Star Tribune photo by Marlin Levison
Janet Jackson began with a video shout-out to Minneapolis and ended with a big fat kiss for the Mill City.
The beginning of her Number Ones: Up Close and Personal Tour show Friday at the Orpheum was the long version of the 1986 video for "Control," her breakthrough single featuring producer/songwriters Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis along with then-Minnesotans Jerome Benton, Jellybean Johnson and Popeye Greer.
Then, Janet ended 90 minutes later, as detailed in my review, with a teary-eyed expression of her love for Minneapolis, where all but two of the songs performed Friday were created. In between, she shouted "Minneapolis" several times.
Most of her songs were abbreviated, delivered in a series of medleys. Sometimes there were pauses filled with Janet's band playing or video of, say, her in the sit-com "Good Times" and the movie "Poetic Justice." In other cities, Janet often used these interludes to change outfits; in Minneapolis, it was the same outfit all night, though she did remove her white jean jacket after the first segment.
Here is Friday's set list:
video of "Control"/ The Pleasure Principle > Control > What Have You Done for Me Lately > Feedback/ You Want This > Alright > Miss You Much / Nasty/ video clips of Good Times, Diff'rent Strokes, Poetic Justice and Why Did I Get Married Too/ the next set of ballads featured Janet on a handheld microphone Nothing > Come Back to Me > Let's Wait a While> Again / montage of Janet's glam photos, album covers and magazine covers/ Doesn't Really Matter > Escapade/ Love Will Never Do (without You) > When I Think of You/ All for You > That's the Way Love Goes/ band interlude with some Hendrixian guitar/ If > Scream (with Michael Jackson on video)/ Rhythm Nation/ ENCORE Diamonds (Herb Alpert song featuring Janet) / Together Again
