30 October 2008
: Janet Trims Racy Segment From Detroit Show
Janet Jacksonhad
to exert a little extra "Discipline" during her concert last night (Oct. 28) at
the Palace of Auburn Hills in suburban Detroit.
The
singer trimmed a three-song section of her Rock Witchu Tour show, including the
sexually explicit "Discipline," in order to comply with a Michigan state law
prohibiting simulated sex acts in a public performing space.
Palace officials
approached Jackson's camp with concerns about the segment Tuesday afternoon. An
arena spokesman says that "we explained the law, asked her not to do it, she
complied. We did not ask her to cut the song. That was her call."
In a statement, Jackson's manager Kenneth Crear, who
was on site, said that "Janet did not want to disappoint her Detroit-area fans
again, so we adhered to Michigan's state ordinance and trimmed the 'Discipline'
segment of the show so it would not be canceled."
Jackson's show was a make-up date for an original Sept. 27 show that
was one of several postponed when she was sidelined with a bout of
migraine-induced vertigo.
During the segment, Jackson usually pulls a male fan from the crowd, ties him
down and "molests" him while her dancers mime various sexual acts, including
masturbation. She's done the same thing on previous tours, including
performances at the Palace and other Michigan venues.
During her encore Jackson explained the omission to the crowd of
8,000 and apologized, adding, "We hope you enjoyed the show we gave you." She
made no mention of the postponement, however.
Jackson wraps up the North American leg of the Rock Withchu Tour on
Saturday at New York's Madison Square Garden.
***Janet
Opening Act 4 The Jackson 5 Tour In Billboard.com ***
Jermaine Says: Jackson 5 Reuniting In '09
Pip Bulbeck, The Hollywood Reporter The
Jackson 5 will reunite in 2009, brother Jermaine Jackson confirmed today (Oct.
29) at a TV industry function in Sydney.
Jackson is in Australia to help
launch a new "greatest hits" TV channel for paynet Foxtel and confirmed the
rumors at the event.
"This has been a long time coming for the Jackson
family to get back together," he told the Australian Associated
Press.
"It is just the timing, so what we've been doing is working on the
music and all the logistics. It is going to be more like a family affair,
Janet's going to open and, of course, the original Jackson 5 ... Michael, Randy
and the whole family ... We're in the studio, we're planning on being out there
next year."
The Jacksons received a lifetime achievement award from BMI
in early September in Los Angeles, but brother Marlon made no secret of his
displeasure with Michael's absence at the ceremony.
Asked where
Jackson was, he told the Associated Press, "I don't know. I think he's in Egypt
riding a camel or something."
The Jacksons rose to fame in the late '60s
recording for Motown. Brother Michael had become a solo star by the late '70s,
although he remained in the group through the 1984 album "Victory." One last
release, 1989's "2300 Jackson Street," featured limited involvement by him and
Marlon.
27 October 2008 : LL Cool J Leave The 'Rock Witchu
Tour"
In another setback on her "Rock Witchu" tour, Janet Jackson has lost her
opening act:
LL Cool J. The rapper's publicity firm announced Monday that he has
dropped out as the headliner for Jackson because of unnamed scheduling
conflicts. It's the latest problem on Jackson's tour, her first North
American outing in seven years.
The 42-year-old singer was forced to cancel a
string of earlier concerts because of a bout of migraine-associated vertigo. She
recently resumed while being treated for the illness, which is characterized by
dizziness, imbalance and other symptoms. Jackson's upcoming shows are Tuesday
in Auburn Hills, Mich., and Saturday in New York. She is expected to announce
more dates
26 October 2008 : Janet did
not wear mohawk at last night's concert in Kansas
Janet did not wear her mohawk wig last night at her concert in Kansas
City, Missouri. Instead,she wore a long,dark
ponytail,similar to the one she
wore on 1998's Velvet Rope Tour.
