Everything began with a bang as a man wearing large glasses and a white lab coat came and introduced himself as Dr. Marlow Mindbender, keeper of the "Palace of the Dolls" and Ms. Monae's model. He explained that her temporary release was a special occasion and issued an emphatic directive "Dance or Die". He called to the audience, asking if they wanted to see her. The crowd screamed and he exited, returning shortly with Monae strapped to a dolly, wearing a white straight jacket, seemingly asleep.
The crowd went absolutely wild (more than a few people around me cried) as her straight jacket was removed and she 'came to life' as the overture faded into 'Givin 'em What They Love', the Prince-accompanied track off of The Electric Lady. Wearing her signature black and white, Monae launched into the performance with an anything but robotic style. With her insane, barely restrained energy and funky 7-piece ensemble, including her black and white dress-clad backup singers, she sang her heart out for an electrifying rendition of the song that set the bar very high for the rest of the show. That bar that was met and topped only a few songs later with her performances of Dance Apocalyptic, Q.U.E.E.N., and Electric Lady.
The sci-fi aspects of the show didn't right after the opening, as she later 'shot' her handlers and triumphantly moonwalked across the stage. She also 'powered off' a few times, collapsing in a heap on the stage until a few more handlers would wake her up.
She left the stage for almost five moments before returning with an encore of the beautiful Primetime and a crazy Prince cover of Let's Go Crazy. Then came my personal favorite part of the show and her very last song with the extended version of Come Alive in which she featured each musician in her band, led a long sing-along from the crowd, then finally convinced us all to crouch low on the ground and be quiet so that she could walk among us, crouch down and sing next to us, before bringing a roaring end to the concert as she jumped back on the stage and on to the hands of the masses to crowdsurf.
She once again exited, but returned shortly to talk for a moment, earnestly discussing how her career was launched by SXSW and how much it meant to return to this packed venue. Everything closed out with a beautiful rendition of What an Experience. Indeed, what an experience it was. This was a show that made people dance, cry, and testify and it was the best concert that I've ever been to. The thing that really shines about Monae is what a strong sense she has of herself, her history, her mission and her power - she's an artist. She pours so much of heart and soul into her music and it's sincere, beautiful, strong and optimistic. The show was an emotional ride from the call to arms in Q.U.E.E.N. to the explosive joy that is Victorious.
Showstoppers: Dance Apocalyptic, Tightrope and Q.U.E.E.N.
~Simone
The sci-fi aspects of the show didn't right after the opening, as she later 'shot' her handlers and triumphantly moonwalked across the stage. She also 'powered off' a few times, collapsing in a heap on the stage until a few more handlers would wake her up.
She left the stage for almost five moments before returning with an encore of the beautiful Primetime and a crazy Prince cover of Let's Go Crazy. Then came my personal favorite part of the show and her very last song with the extended version of Come Alive in which she featured each musician in her band, led a long sing-along from the crowd, then finally convinced us all to crouch low on the ground and be quiet so that she could walk among us, crouch down and sing next to us, before bringing a roaring end to the concert as she jumped back on the stage and on to the hands of the masses to crowdsurf.
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| CROWDSURFING OVER US!! |
Showstoppers: Dance Apocalyptic, Tightrope and Q.U.E.E.N.
~Simone
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