What Time Does Janet Jackson Come on Stage

Janet Jackson hits the road — fourth time's a charm?

The last time Janet Jackson performed in Washington, the most significant member of her entourage was the guy clutching the mop. It was March 2011, and Janet — "Miss Jackson" if you're still nasty after all these years — was touring behind a greatest-hits album, leaning into her most colorful songs with the entirety of her physical being. "Control," "Escapade," "That's the Way Love Goes," blam, blam, blam, splish, splash, sploosh. Things got sweaty. Then, slippery.

Singer-songwriter Janet Jackson will be in the District for a performance at Capital One Arena on Nov. 16. (Yu Tsai)

During the concert's interstitial costume changes, Jackson's intrepid mop man would rush onto the stage, hustling to squeegee all of the sweat puddles that the singer had just left on the floor. I remember the audience cheering this guy on, then roaring five times louder when Jackson reemerged from her dressing room. Why? Because they were watching a superstar going for broke on her victory lap. She was giving way more than she had to.

But that was six years ago, and those very same fans have good reason to feel impatient with Jackson — she has postponed her current world tour not once, not twice, but three times. Fourth time's a charm? When Jackson headlines Washington's Capital One Arena (the building formerly known as Verizon Center) on Nov. 16, she'll still be touring behind her terrific 2015 album "Unbreakable," a title that she seems determined to live up to.

The album found her reunited with longtime collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who helped the singer make history back in 1989 with "Rhythm Nation 1814," one of the most poised pop records ever written — an album whose stark confidence still echoes through the brightest music of Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and countless others.

One of Jackson's most promising followers is Kelela, a singer raised here in Washington whose forthcoming debut album, "Take Me Apart," promises to be one of the most exquisite R&B releases of the year. If you're worried that Jackson might cancel a fourth time, head over to U Street Music Hall, where Kelela is playing that very same night, Nov. 16.

Jazz pianist Jason Moran. (Clay Patrick McBride)

Other notable concerts:

Q-Tip and Jason Moran. Nearly 19 months since he was named the Kennedy Center's artistic director for hip-hop culture, the legendary co-founder of A Tribe Called Quest finally steps onto the Kennedy Center stage alongside Jason Moran, the artistic director for jazz. At the Kennedy Center on Oct. 6.

Halsey. With one of the most magnetic new voices in pop, this 22-year-old ruled the airwaves throughout the summer. When she hits the arena circuit this fall, we'll get to find out whether that voice can float all the way up to the nosebleeds. At Capital One Arena on Oct. 9.

Country music group Midland. (Harper Smith for Big Machine Records)

Midland. This outstanding new country trio presents itself as a band of road-weary Texas troubadours. In real life, the guitarist used to direct music videos for Bruno Mars while the frontman starred in a soap opera. But hey, with songs this smooth, who cares? At the Fillmore Silver Spring on Nov. 3.

Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile. Two of the greatest rock-and-roll songwriters to emerge since the original Kurt and Courtney, Vile and Barnett are touring together in support of a new collaborative album. At the Anthem on Nov. 7.

Kamasi Washington. As the young saxophone colossus continues to tour behind his 2016 opus, "The Epic," his reputation in the jazz world remains as big as his sound. At MGM National Harbor on Nov. 24.

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Chris Richards Chris Richards has been The Washington Post's pop music critic since 2009. Before joining The Post, he freelanced for various music publications. Follow

What Time Does Janet Jackson Come on Stage

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/janet-jackson-hits-the-road--fourth-times-a-charm/2017/09/08/4b40e130-8751-11e7-a94f-3139abce39f5_story.html

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