After making promises of Broadway pageantry, soul songstress Janelle Monáe delivered for a crowd of more than 600, dressed to the nines in her signature black and white motif.
“(The motif has) become a part of me,” Monáe said. “It’s how I see the world.”
Last night, the Campus Consciousness Tour, a college tour with a strong environmental agenda in addition to its musical agenda, made its stop at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium.
The night kicked off with a performance from Atlanta-based Deep Cotton. The group’s set began with a neo-soul sound but ended with straightforward punk chaos.
Indie-pop rockers Fun stayed true to their namesake as audience members chanted the chorus to “Barlights.” Lead singer Nate Ruess’ strong tenor vocals sailed effortlessly over horns and bluesy guitar leads.
Clad in only black and white, Monáe’s band took the stage, followed by three figures clad in black cloaks. The woman in the center removed her robe, revealing Monáe in her trademark tuxedo.
The theatrics kept coming until the show came to a close. Within the first 45 minutes, Monáe battled monsters, fell to her death and was resurrected through the intense choreography.
Monáe sang and danced throughout the whole concert while fans waved their arms and shook their hips to such hits as “Tightrope” and “Cold War.”
In addition to performing songs off her latest LP, The ArchAndroid, Monáe paid homage to her R&B forefathers with covers of Michael Jackson’s “I Want You Back” and Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground.”
The show closed with the bass-driven and emphatic “Come Alive (War of Roses),” during which the whole band completely let loose and even the members of the seated string section shook their bows to the beat.
Before making her exit, Monáe snuck up to the balcony and announced her plans to release new music in the near future.
Despite a pleased crowd of all ages, Associate Director of the Campus Involvement Center Andrew Holzaepfel had his disappointments.
“It did fall below expectations,” Holzaepfel said. “I would have really liked to have seen the lower level filled.”
The concert, which came with a price tag of $23,000, was funded through ticket income and sponsorship.
ap338210@ohiou.edu
