson said. “All of the kids (dancers) and me were puffing in and puffing in. It can be stressful. But it’s a stress that I love and I enjoy.”
