THE MUSIC NATION
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CONCERT REVIEWS
JANET'S SAME OLD SONG & DANCE
Janet Jackson brought her “State of the World” tour to Tampa’s Mid Florida Credit Union Amphitheater on a muggy Tuesday evening. Friends in various cities had seen this new tour and commented on how much better it was than her previous ill-fated tour outing. So. I was going in to this show excited that I was going to see Janet wow me with this new show. Halfway through the show, I realized that this was the same show she put on in 2015 minus new tracks from her latest album. She even had the same annoying DJ open for her and perform at intermission when tried pumping up the crowd by screaming at us while he played a sampling of Janet singles that obviously would not be included in the show.
One of my friends who attended the show said that she thought Janet was having a constant dance-off with her dancers. By this time, I was so bored that I was just ready for the show to be over. The show started with Janet doing a tad longer version of some of her biggest hits all bound together in a medley form. There was the middle lull which consisted of slower tracks like “Any Time Any Place” and “Runaway.” She did perform “If” and all of its glorious video choreography – perhaps that could be considered a highlight.
Overall, the show lacks a cohesiveness which is further complicated by the grouping of song selections which throw off the pace of the show. Even the ending of the show happened without much fanfare – I do not even remember what the last song is which is sad considering Janet’s long discography of tracks to make a lasting impression. She seems like an artist that perhaps should consider a Vegas residency. Janet will always be an icon but it is disappointing she could not tap into that iconic artist and leave the audience wanting more instead of being ready to head home.
