In two separate moments of audience engagement with fans Friday night at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Janet Jackson served up a fair assessment of her “Together Again” tour more concisely than this reporter ever could.
“I’ve been in this business for 51 years,” Jackson told the crowd. She was met with an applause so rousing that it felt like it had an impact on the 90-plus degree temperatures. Later on in the show, she said, “I’m 58 and still serving.”
The stage was so drenched with sweat that it was a miracle that neither Jackson nor her squad of all-male backup dancers had a fall scare. But she was so amazed by the puddles that she mentioned them more than once.
She left it all – along with her sweat – on the stage for her 100-plus minute set that saw her do her greatest hits, dig in the crates and some serious dance grooves.
For her St. Louis show she had the advantage of a hometown hero on deck as her featured artist. A headliner in his own right, Nelly gives his all whenever he steps foot on a stage anywhere in the St. Louis region. And Friday night was no different. He brought a few famous friends along that have been with him from the very beginning.
DJ Trife got the party started with Club Derrty – which featured backup dancers vibing to club bangers. When Jagged Edge’s “Where The Party At,” Nelly emerged to perform his featured verse. Shortly afterwards, The St. Lunatics joined him on stage. The party never stopped. Nelly, Trife, City Spud, Kyjuan, Murphy Lee and Slo Down made the most of every second of their 45 minutes on stage.
A time was had as the crowd bopped to tracks like “Air Force Ones,” “Grillz” “Shake Ya Tailfeather,’ more than anything the performance was a reminder of the impact St. Louis had on hip hop thanks to their crew.
“We appreciate all of y’all who have been rocking with us these past 23, 24, 25, 26 years – whatever it is – we want to thank each and every one of y’all for that,” Nelly told the crowd. “But right now, right this second, we only want to the folks out there who been ridin’ with the ‘Tics since day one.”
The beat dropped on “Country Grammar” and the crowd went crazy. And when Trife mixed in Juvenile’s club classic “Back That Thang Up,” they took it up a notch, which didn’t seem possible because of how live they were for the original version.
The entire venue became Nelly’s duet partner for “Dilemma,” the Grammy Award winning track that featured Kelly Rowland. “Hot in Herre” closed out the set and seemed especially appropriate considering the temperatures.
Janet Jackson’s dancers warmed up the stage to the Mr. V track “Jus’ Dance” – led by a voguing master with a shogun ponytail – before she emerged on stage with an impeccably tailored power suit and the braids she made famous in “Poetic Justice.” The opening segment pooled dance tracks from several of her hidden gem albums – such as “Discipline,” “Damita Jo” and “Unbreakable” – to create an EDM/House vibe intro that was politely received.
It took the universally known “Got ‘til It’s Gone” about five or six songs in to truly get people going. And once Jackson felt their energy, she kept her foot on the gas. Comparisons to Jackson against her younger self are absurd. And the fact that she still moves like she does at nearly 60 – and is clearly committed to giving fans accustomed to seeing her high impact choreography a show they can truly appreciate should be noted and praised.
Casual and hardcore fans alike should have been impressed – though it is hard to imagine a casual fan braving the heat of Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. She gave a hearty buffet of her hits, which span four decades – five when considering the artists who have sampled her of late.
“Nasty,” “What Have You Done For Me Lately,” “Miss U Much,” “Alright,” “Rhythm Nation,” “Anytime, Any Place” were among the best in show.
The only disappointment of the show was that Nelly didn’t return to the stage so that the two could perform their hit “Call on Me,” which would have made for the perfect encore.