23 October 2008
: New You Tube video Jermaine Dupri & Janet
22 October 2008 : Jimmy Jam
talks about Janet's recent illness
In a new interview with HipHollywood.com, Jimmy Jam answered a question
about Janet's recent illness Video of the interview was posted today on
YouTube
he says how janet just thought it was a inner ear infection
at first and that she would be able to do the shows but it was worser than what
she thought and how because her stage is so elevated that was last place she
needed to be.then he said as you can now see she is back out there giving
the fans the show they came to see and she is feeding off their energy
Janet's
Mystery Illness Revealed – Migraines! According to People.com Janet was
suffering from vestibular migraines, her rep said in a statement, an unusual
condition that creates the sensation of vertigo. Janet is now receiving treatmet
and is anxious to get back on stage.
"Janet is a world-class entertainer
and needs to be at the top of her game to give her fans the show they expect,"
manager Kenneth Crear said in the statement. "She's feeling much better and is
ready to hit the road again."
Janet is scheduled to
resume her Rock Witchu Tour tonight at the Verizon Center in Washington,
D.C.
Her show at Madison Square Garden, originally slated for
Thursday, has been rescheduled for Nov. 1. New dates for the other postponed
concerts are being worked out and will be announced shortly.
Producer Rodney
"Darkchild" Jerkins revealed that Janet left the Island Def Jam Music Group
in his video Blog Rap-up.
He explains that Janet asked
to be released and got released only recently. According to Darkchild she will
not be looking for a new record company until after her tour. Darkchild,
however, expressed his interest in her joining his label and possibly working
together with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to make "a classic Janet record." To
view the whole interview, click on the video below.
-+Janet Jackson's Rock Witchu Tour Sells
Out in Los Angeles and Las Vegas; LL Cool J receives roaring
welcome on his first date of the
tour.-+
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 22
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Music icon Janet Jackson kicked off her highly
anticipated Rock Witchu tour to rave reviews, major media coverage and fan
adulation during opening week of the smash tour, selling out Staples Center in
Los Angeles and Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas last week. Adding to the excitement in
Los Angeles was the addition of hip-hop superstar LL Cool J, who joined the tour
at the Staples Center on September 17th and will continue on the Live Nation
produced tour from Chicago on September 25th through the final date at the
American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on October 22nd.
"Janet Jackson
still a trend-setter, diva, and marvelous performer -- When she decides it's
time for a tour, Ms. Jackson makes sure it's done right. And when she promises
fans the show is going to be packed with hits, costumes and dancers, she doesn't
disappoint." - Vancouver Sun
"Some two hours and 35 songs later, Jackson had played all 10 of
her No. 1 hits, as well as her other blockbusters ... That's how a true pro gets
back to business after a seven-year absence from the road." - Contra Costa Times
"Any show following Janet
Jackson into GM Place will find it difficult to match her." - Vancouver Province
"Offering up a lengthy and
engrossing song-and-dance spectacle that delivers on every level..." -
Variety
"Nine seamlessly executed costume changes are only the beginning.
This show is all about dominance, and Jackson held the whip." - Los Angeles Times
Rock Witchu kicked off on
September 10th in Vancouver, BC with unparalleled dance routines and stage
production featuring more than two hours of music including fan favorites and
smash hits "Control," "Rhythm Nation," "Pleasure Principal," "All For You,"
"Young Love," "Let's Wait A While," "What Have You Done For Me Lately,"
"Escapade," and more along with new singles "Feedback" and "LUV," spanning three
decades of music that have made Janet Jackson one of the most celebrated
performers in history.
LL Cool J joins the tour on the heels of 13th
album release, Exit 13. More than a hip-hop artist, more than an actor, the
author, television producer, two-time Grammy Award winner LL Cool J is an
American icon who kicked opened his own doors to music, Hollywood, television,
publishing, and along the way created opportunities for countless others. His 20
million album sales worldwide are just the tip of the iceberg for this
international megastar, recipient of countless industry awards.
9 September 2008 : New JD
Video From : Los Angeles Concert
18 September 2008 :
Janet Jackson rocks
the house moving to "The Pleasure Principle" at Staples Center.
Janet Jackson delights fans in return to
concert stage
Review: She sings more than
30 hits in her first tour in seven years.
