Rock Witchu Tour was the fifth

concert tour A concert tour (or simply tour) is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often, concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific ...

by American singer

Janet Jackson Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...

, in support of her tenth studio album ''

Discipline Discipline is the self-control that is gained by requiring that rules or orders be obeyed, and the ability to keep working at something that is difficult. Disciplinarians believe that such self-control is of the utmost importance and enforce a ...

'' (2008), and her first in nearly seven years, following a total

blacklist Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list; if people are on a blacklist, then they are considere ...

of the singer's music, due to the

Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy The Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, which was broadcast Live television, live on February 1, 2004, from Houston, Texas, on the CBS television network, is notable for a moment in which Janet Jackson's right breast and nipple—adorned with a n ...

. The tour began on September 10, 2008, in

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

, Canada, and was scheduled to conclude in

Fukuoka is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...

, Japan, on February 22, 2009. However, several North American dates were cancelled due to Jackson's

vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...

, and the upcoming Japanese leg was scrapped, following the

2009 economic crisis The Great Recession was a period of market decline in economies around the world that occurred from late 2007 to mid-2009.

and another bout of illness for the singer. The tour officially ended on November 1, 2008, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, resulting in only sixteen shows. Still, the tour received rave reviews, and at the end of 2008, was placed 78th on

Pollstar ''Pollstar'' is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry. The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017. ''Pollstar'' holds an annual award ce ...

's "Top 100 North American Tours", grossing $11.7 million.

Background

After releasing her eighth studio album, '' Damita Jo'' (2004), Janet dealt with criticism with the massively controversial Super Bowl incident, resulting to a

of Jackson's subsequent singles and music videos from several conglomerates, including

Viacom Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to: * Viacom (1952–2005), a former American media conglomerate * Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom * Viacom18, a joint venture between Pa ...

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

and

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

and various subsidiaries, which largely affected Jackson's airplay on many radio formats and music channels worldwide. Due to that, Jackson did not go on tour to support ''Damita Jo'', and instead recorded her ninth studio album during 2005–2006. The album, entitled '' 20 Y.O.'', was released in September 2006, and it was announced that Janet was prepping a worldwide tour to promote the album. However, the unnamed tours were canceled abruptly when Jackson began recording new material. Jackson stated:

"I was supposed to go on tour with the last album ..We were actually in full-blown tour rehearsals at that point ... learning numbers, getting everything together, set designs ..I had to kind of shut everything down and go into the studio."

In early 2008 on ''

The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The show ran for nineteen seasons from September 8, 2003, to May 26, 2022, in which it broadcast 3,339 episodes. It was produced by ...

'', Jackson announced that she would go on tour. The audience was given free tickets to her show at the

Staples Center Crypto.com Arena (originally and colloquially known as Staples Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Los Angeles. Opened on October 17, 1999, as Staples Center, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along F ...

. While planning the tour, Jackson started a phone line where fans could call in and request songs to be performed. Jackson was set to perform all of her memorable hits, including those from her pre-''

Control Control may refer to: Basic meanings Economics and business * Control (management), an element of management * Control, an element of management accounting * Comptroller (or controller), a senior financial officer in an organization * Controlling ...

'' days.

Development

According to Janet herself, "It will definitely be a big production but it will definitely also be something that I've never done before, that people have never seen from me before." The title of the tour, "Rock Witchu Tour", was named for a song of the same name on her latest album, ''

''. The tour was set to be worldwide, with Janet stating, "It's been a while so I really want to make my rounds. I haven't been to Australia in a very long time; I can't wait to go there. There are a lot of places where I really want to stop off at, and that's the idea, that's the goal with this tour." In April 2008, the singer claimed, "I'm still promoting the new album (Discipline) right now, but we'll be getting into rehearsals in about a month and then start touring," Jackson says. For Janet, "My true goal is to try at least do every single that I’ve ever had. So, I’ve got to figure out a way to fit this in two hours, and yet give them enough of each song so that they don’t feel hungry for more of that song in particular." The two and a half hour show kicked off in

on September 10, 2008, to rave reviews.

