Future Tense

I don't usually go to Kool Haus, the cavernous club down by the lake, as the shows tend to cater to thousands and the sound system more suited to club beats. But I ventured down on Saturday to see Janelle Monae on her Electric Lady tour.

I was pleasantly surprised by the mix for opener Kae Sun. Every instrument sounded clear and pristine for his set. A Ghanaian-Canadian singer, his catchy songs wandered between reggae and pop. Though there were a few R'n'B love songs, his music concerned itself primarily with social issues (Lion on a Leash, Black Star Rising). His closing Weh Weh, a joyous "pidgin English" protest song was both danceable and thoughtful.

Unfortunately, for Janelle Monae's set, the volume was cranked up, turning the music into a heavy bludgeon without much subtlety. Monae's soaring vocals became painful screeches. I thought that it was my proximity to the stage but looking around, I saw lots of enthusiastic acknowledgement for her songs but not much joyful dancing (even for popular Tight Rope). The music retained its power, but did not groove. What a waste of her eclectic and funky oeuvre.

However, Janelle Monae was an assured performer. She carried the black and white stage colours into her wardrobe from Polo-esque pants and shirt, to striped leather jackets, and even a Varsity-style bomber with a large M on the front. Monae danced, strutted, jived, did several call-and-responses, got the audience to kneel down, and even crowd-surfed from the stage to the back of the packed venue. The only time she was still was in the beginning when she, wrapped tight in a strait-jacket, was wheeled on stage by egg-head scientists/handlers. A dangerous creation? No doubt.