Put yourself in any of the
nine pairs of shoes Janet Jackson wore at Staples Center on Wednesday: on tour
for the first time in seven years, maybe there's just a sliver of doubt in your
mind about how the fans will respond after all that time away.
So you
create a concert they're going to love. Fill it with a set list that delivers
all the biggest hits, hot choreography, flashy visuals, and
fireworks.
Which lets you get to this moment: not quite halfway through
the show, after singing "Together Again, you stand at the front of the stage for
a few minutes, jumping up and down, arms raised, soaking in the
moment.
It has to feel good. And when you give your fans what they want –
35 or so songs and more than 2 hours – you should feel the love,
yes?
Jackson set an almost-frantic pace from the start, opening the show
with "The Pleasure Principal," alone on stage. And then boom! From trapdoors
beneath the ramps that thrust out into the crowd, forming a square, up and out
popped nine dancers, all of them hip-hopping this way and that as "The Pleasure
Principal" flowed into "Control," then "What Have You Done For Me Lately," and
finally "Feedback," the single from her current album.
Eleven minutes,
four songs, and off Jackson went, changing costumes from futuristic space
traveler in gold to red-and-blue sailor girl, the first of nine outfits she'd
wear on the night.
The fans seemed overjoyed, but truthfully, in the
first few segments of the show, it almost felt like the pacing wasn't quite
right. Though we don't begrudge Jackson for catching her a brace of ballads
early on – even a fit 42-year-old needs to catch her breath a little after all
that non-stop hip-hop action.
But coming out of the ballads and into a
section of fast-paced dance numbers, the show locked into a groove that carried
it most of night. "So Much Betta," a new song, led into "Nasty" -- which earned
a huge response from the crowd. Two songs later, the "Together Again" moment
arrived, and she had them in her hand the rest of the night.
At one point
she told the crowd the sets for this tour reflect the songs her fans have told
her they wanted to hear. And so you got tunes such as "Escapade" and "When I
Think Of You," both of which elicited plenty of cheers.
But she also
mixed it up with new songs from her "Discipline" CD, including the title track,
which has to be one of the naughtiest things she's recorded with its
bondage-and-discipline-I've-been-a-bad-girl story line.
That one came
with the most over-the-top stage production, in which her bondage-clad dancers
pulled some guy from the audience, strapped him into a cage-like-device, and
then let Jackson have her, um, way with him. (When she kissed him and grabbed
his crotch, we started to doubt that he was really just a "fan," but who knows?
He did have a I-can't-believe-this-is-happening grin on his face for a
moment.)
Jackson also varied the look of the show with a handful of video
duets: "Got Till It's Gone" with Q-Tip on the screen (and Joni Mitchell sampled
in the background), "Call On Me" with Nelly, and "Black Cat" with Dave Navarro
on guitar, which helped make it the hardest-rocking song of the night.
By
the main set wrapped up with a very crisp version of "Rhythm Nation" the
almost-capacity crowd seemed well pleased, happy to be sent into the night after
the short encore that followed.
One small complaint: the mix where we
were sitting often overwhelming Jackson's vocals, making it hard to hear her
words.
One small why'd-she-bother: a video storyline played between
several songs pitted a Demon Witch Jackson versus a Good Alien Jackson in a
battle for her music. And soul. We think. (It really didn't make a lot of
sense.)
One note on opener LL Cool J: as much as you might admire the
old-school me-and-mic-style of rap, the wave-your-hands-in-the-air, say yeah and
scream bit gets old fast. Still, the likeable personality that helped make him a
star is still there, and "Mama Said Knock You Out" was great to hear
live.
Janet Jackson's back! Her incredible Rock
Witchu world tour kicked off last night in Vancouver, and only our own Kevin
Frazier was with her before the first show!
"It's the hottest concert of
the fall, and only ET can take you inside with Janet Jackson on the road -- and
we're hangin' with her," says Kevin, who got exclusive access to Janet in her
dressing room before rehearsals.
