Janelle Monáe, the Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, producer and performer, definitely got the crowd going at her October 16th, Foellinger performance. As part of the Campus Consciousness Tour, Monáe will be performing at universities all over the country to promote a message of environmental sustainability.
Monáe was born in Kansas City, Kansas. She knew from a very young age that she wanted to be a singer and a performer. To accomplish her goal, Monáe moved to New York City to study drama at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.
Monáe later moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she met OutKast’s Big Boi. From there, her career took off in a hurry.
While climbing the ladder to success, Monáe was the opening act for many popular groups. Last year, she was even the opening act for the indie pop band, Of Montreal,here on campus.
Monáe’s show was put on by Starcourse, a live-concert organization run completely by University of Illinois students.
The evening began with “Fun,” an American indie pop band based in New York. The lead singer, Nate Ruess, captivated the audience with his melodious voice and contagious energy.
“I’ve been listening to ‘Fun.’ for a while and was really excited to hear them play. Because I work tickets through most of the show, I only saw one of their songs, but I certainly listened the entire time. I love their sound. It’s so sunny and upbeat,” said Starcourse ticket manager, Ferrnin McGinness.
Fun pleased the crowd by playing “All the Pretty Girls,” and “We are Young.” Their new album, Some Nights, will be released February 21, 2011.
“Energetic, Theatrical, Soulful!” is how Starcourse senior manager, Mike Udelhofen would describe Monáe’s performance. With soulful beats, futuristic costumes, and a powerhouse voice, Monáe kept up the energy throughout the entire performance.
“Very impressive, very well-put-together. It was one of few shows I’ve seen that really pushes the boundaries on the term “performance.” Janelle and her band clearly take great pride in the physical appearance of the show; from costumes, to choreography, to visuals on the giant screen they brought,” said Udelhofen.
Monáe’s concert was definitely a well-constructed production. Each member of the band was wearing some type of futuristic attire and all were wearing black and white. The only color on stage was Monáe’s red lips as she belted out the lyrics to her soulful R&B tunes.
Each song was executed with purposeful detail. At one point, Monáe even persuaded the crowd to lie on the floor as if compelled by the mere wave of her hand. She also bonded with the crowd when she trusted them to hold her up as she stood on top of their hands.
“Janelle was an absolutely amazing performer. She was captivating, active on stage, and highly entertaining.” said Claire McDermott of Starcourse.
Monáe performed many songs from her 2010 debut album, The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III), such as “Tightrope,” and “Cold War.”
“I’d only heard a few of Janelle’s songs before the show. The songs that I did recognize were even better live, because of the energy vibing from both her and the audience. “Tightrope” is my favorite of hers, and it was absolutely fantastic live,” McGinness said.
Monáe is relatively new to the music business, but she is definitely taking over in a whole new way. With her undeniable talent and unique performance style, the rest of us can only guess what she will be doing next.
Janelle Monáe definitely knows how to keep her fans wanting more.