Janet Jackson takes Austin on a sexy ‘Escapade’ with a little turbulence

Janet Jackson’s Austin concert celebrated many things on Sunday night. Fifty years of excellence from a seminal pop music artist. A songbook that’s permeated our dirty little lizard brains for generations. Immortal sexuality. Wide-legged pants.

I’ve never been to a concert where more fans wore the artist’s face on clothing. T-shirts — both official and homemade — proudly carried the image of Janet Damita Jo Jackson of Gary, Indiana. The artist who took 10 songs to No. 1, from “When I Think of You” to “All For You,” has been infamously mistreated by cultural and commercial forces, and at least one curly-headed has-been from a boy band.

If anything, that’s galvanized fan fervor. It’s also made it more urgent to recognize her invention (with Madonna and a couple others) of modern pop stardom. You don’t get Rihanna or Ariana without Janet.

Really, we should all be wearing denim jackets with her face on the back.

And yet, as Ms. Jackson brought her Together Again tour to Moody Center, an arena of fans had to reckon with a production not always fit for a queen. Fortunately, you can’t keep a good icon down, and Jackson’s brilliance won the night. Here’s what happened at the show.

Did a ‘Black Cat’ curse Austin with bad luck?

The first act of the show begged the question: Who trapped Janet in the Phantom Zone?

After a slideshow of career highlights, she appeared in the middle of a circular platform, under spotlight and in a chintzy-looking purple cloak, which revealed into a gold-sequined catsuit with an unfortunately placed purple bow. The aesthetics did not serve Jackson’s reputation.

For the first stretch, the sound at Moody Center was nasty, and not in the empowering way. Shrill, overpowering levels on the live band’s audio swallowed Jackson’s famously delicate vocals entirely. Jackson held on, but great latter-day tracks like “Feedback” and “No Sleeep” sounded like she was singing from the other side of a mirror.

An array of video screens ran through stock-art graphics. Real Windows XP screensaver stuff. And puzzlingly, dance powerhouse Jackson was hidden within restrained, awkward choreography. It was giving Cher.

Pacing is important. Tour budgets are shrinking in this economy. But after a barn-burning hit parade from rapper Ludacris in the opening set, Jackson’s first act was just baffling.

Talent wins, though. Not even muddy sound could dampen the undeniable dance break from “If,” the first light to peek through. Jackson and a backup dancer paid homage to her famous Rolling Stone cover. She whipped her mile-long ponytail like Michelle Pfeiffer wishes she could.

Jackson got more ‘Control’

When Jackson finally fought free from sonic purgatory, it was off to the races; in her first costume change of the night, she even came out in a wide-brimmed, feathered hat.

Jackson has lost no visible enthusiasm for performing her greatest hits. If anything, they seemed to energize her.

On “What Have You Done For Me Lately,” she moved around the stage like a grande dame, swarmed by her excellent quartet of dancers. “Nasty” liberated her limbs. From then on, the precise, sharp dance style fans love never left. I counted four wind machines at the lip of the stage.

The second act was an oasis of pop perfection: “Pleasure Principle,” “When I Think of You” and “Control.” By that last one, Jackson’s gentle, passionate tone had pushed its way to the front of the speakers, just in time for some 1990s-style chair dancing.

The sex still appeals.

Bruce Springsteen did it. Taylor Swift got an early start. Half of the fun of a career-spanning tour is cycling through eras. It’s like seeing how desire — all songs are about desire — has manifested through the decades.

No one does desire better than Jackson.

After a burst of ’80s-powered energy, she took it down low and slow as a projector wrapped her image around a giant sphere that descended from the ceiling. Spheres are notoriously sexy.

“Any Time, Any Place” sounded like dripping candle wax. “In the thundering rain” is basically code for, “Oh, we’re getting to the bedroom music now.” Right after, Jackson brought out the glorious smut for “I Get Lonely.” With one of her dancers and his shirtless abs seated, she ran her fingers down to his crotch. His fingers made the journey around the curves at the back of her pants, and his face went to her bust. If you were already feeling lonely, Jackson rubbed it in, literally.

In the next act, Jackson traded black-and-white dancewear for a flowing red jumpsuit with a blue flannel bustle. If you thought a “Star Trek”-meets-grunge costume would signal a transition away from weapons-grade lust, you weren’t ready for “All For You.”

Jackson put together a nice package, all right. I, personally, was happy to be along for the ride that night.

An ‘Escapade’ worth the wait

Jackson led her “Rhythm Nation” into glory on their way back into the moonlight with a show-stopping final act. The black paramilitary garb from that era of her discography translated into a third baggy pant, a crop top and leather-and-zipper gloves.

This was Jackson at her best, having fun and letting loose with those famous giggles. The pony twirled. She interacted with fans — this is not a girl who likes to be alone, as “Miss You Much” reminded everyone.

The late Michael Jackson made a cameo via video for his duet with his sister, “Scream.” “Rhythm Nation” went hard, as she brought out some familiar moves and the arena chanted along to claim their citizenship. Jackson brought it home with a euphoric encore of “Together Again,” the camera following her from the backstage makeup chair, through a Moody Center corridor and back up the stairs to the spotlight.

What a banger to close a retrospective tour: “There are times when I look above and beyond/ There are times when I feel your love around me, baby,” the song goes.

But I think the lyrics to my personal favorite Janet track, 1989’s “Escapade,” made for the best crescendo of good vibes of the night, even if Sunday’s rendition was too short for my tastes.

Things started rocky, but we had a good time. We left our worries behind. Let's save our troubles for another day.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Janet Jackson's Austin concert hit a few bumps but her classics shined