The two-hour extravaganza features
almost 40 tunes, with a set list hand-picked by Janet. And with her close-knit
team of futuristically clad back-up dancers, fans can expect nothing but
incredible dance sequences.
"It's so many different styles of dance,
it's just crazy," Janet tells Kevin. "A couple people said it should be the
'History of Dance' tour."
With so many songs on the set list, Janet says
she never forgets the music or the moves, but it did happen once on a TV award
show performance: "We were just about to walk onstage and I forgot the first
step," she reveals. "I just drew a blank, and we're getting ready to go onstage
opening this awards show! My mind blanked and I just gave it up to God at that
point. There was nothing I could do. [But] as soon as I got onstage, [it
clicked]."
The Rock Witchu tour is in support of Janet's latest
chart-topping release, Discipline, and travels all over the U.S. before heading
to such far-flung locales as Australia, Dubai, Europe, Hawaii, Russia and South
America.
"Every tour it gets better, and better and better," says Janet
about her "sweet group" of performers. "We get closer and closer. I think we
watch over one another."
Janet's longtime steady, Jermaine Dupri, is
also coming along with her on the road, and she's made sure that her dressing
room has some key amenities to keep him happy: Namely, a Sony Playstation and an
Xbox so he can play Madden NFL football.
Intro Pleasure
Principle Control What Have You Done For Me Lately Feedback You Want
This Alright Miss You Much Rhythm Nation - Interlude Never Letchu
Go Come Back To Me Let's Wait Awhile Again So Excited So Much
Betta Nasty All Nite (Don't Stop) Rock With U Together
Again Young Love Say You Do Don't Stand Another Chance Doesn't
Really Matter Escapade Love Will Never Do (Without You) When I Think Of
You All For You Got 'Til It's Gone Call On Me That's The Way Love
Goes I Get Lonely Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun) Any
Time, Any Place Discipline Black Cat If Rhythm
Nation Luv Band/Dancer Introductions Runaway
(((Many Thanks go.. Janet Xone &
their reporter))!!!
Janet
Jackson kicks off her
concert tour during the first show of her “Rock Witchu” tour at General Motors
Place on Wednesday
in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
It’s her first tour in more than seven years.
“This show is for all the fans,”
Janet, 42, has said of
her Rock Witchu Tour. “A lot of the kids have told me what they’d like to hear,”
she said of a call-in number she set up for fans to leave her message. “I’ve
tried to do as much as I possibly can and incorporate it into the show.”
Janet
Jackson brings 10,000 Vancouverites inside her Velvet Rope
canada.com gave a review of tonights concert and this is what they had to
report.
Janet Jackson started her Rock With U tour Wednesday night at GM
Place for an audience of around 10,000. That might sound good, but in the days
of The Velvet Rope album she would have sold out immediately.
That's the
way it is today. There are fewer sure things and the act now must work harder to
assert its individualism and hold its own in the face of a tougher
environment.
Jackson is no stranger to hard work and she has become
famous - at least in Vancouver - for her exacting standards.
This
dedication to putting on a spectacular show might get her through a time of
comparatively low album sales, possibly even reviving interest in the current
Discipline. She had to survive opening night first.
Opening nights are
supposed to have technical problems or theatrical miscues but this one appeared
well-rehearsed and fast-paced.
What did she start with? I don't know.
There was so much going on. There were nine dancers, pyrotechnics, spurts of
fog, backing films, projectors on video screens and a walk-around stage that
came out mid-floor.
There were hydraulic lights, flaps that popped out of
the floor, a digital curtain, break-dancing and, of course, loads of
hits.
There were also multiple costume changes, from futuristic catsuits
to sailor suits to a red evening gown for a medley of ballads, one of the few
times Jackson slowed down.
She has raised her own standards, downplaying
the sexual angle for a more athletic show that didn't have a musician in
sight.
The emphasis was on action and dance, and seemed more natural to
her.
Any show following Janet Jackson into GM Place will find it
difficult to match her.
