Post by Rock Witchu Tour on Apr 19, 2012 9:27:37 GMT -8
Rock Witchu Tour
Associated album: Discipline
Start date: September 10, 2008
End date: November 1, 2008
Set list
Control Medley:
"The Pleasure Principle"
"Control"
"What Have You Done for Me Lately"
"Feedback"
"You Want This"
"Alright"
"Miss You Much"
"Never Letchu Go"
"Come Back to Me"
"Let's Wait Awhile"
"Again"
"So Excited"
"So Much Betta"
"Nasty"
"All Nite (Don't Stop)"
"Rock with U"
"Together Again"
Pre-Control Medley:
"Young Love"
"Say You Do"
"Don't Stand Another Chance"
"Doesn't Really Matter"
"Escapade"
"Love Will Never Do (Without You)"
"When I Think of You"
"All for You"
"Got 'til It's Gone"
"Call on Me"
"That's the Way Love Goes"
"I Get Lonely"
"Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)"
"Any Time, Any Place"
"Discipline"
"Black Cat"
"If"
"Rhythm Nation"
Encore
"Luv" (contains elements of "Lollipop")
"Runaway"
About the Tour:
Rumors of Jackson touring were sparked during promotion of her last studio album 20 Y.O., where Jackson stated in many interviews that she was preparing for a tour. The unnamed tour was canceled abruptly when Jackson was asked to record new material.[1] Jackson stated:
"I was supposed to go on tour with the last album [...] We were actually in full-blown tour rehearsals at that point ... learning numbers, getting everything together, set designs [...] I had to kind of shut everything down and go into the studio."
In early 2008, Jackson announced that she would go on tour on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The audience was given free tickets to her show at the Staples Center. While planning the tour, Jackson started a phone line where fans could call in and request songs to be performed. Jackson will be performing all of her memorable hits, including those from her pre-Control days.[4] The two and a half hour show kicked off in Vancouver on September 10, 2008 to rave reviews.[5][6]
Promotion
MTV promoted the Janet World Tour with a one-hour special in Jackson's honor, "hosted by MTV VJs Bill Bellamy and John Norris, [which featured] performance highlights, interviews with Jackson and her dancers, and behind-the-scenes production and rehearsal footage."[4] MTV publicist Jennifer Barner stated the channel wanted to give extensive coverage to Jackson's opening concert in Cincinnati, "because it is such a big tour and she's really, really hot now."[4] Despite heavy anticipation for the tour, news media were discouraged from attending opening night, which was seen as a dress rehearsal.[5] A spokeswoman for the tour stated "[w]e really don't want a lot of out-of-town media" even though music critic Rick Bird observed "[n]ormally, such an important tour opening would be attended by pop-music media and paparazzi from around the world.[5] However, Bird also noted a low-key premier was a strategic move for Jackson and her management, "since the complicated high-tech dance show will likely have some bugs to be worked out before it plays in larger media centers. And, given the adverse publicity the Jackson family is facing these days, the low-key opening night may indeed be the best strategy."[5]
About the show
The setup of the stage includes a giant square-shaped catwalk surrounding the first several front rows of seats, reaching out to the center of the arena where fans can easily see Jackson from any level of seating. Rows of seating inside the catwalk are exclusively designed for those with purchased fan club memberships. There are three video screens that take on the stage, including the biggest one being in the center where video clips are shown throughout songs to take place for effects and in-between costume change breaks. Other special staging includes movable staircases, steel cages, pyrotechnics, and other special pieces.
The show begins with an echo of words being said in the distance of the arena, such as "Janet", "Rock Witchu", "Dance", and "Discipline". As the words speed up, the show lights come on and several dancers dressed as astronauts appear on the stage, with two standing beside two big glittery “J”’s (representing Janet’s name.) The “J”’s move back and forth on the center of the stage with stars appearing on the center video screen (a representation of Space.) Pretty soon, fog appears in front of the audience and a bang of pyrotechnics blasts, thus beginning the opening of the show. Jackson appears on the upper center section of the stage in a gold hyperspace dance suit singing "The Pleasure Principle", as well as two other hits from her Control album for the Control Medley, and later moving on to "Feedback".
Notable performances of the night include the Pre-Control Medley, in which Jackson performs songs she has never done before live from her first two albums Janet Jackson and Dream Street, as well as an S&M display on-stage with a lucky audience member to perform the title track off Jackson's tour supporting album, Discipline.
For the finale of the show, Jackson and her dancers perform "Luv" and Jackson's top-five hit, "Runaway".[5]
