I have decreed SXSW 2009 as the Year of the Woman after seeing some truly amazing performances by a handful of mighty talented women (and you're welcome to read all about it over at VanityFair.com). The one performer I can't stop talking about, though, is Janelle Monae. She's my current obsession and a most FANTASTIC WOMAN!™
I first heard about her last Thursday when I arrived at the Levi's/FADER Fort to see what was cookin'. It felt like a Brooklyn village up in there complete with a blogging tent, multiple Ray Ban outlets, and long-limbed ladies lazily fingering their neon headbands as they waited in line for the Port-a-Potty. Artist Shepard Fairey was spinning some tunes on an Obama adorned laptop, displaced Williamsburg-ers were crowding the free beer bar, and there was a distinct buzz in the air that something big had just happened.
It was then that I ran into fellow New York compatriot, Andrew, who immediately insisted that I check out "this AMAZING girl" by the name of Janelle Monae. It wasn't a suggestion, it was a demand. Everyone it seemed--from the lackadaisical hipsters on the bleachers to the security guards manning the exits--was talking about this pompadoured girl and her tuxedo clad backing band who had apparently "killed it" at 1:00 that afternoon. She was described as new and original, stylish, explosive, energetic, theatrical, and insane (in a good way) with a killer set of pipes and dance moves unseen since the heyday of Michael Jackson. Apparently, she was also a self-proclaimed "alien from outer space, a cyber girl without a face."
The next evening, I ran into my Austin-based chum, Marc, a music writer covering a large number of shows at the fest. Now, let me just say that Marc is a calm guy. I've rarely seen him raise his voice or go ballistic about anything. When he speaks passionately about something, it comes through in the words he chooses. When the words "Janelle Monae" popped out of my mouth, Marc's eyes exploded, his head flew back, and a sound from deep within exploded with this proclamation: "Janelle Monae is the SHHHH-EEEEE-IIIII-TTTT!!!!" The very thought of her kept a smile on his face for the next half hour.
I then did some research and discovered that Janelle Monae is from Kansas City, Kansas, but is now based in Atlanta. She moved to New York to conquer the world of Broadway musical theatre only to find (like the rest of us) that typecasting can often kill originality. Later, during a layover in Atlanta, she felt an intuition that she was supposed to stay and "start a movement." So, she did, and ended up creating her own musical universe and record label called The Wondaland Arts Society. The collective is heavily influenced by Fritz Lang's 1929 cinematic masterpiece Metropolis, and soon, through her own marketing and chutzpah, people like Big Boi from Outkast and Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs started taking notice. Combs contacted her through MySpace where he listened to her single--which was heating up by word-of-mouth--and offered her a contract with Bad Boy Records where she would have creative control. He proclaimed her "a visionary."
So, on Saturday evening at approximately 6:30 p.m., in a tented parking lot in downtown Austin located directly in front of the Hilton hotel, I finally took in a performance by Janelle Monae at the Atlantic Records showcase. There was a joyous feeling within the assembled crowd. Industry people who had already seen her twice were there for a third time. Solange Knowles (Beyonce's sister and an amazing performer in her own right) and a group of friends excitedly wedged themselves up against the small stage. Then, a dapper gentleman in black and white announced Janelle's arrival as two other musicians in tuxedos emerged. Smoke filled the air, bombastic beats pummeled our hearts, and Janelle Monae's otherworldly tornado of fantasticness commenced onstage.
Folks, it's one of the best concerts I've seen. Ever. And it was only three songs.
She surpassed the hype and left me speechless, hands clapped over my cheeks. Bouncing from hyperactive dancing and perfectly belted cyber-punk show tunes to a classic rendition of Nat King Cole's song "Smile", Janelle Monae single handedly resurrected my love of music performance. There's no one like her, and I predict that she's going to be HUGE, so start checking your local listings to catch one of her upcoming shows opening for No Doubt this spring. That's a demand, not a suggestion.
In the meantime, check out her EP Metropolis: the Chase Suite on iTunes. Also, here's a little taste of the world of Janelle Monae, a most FANTASTIC WOMAN!™
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