Janet Jackson set for tour
kickoff Wardrobe malfunctioning pop star gets ready to launch
her Rock Witchu Tour in Vancouver before taking it across the
globe
Chantal
Eustace Vancouver Sun
Monday, September 08, 2008
Pop star Janet
Jackson doesn't recall much about Vancouver other than a trip to a local dentist
and plenty of early morning coffee runs.
Still, Ms. Jackson (if you're a
Nasty Boy) will kick off her Rock Witchu Tour here Wednesday at GM
Place.
"We love Canada and it was just a good place to start," Jackson
said of her Vancouver choice, speaking in her familiar soft pitch. "We just
decided to do it again, kind of kick it off on the West Coast."
Michael's
younger sister admitted, despite spending about two and a half weeks here in
2001 rehearsing, she didn't get to know the city much.
"Every morning,
that was our treat, we'd all go to Starbucks," she said, during a conference
call with reporters.
"And I went to the dentist. I needed a teeth
cleaning . . . We had no time, really, for anything else."
The
40-something hasn't toured since then.
Being on the tour is harder than
people think, she said.
"I don't think people realize how much goes into
it and how much it can really take out of you," she said. "You really have to
have a passion for it."
Has her style changed since her last tour, seven
years ago?
"I don't think my approach really has changed at all. It's
just about hard work," the singer said.
"I've always been a hard worker.
That's how I was raised. Everyone in my family's like that. I don't think I'll
ever be any different."
Jackson, who has sold more than 100 million
albums in her career, said this will be the hardest show she's ever
done.
"It's just nothing but hits from front to back," she said,
including songs from her latest album, Discipline. "It's a completely different
show. It's very much upbeat. It's a dance show."
Fans can expect to see
Jackson, known for her sculpted midriff, perform in about nine different
costumes throughout the two-hour performance.
This won't be easy, she
said.
Jackson, who is responsible for the phrase "wardrobe malfunction"
-- Justin Timberland famously ripped her top during 2004's Superbowl halftime
show exposing her right breast -- said the Rock Witchu Tour requires a lot of
fast costume changes.
"I'm doing a couple of things that I've never done
before. Normally with a tour, you normally underdress. So it makes your quick
changes very quick," said Jackson, describing the practice of layering
costumes.
"Well, we're not doing that. We have nothing on underneath.
It's full dress from head to toe -- shoes, pants, everything."
Jackson
said she is intrigued by the future and hinted that this influenced her costumes
and the overall look of the show.
As for kicking back while on tour, the
singer, dancer and actress said, she is happiest on her bus watching television
or movies, reading books or scripts, and visiting with the dancers.
"I
know a lot of people like to take private planes so they can get to the next
city fast so they can just relax but the bus relaxes me," Jackson
said.
"I love the bus rides."
08 September 08 :
America United
Concert
Janet performed "Rhythm Nation" and "Luv"
05 September 08 : 8th Annual
BMI Urban Awards - Show
Brothers Tito, Jackie, Randy and Marlon
Jackson appear onstage with their parents and sisters as they receive the BMI
Icon Award at the 8th Annual BMI Urban Awards on September 4, 2008 in Los
Angeles, California.
04 September 08 :
Janet Jackson
to kick off world tour
Janet Jackson will kick off her
long-awaited “Rock Witchu Tour” Sept. 10 in Vancouver, her first tour in more
than seven years. Jackson talked to the Blade today about what fans can
expect.
“This show is for the fans,” she said, adding that she will
perform about 30 tracks during the two-hour show. “It’s a nice mix from
‘Discipline’ and all the other albums.”
She noted that the show is
focused on dance tracks and that she hopes to give concertgoers an escape from
their problems, citing the current state of the economy.
“It’s a big
show,” she said, “a completely different show. It’s very much upbeat. The kids
say it shouldn’t be called the ‘Rock Witchu Tour,’ it should be called the
‘History of Janet Tour.’”
As for the vibe and style of the set, Jackson
said she’s intrigued by the future so the set design will incorporate futuristic
elements. Her costumes will be more elaborate than in the past.
