REVIEW: Janet Jackson 'Number Ones, Up Close & Personal' Tour

This Monday, Janet Jackson hit the stage at The Tower Theater for her 'Number 1s, Up Close and Personal' tour. No opening acts, no collaborations, and no disappointments. If you've ever been to The Tower then you know how intimate of a venue it is. The stage was low and the crowd was close. The latecomers crept in as the show kicked off with a video performance of 'I Get Lonely', and the crowd rose to their feet! As it turns out, 'I Get Lonely' was the song that was dedicated to the City of Brotherly Love. On every tour stop, Janet dedicated a selected number one song to the city. Janet came out and her energy was undeniable.

I had to check the year. I was surprised. No disrespect to a legend but Penny aint as young as she used to be ya'll.

She performed various crowd movers or 'number one's' ('All Night With Me', 'The Pleasure Principle', 'Control', 'What Have You Done For Me Lately', etc.,) and the crowd stayed on their feet! Cell phones, cameras, and hands in the air as everyone moved to the beat! I'm a blogger not a rapper, that rhyme was unintentional but my point has been made. After performing 'Miss You Much' she screamed, "Is that the end?!" The crowd screamed "No!" in response, and she went into a less raunchy than usual performance of one of my favorites, 'Nasty'. Her dancers showed OFF! Then again they showed off the entire show.

She took her jacket off and rested her vocals as the audience watched various clips of her on screen performances, including her start as Penny on "Good Times" and one of her most strongest performances ever in "Why Did I Get Married".

She came back to us and slowed it down as she sat down to perform 'Nothing', and 'Come back to Me'.

She invited the crowd to sing along and we all rose to our feet and sang 'Let's Wait Awhile', Another one of my favorites by the way! She got out of her seat and walked across the stage singing with us. Talk about intimate! And might I add she stayed on key. Then again its Janet ; we'd be surprised if she DIDN'T stay on key! She kept us entertained during her vocal breaks too. The crowd marveled at the backdrop as pictures of her flashed across the screen. The concert was entitled 'Up Close and Personal' and these pictures added a great touch and a great distraction from the fact that she wasn't on stage.

The band rocked out with a medley and Janet came back with 'Doesn't Matter' and the crowd rose to their feet once again! I give Janet her props! As a matter of fact, if you were in the crowd kudos to you too because what's a live performance without an even liver crowd.

I'm convinced she forgot a couple of the lyrics to 'It's All for You' but she bounced back smooth and this is one of my favorites so I held my weight where she slipped and that's all that matters. JANET, IF YOU'RE READING, THIS I HAD YOUR BACK! The band switched the beat up and Janet, Ms. Jackson if you're nasty, rocked out during one of her many dance breaks. She gave it to us. I have no complaints. I almost shed a tear at the end when "everywhere i go, every smile i see, i know you are there smiling back at me..." echoed through the speakers and pictures of her and her brother flashed across the screen.

She introduced her band and dancers, and I was excited to see a few Philadelphia faces.

So she didn't change her clothes but at least she took her jacket off and rocked the stage. I kept my 'Control' jacket on and I got my money's worth so we're even. No one around me had any complaints either so this concert was a success if you ask me.

---Nola Darling

"Philly you are so special to me, to not just me but my family, I remember when I was a kid my brothers would always tell me about the love they would get when they performed in Philadelphia..."

Head over to Live Nation to see if Janet is coming to a city near you! 

www.janetjackson.com