Janelle Monae to Electrify Lincoln Theatre in October
The amazingly talented, ambitious, stylish and total class act Janelle Monáe will stop in town for a show in October, a month after release of her latest electronica-steeped R&B album The Electric Lady, featuring the strong uptempo jam “Dance Apocalyptic” and equally strong mid-tempo tune “Prime Time” featuring Miguel, as well as the great freak-affirmative, infectious anthem “Q.U.E.E.N.” featuring Erykah Badu. And if you haven’t caught the “Q.U.E.E.N.” video in particular, you’re really depriving yourself.
You’re also depriving yourself if you haven’t yet caught Monáe’s music, which channels Prince and Lauryn Hill as much as the Jacksons — that is, Michael and Janet — to say nothing of the 27-year-old Kansas City native’s fellow Atlanta-based hip-hop besties in Outkast, Big Boi and Andre 3000. Monáe isn’t afraid to throw in some improvisational jazz and gospel into the mix either.
Yes, I swear, if you don’t know this official CoverGirl spokeswoman by now — aside from hearing her buried vocals on fun.’s overplayed hit “We Are Young,” of course — she really is that good. And the artist, who has made pro-LGBT statements while so far deflecting questions about her own sexuality, is a total firecracker onstage, dancing and prancing, singing and rapping her heart (and soul) out. Just witness her 2011 performance of “Tightrope” at the U.K.’s massive Glastonbury Festival.
With assist from additional guests including Solange, Esperanza Spalding and the one and only Prince — not to mention what seems like a bigger promotional push from her label Atlantic Records than her 2010 Grammy-nominated debut The ArchAndroid — all signs point to The Electric Lady being the one to finally propel Monáe into the mainstream. Naturally, if that happens, you’ll be able to brag about seeing her before her stadium tour days, in the relatively intimate Lincoln Theatre, a concert courtesy of IMP Productions. But no matter where her career leads, it has all the makings to be a solid show, certainly one to remember.
Tickets on sale Friday, Aug. 23, at 10 a.m., for Monday, Oct. 14, show at Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW. Tickets are $40. Call 202-328-6000 or visit thelincolntheatre.org or 930.com.
The full run of dates on Monae’s fall The Electric Lady Tour, with still more expected, are:
OCTOBER
13 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
14 Washington, DC Lincoln Theatre
16 Boston, MA House of Blues
18 Montreal, QC Olympia Theatre
19 Toronto, ON Kool Haus
21 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre
22 Minneapolis, MN Skyway Theater
24 Englewood, CO Gothic Theatre
25 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue
29 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
30 Seattle, WA Showbox SoDo
NOVEMBER
1 San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre
2 Los Angeles, CA Club Nokia @ L.A. Live
5 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
6 San Diego, CA House of Blues
7 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom
9 Dallas, TX House of Blues
12 Austin, TX Austin City Limits Live @ The Moody Theater
13 Houston, TX House of Blues
15 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater
17 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
19 Raleigh, NC The Ritz
20 Charlotte, NC The Fillmore Charlotte
22 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
23 Miami Beach, FL Fillmore Miami Beach @ The Jackie Gleason Theatre
26 Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle
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