So far,
24 North American dates have been announced, but Jackson said that more U.S.
dates will be announced soon and that she’s in talks to take the tour all over
the world, including possibly Europe, Asia, Australia, Russia and the Middle
East.
The show will be recorded, she said, possibly for a television
broadcast, then later packaged with older tours and material for sale.
Specifically, she mentioned that her 1990 “Rhythm Nation Tour” was recorded in
High Definition, but never released to the public.
“When I did ‘Rhythm
Nation’ in Japan, I recorded the show in HD back then and they were trying to
explain to me what HD was — that was 1990,” she said. “I’m assuming I was the
first person to do this in concert. It trips me out to see HD catch on so many
years later. We’re trying to put a nice package together for the
fans.”
Jackson urged fans not to believe online rumors about her set
list. One purported list leaked by blogger Perez Hilton was a very early version
and “not the final list,” she said.
LL Cool J will open the show in
select cities and Jackson praised him as an “icon in his own
right.”
“He’s legendary when it comes to what he does,” she said. “He has
a great body of work and I love his new single; he’s an entertainer. I wanted
someone else who could really entertain the people and he’s a sweet
guy.”
Her last album “Discipline” opened at No. 1 and generated two
singles, “Feedback” and “Rock With You,” but a reported dispute with record
label Island Def Jam brought a halt to promotions for the project. Jackson said
she wasn’t sure if she would work with IDJ again, but confirmed there will be no
further singles released from the album. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a
new Janet single in the near future.
“I may just cut something new and
throw it out there while I’m on the road,” she said.
And which acts does
Janet like to see perform live? She cites Prince, The Time and Jill Scott as her
favorites, as well as her brothers.
“Jill Scott puts on such a beautiful
show and it was very inspirational to me,” she said.
The “Rock Witchu
Tour” marks a long-stalled return to touring. Jackson said she was in rehearsals
for a tour two years ago in Atlanta while filming Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get
Married,” but that IDJ asked her to postpone it and record a new album, which
she did.
“We were so excited to go out last time,” she said. “The kids
were so excited, it was sad — we had our crying session.”
This time
around, however, everything fell into place and Jackson said she’s developed a
close-knit relationship with the “kids” (her dancers) and the rest of the team
responsible for the show.
“I’m very family-oriented so there’s that
connection that has to be there first,” Jackson said. “There’s such a wonderful
group of people. Every tour I’ve done the group has gotten better and better.
This is the closest group I’ve ever had.”
Announced dates for the “Rock
Witchu Tour”
Sept. 10 — Vancouver, BC (General Motors Place) Sept. 13
— Oakland, CA (Oracle Arena) Sept. 17 — Los Angeles, CA (Staples
Center) Sept. 19 — Las Vegas, NV (Mandalay Bay Events Center) Sept. 20 —
San Diego, CA (San Diego Sports Arena) Sept. 25 — Chicago, IL (Allstate
Arena) Sept. 27 — Detroit, MI (Palace Of Auburn Hills) Sept. 28 — Toronto,
ON (Air Canada Centre) Sept. 29 — Montreal, QC (Bell Centre) Oct. 1 —
Boston, MA (TD Banknorth Garden) Oct. 2 — Philadelphia, PA (Wachovia
Center) Oct. 4 — Greensboro, NC (Greensboro Coliseum Complex) Oct. 5 —
Atlanta, GA (Philips Arena) Oct. 7 — Fort Lauderdale, FL (BankAtlantic
Center) Oct. 11 — Uncasville, CT (Mohegan Sun Arena) Oct. 13 — Verona, NY
(Turning Stone Resort & Casino) Oct. 15 — Washington, DC (Verizon
Center) Oct. 16 — New York, NY (Madison Square Garden) Oct. 17 — East
Rutherford, NJ (Izod Center) Oct. 21 — Houston, TX (Toyota Center) Oct. 22
— Dallas, TX (American Airlines Center) Oct. 24 — Kansas City, MO (Sprint
Center) Oct. 25 — Memphis, TN (Fed-Ex Forum) Oct. 26 — Tulsa, OK (BOK
Center)
