Afro-futurist Janelle Monáe put on one of the best shows I’ve seen in my life, this last Sunday night. I’m not bandying words here, I mean it. This is for real. I don’t even know where to start, there were so many conflicting elements that it almost defies cohesion yet someone that beautiful, talented, small, talented lady made me all rubber legged as I stood there (seated show, standing patrons, you feel me?) glorying in the bizarro-soul production of the whole extravaganza.
Thing was big. We’re talking brass section, strings, dancers, guitarist replete with GHD straightened locks and 70s tash, and a keyboardist with no less that four keyboards surrounding him. But the basslines, oh the basslines. Dude’s fingers walked up and down the neck of that thing like my barber’s uncomfortably familiar hands. If you’re not familiar with Janelle Monáe then this is going to be a big moment in your musical life-history. She fills a space somewhere between R&B and funk but attends to a fixation on the futuristic. Her debut full length is 70 epic minutes that follow the exploits of spiritual robotics - no joke - and features her most well known single ‘Tightrope’ (feat. Outkast’s Big Boi). The record has been remarkably well received with radio play the world over as well as a startling 8.5 rating from renowned hate-merchants Pitchfork. But it’s the live show we’re here to talk about and so we shall.
She came on stage, heralded by our MC for the evening, just one more member of Monáe's sizeable entourage and from the first note it was clear that she was angling for stadium spectacular in her delivery. She played a fair chuck of Archandroid, throwing in a James Bond Medley ('Goldfinger’, 'You Only Live’ Twice) for good measure as well as the Jackson Five’s 'I Want you Back’ which transitioned the captive crowd from enraptured to overjoyed. 'Tightrope’ proved to be the highlight of the set, as expected, if only for one of the most absurd basslines I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing. Where the record pointed at her own techical proficiency as a voice and as a songwriter, the extravagance of the live show made clear that she’s a band leader in the truest sense. Monáe channeled James Brown in her call and returns, even going so far as to don Brown’s pre-splits cape, though the move itself proved too much to hope for. For the short of attention Monáe provided a few cheaper, though no less interesting frills. She painted a picture (literally. on canvas. she then gave this to an audience member whose birthday it was was, at the end of the show) while belting through a track. She was attacked by her masked dancers and proceeded to shoot them down. She and her band lay unmoving on the floor for a full five minutes before exploding upwards into action once more. For the full 90 minutes my attention couldn’t waver.
I’m seeing Sufjan play this wednesday day night. I’ve seen him each time he’s been out these last few years and he’s one of my very favourite, if not my favourite artist of all-time. The Janelle show was as good as any time I’ve seen Sufjan. There’s a fact. For a taste, markedly just a taste, watch the video below. It’s about a hundredth as good as the real thing, but perhaps it’ll whet your appetite for the next time she graces our shores.
