Nana Kwabena
After struggling to find parking on a Wednesday night, I finally made it to MTelus at 8 PM sharp, and the place was packed. Opening DJ Nana Kwabena was bringing absolute energy, playing a variety of popular hip-hop and R&B songs, all mixed to perfection. It was truly the perfect start to the night.
Nana Kwabena’s resume includes more than just DJing; his talents encompass rapping, singing, songwriting, and sound engineering. Among all these credentials, he’s also excellent at getting a crowd to groove. It was as if he knew precisely what everyone wanted to hear. He’d kick off the first hook of a track, and the venue would fill with everyone’s voices of excitement as they started dancing to the beat.
His set was so much fun; it made me wish that more DJs would play tracks like these at the clubs. They’re so much fun to dance to! I mean, they’re classics for a reason!
For the very last song, Nana Kwabena looked into the crowd and caught sight of someone holding up their phone with a song name and artist written on the screen. He thanked Montreal for being so incredibly fun and for keeping up the energy during his set. He played the request, “You Wish” by Flyana Boss, and left the audience on a high note as they awaited the night’s headliner.
Janelle Monáe
When the house lights shut off, the crowd cheered like mad. The stage was bathed in orange lighting, filled with fog to create an air of mystique. The two brass players stood on either side of a staircase in the middle of the flower-adorned stage. Each band member emerged from the fog, welcomed warmly by cheers from the crowd. Once Janelle Monae made her entrance, wearing a crown of flowers with a matching draping jacket and boots, the venue erupted with the crowd’s voices.
She started off remarkably strong; her voice was powerful and ethereal. Her band members played in perfectly practiced unison, and the music filled the room, inspiring the audience to move and dance. Janelle took a moment to remind the crowd that tonight was about celebration and urged everyone to prepare for one hell of a party. The crowd wholeheartedly complied. Everyone was singing along to every lyric and dancing enthusiastically, amplifying the performance of the background dancers.
Everyone on that stage looked incredible. The coordinated outfits stood out amidst the flowers all around the stage. Janelle is such a captivating performer, brimming with life and energy. Her engagement with the crowd is mesmerizing. When she said, “shake it off,” the crowd certainly obliged.
“Don’t dwell on the past or your challenging day. Let go and feel the funk!” she directed, and the crowd was in the palm of her hand. Her band was impeccable. The sound was incredible, with not one note overshadowing the other. Everything flowed beautifully, with each member’s talent fitting together like a puzzle piece. The stage transitioned between colours and themes seamlessly, merging into one another to reveal the next. Each color complemented the captivating backup dancers, who vogued and executed each move flawlessly. The crowd embraced everything Janelle did on stage. She completely owned the night, and the crowd gladly surrendered to her every command. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the stage, and I didn’t even dare to try. I didn’t want to miss a single moment, not one choreographed move. The show’s theme of celebrating life resonated deeply with me. Through her performance, Janelle Monae encouraged the crowd to be present, to observe the world around them, and to seize every experience. During a brief instrumental intermission, the screen read, “The world could end outside our window… Hurry up and live!”
I love attending concerts. I love seeing artists pour their hearts into their performances. But shows like this, with a clear message directed at the audience, are the ones that deeply impact me. They make me contemplate more than just the coordination of the performers or how everything sounds in the venue. It’s powerful and meaningful work, and Janelle Monae absolutely nailed it.
She didn’t falter once. Every word effortlessly flowed from her lips, gracing the venue’s audience with grace and sophistication, no matter how much she danced. The notes she hit were extraordinary. She made it all look so effortless.
My personal favourite, “Lipstick Lover,” was performed beautifully. The song began with clips from the iconic music video, showcasing the beauty and excellence of queer people of colour. She wore an oversized straw hat, while her dancers were dressed in beach attire. The pink lighting and palm trees displayed on the screen were incredibly immersive.
During “Paid in Pleasure,” Janelle invited members of the crowd to come up and dance with her. “I need a preview. I need to see you move,” she said as she selected a handful of lucky fans. One by one, she handed the microphone to them to introduce themselves. The crowd cheered as Janelle danced with each person she brought on stage, and these amazing individuals brought the perfect energy to the performance.
The outfit changes throughout the show were delightfully campy. For “Pynk,” Janelle walked onto the stage wearing a phenomenal vulva headband. Her pants, along with a couple of her dancers, featured labia designs down the front of the legs. And for “Yoga,” Janelle and her dancers wore pink leg warmers and leotards, with choreography that matched the song’s theme. These creative choices added a fun element to the performance of these tracks.
Janelle’s voice was absolutely breathtaking. She’s earth-shatteringly talented and incredibly beautiful. Her voice floated through the air, delicately touching the ears of everyone in attendance. When she played her final song, “I Like That,” the crowd’s cheering could have burst my eardrums. They screamed so loudly, begging for Janelle Monae, her band members, and dancers to return, and it didn’t take long for the familiar silhouettes to reappear.
This time, Janelle wore a glittery suit with a matching hat featuring the sharpest shoulders I had seen all night. She looked incredible as she showcased her dancing skills. She exuded such a strong swagger when she danced; she was completely untouchable.
I can’t express how thrilled I am that I had the opportunity to see Janelle Monáe perform. Her stage presence, talent, and incredible live voice make for a phenomenal show. The next time she comes to Montreal, I definitely plan to attend again, and if you missed this one, I strongly recommend not missing the next!
Jamie Siddall
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