On Friday, July 12th, Janet Jackson, a renowned music icon, returned to the Nation's Capital for the 2024 edition of her "Together Again Tour." This event occurred at the Capital One Arena, where Ms. Jackson was accompanied by the supporting act Nelly for an evening brimming with chart-topping hits, elaborate costume changes, and an overall uplifting atmosphere. Having attended the 2023 edition of the tour, my spouse and I found the experience so compelling that, in the words of Jay-Z, "I had to do it again."
Nelly kicked off the evening with an energetic performance of his verse from the Jagged Edge classic "Where the Party At," which set the stage for transitioning to a bevy of solo hits. These hits included "E.I.," "Batter Up," "Grillz, "Air Force Ones," "Ride Wit Me," and a personal favorite of mine, "Get Like Me," which inspired the reemergence of my dancing alter ego, "The Pop Along Kid," bad knees and all."
Nelly successfully engaged the audience throughout his performance, mainly when delivering verses from his featured appearances on timeless hits such as "Here I Am" and "Shake Ya Tailfeather." However, it was surprising that he omitted performances of his chart-topping songs "Flap Your Wings," "Over and Over," and "My Place."
Nevertheless, Nelly closed out his set with a performance of arguably his signature song, "Hot In Herre," which his DJ blended in with "All I Do Is Win" / "Low" / "Get Low "/ "Party Up (Up in Here)," it was clear that St. Lunatic understood the assignment.
At approximately 9:05, Janet took to the stage. Four male dancers in elegant gray suits appeared on stage in front of a large cylindrical curtain, which ascended gradually, unveiling Jackson on a raised platform. Like last year's show, Ms. Jackson splits the show into acts. For the 2024 edition, Janet dropped it down to four but delivered an A1 performance, nonetheless.
To my surprise, Janet kicked things off with "Night" from 2015's "Unbreakable" and stayed with her 21st catalog for some songs in Act 1, as "Rock With You," "No Sleep," and "Slolove" were all performed. However, it was the classics "Got 'Til It's Gone," "That's the Way Love Goes," and the closer "Love Will Never Do (Without You) that brought the attendees to their feet.
The subsequent performances replicated last year's show to a large extent. Nonetheless, being a Janet Jackson concert, it delivered a genuinely electrifying live experience. The audience was wholly engrossed, participating in singing and dancing to her well-known tracks such as "What Have You Done for Me Lately," "Control," "Nasty," "Miss You Much," "Black Cat," and "Rhythm Nation."
During the show, a notable segment for me was the rendition of ballads and slow jams. While the classics were performed, the pinnacle of the evening for me was when Janet performed "Take Care" from her "20 Y.O." album. It's a song that profoundly impacted me during my Air Force deployment to the Middle East. Experiencing it performed live marked the fulfillment of my evening.
At age 56, Janet Jackson shows no signs of slowing down and more than gives the audience their money's worth.
Final Grade: A
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