New Tour Info From Press Conference
04 Sep 2008
Janet Jackson will kick off her long-awaited “Rock Witchu Tour” Sept. 10 in Vancouver, her first tour in more than seven years. Jackson talked to the Blade today about what fans can expect.
“This show is for the fans,” she said, adding that she will perform about 30 tracks during the two-hour show. “It’s a nice mix from ‘Discipline’ and all the other albums.”
She noted that the show is focused on dance tracks and that she hopes to give concertgoers an escape from their problems, citing the current state of the economy.
“It’s a big show,” she said, “a completely different show. It’s very much upbeat. The kids say it shouldn’t be called the ‘Rock Witchu Tour,’ it should be called the ‘History of Janet Tour.’”
As for the vibe and style of the set, Jackson said she’s intrigued by the future so the set design will incorporate futuristic elements. Her costumes will be more elaborate than in the past.
So far, 24 North American dates have been announced, but Jackson said that more U.S. dates will be announced soon and that she’s in talks to take the tour all over the world, including possibly Europe, Asia, Australia, Russia and the Middle East.
The show will be recorded, she said, possibly for a television broadcast, then later packaged with older tours and material for sale. Specifically, she mentioned that her 1990 “Rhythm Nation Tour” was recorded in High Definition, but never released to the public.
“When I did ‘Rhythm Nation’ in Japan, I recorded the show in HD back then and they were trying to explain to me what HD was — that was 1990,” she said. “I’m assuming I was the first person to do this in concert. It trips me out to see HD catch on so many years later. We’re trying to put a nice package together for the fans.”
Jackson urged fans not to believe online rumors about her set list. One purported list leaked by blogger Perez Hilton was a very early version and “not the final list,” she said.
LL Cool J will open the show in select cities and Jackson praised him as an “icon in his own right.”
“He’s legendary when it comes to what he does,” she said. “He has a great body of work and I love his new single; he’s an entertainer. I wanted someone else who could really entertain the people and he’s a sweet guy.”
Her last album “Discipline” opened at No. 1 and generated two singles, “Feedback” and “Rock With You,” but a reported dispute with record label Island Def Jam brought a halt to promotions for the project. Jackson said she wasn’t sure if she would work with IDJ again, but confirmed there will be no further singles released from the album. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a new Janet single in the near future.
“I may just cut something new and throw it out there while I’m on the road,” she said.
And which acts does Janet like to see perform live? She cites Prince, The Time and Jill Scott as her favorites, as well as her brothers.
“Jill Scott puts on such a beautiful show and it was very inspirational to me,” she said.
The “Rock Witchu Tour” marks a long-stalled return to touring. Jackson said she was in rehearsals for a tour two years ago in Atlanta while filming Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married,” but that IDJ asked her to postpone it and record a new album, which she did.
“We were so excited to go out last time,” she said. “The kids were so excited, it was sad — we had our crying session.”
This time around, however, everything fell into place and Jackson said she’s developed a close-knit relationship with the “kids” (her dancers) and the rest of the team responsible for the show.
“I’m very family-oriented so there’s that connection that has to be there first,” Jackson said. “There’s such a wonderful group of people. Every tour I’ve done the group has gotten better and better. This is the closest group I’ve ever had.”
Announced dates for the “Rock Witchu Tour”
Sept. 10 — Vancouver, BC (General Motors Place)
Sept. 13 — Oakland, CA (Oracle Arena)
Sept. 17 — Los Angeles, CA (Staples Center)
Sept. 19 — Las Vegas, NV (Mandalay Bay Events Center)
Sept. 20 — San Diego, CA (San Diego Sports Arena)
Sept. 25 — Chicago, IL (Allstate Arena)
Sept. 27 — Detroit, MI (Palace Of Auburn Hills)
Sept. 28 — Toronto, ON (Air Canada Centre)
Sept. 29 — Montreal, QC (Bell Centre)
Oct. 1 — Boston, MA (TD Banknorth Garden)
Oct. 2 — Philadelphia, PA (Wachovia Center)
Oct. 4 — Greensboro, NC (Greensboro Coliseum Complex)
Oct. 5 — Atlanta, GA (Philips Arena)
Oct. 7 — Fort Lauderdale, FL (BankAtlantic Center)
Oct. 11 — Uncasville, CT (Mohegan Sun Arena)
Oct. 13 — Verona, NY (Turning Stone Resort & Casino)
Oct. 15 — Washington, DC (Verizon Center)
Oct. 16 — New York, NY (Madison Square Garden)
Oct. 17 — East Rutherford, NJ (Izod Center)
Oct. 21 — Houston, TX (Toyota Center)
Oct. 22 — Dallas, TX (American Airlines Center)
Oct. 24 — Kansas City, MO (Sprint Center)
Oct. 25 — Memphis, TN (Fed-Ex Forum)
Oct. 26 — Tulsa, OK (BOK Center)
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