Synopsis

For two hours, the show sees Janet performing nearly 40 hits, complete with theatrics, costume changes and a few surprises. According to Janet, the tour features a set list that was directly influenced by her fans. The setup of the stage includes a giant square-shaped catwalk surrounding the first several front rows of seats, reaching out to the center of the arena where fans could see Jackson from any level of seating. Rows of seating inside the catwalk were exclusively designed for those with purchased fan club memberships. There are three video screens that take on the stage, including the biggest one being in the center where video clips are shown throughout songs to take place for effects and in-between costume change breaks. Other special staging includes movable staircases, steel cages, pyrotechnics, and other special pieces. JanetJacksonTour

The show begins with an echo of words being said in the distance of the arena, such as "Janet", "Rock Witchu", "Dance", and "Discipline". As the words speed up, the show lights come on and several dancers dressed as astronauts appear on the stage, with two standing beside two big glittery "J"'s (representing Janet's name.) The "J"'s move back and forth on the center of the stage with stars appearing on the center video screen (a representation of

Space Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless ...

). Pretty soon, fog appears in front of the audience and a bang of pyrotechnics blasts, thus beginning the opening of the show. Jackson appears on the upper center section of the stage in a gold hyperspace dance suit singing " The Pleasure Principle", as well as "

", when 13 dancers join her, emerging from underground in various positions around the massive stage, and "

What Have You Done for Me Lately "What Have You Done for Me Lately" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her third studio album, '' Control'' (1986). Jackson co-wrote the song with its producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It was released in 1986, by A&M Records as ...

", on the "Control Medley", and later moving on to "Feedback". She then performed " You Want This", "

Alright Alright, All Right or Allwright may refer to: Music Albums * ''Alright!'' (album), a 2007 album by Bogdan Raczynski * ''Alright'', a 2011 album by Jerry Williams * ''All Right'', a 1982 album by Himiko Kikuchi Songs * "Alright" (Cast song) * ...

" and "

Miss You Much "Miss You Much" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson. Composed by songwriters and record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it was recorded for the singer's fourth studio album, '' Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' (1989). As with all ...

." Afterward Janet did a brief costume change and returned to the stage in a sultry red dress to perform a string of ballads including " Come Back to Me", " Again" and "

Let's Wait Awhile "Let's Wait Awhile" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her third studio album '' Control'' (1986). It was released on January 6, 1987 on A&M Records as the album's fifth single. The song was written and produced by Jackson and Jimmy ...

." After another wardrobe change, she came back out to perform a mixture of old and new songs including " So Excited", " Together Again", " Nasty", "

Escapade Escapade or Escapades may refer to: Transportation *Beneteau Escapade, a French sailboat design * HMS ''Escapade'', a 1934 Royal Navy destroyer that served in World War II *'' Just Escapade'', an American two-seat kit-built light aircraft Films ...

", " That's the Way Love Goes", " Luv" and "

Rhythm Nation "Rhythm Nation" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson, released as the second single from her fourth studio album, '' Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814'' (1989). It was written and produced by Jackson, in collaboration with Jimmy Jam and ...

". Her duets with

Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...

Q-Tip Cotton swabs (American English) or cotton buds (British English), also Q-tips ( proprietary eponym), are wads of cotton wrapped around a short rod made of wood, rolled paper, or plastic. They are most commonly used for ear cleaning, although th ...

and

Dave Navarro David Michael Navarro (born June 7, 1967) is an American guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. Between 1993 and 1998, Navarro was the guitarist of Red Hot Chili ...

had the musicians appearing on a pre-recorded video and performing their verses while Janet sang on stage. Other notable performances of the night include the Pre-"Control" medley, in which Jackson performs songs she has never done before live from her first two albums ''

'' and ''

Dream Street Dream Street is an American pop music, pop boy band that was formed in 1999 by Louis Baldonieri and Brian Lukow. The band disbanded in 2002 following a legal dispute between parents of the band members and the band's managers. In 2023, the b ...

'', as well as an S&M display on-stage with a lucky audience member to perform the title track off Jackson's tour supporting album, ''

''. During the performance, she had her dancers pull up a male audience member and strap him into a harness; he was then suspended midair as Jackson teased him with a highly suggestive set of moves and the breathy soft-core porn of the track. For the finale of the show, Jackson and her dancers perform " Luv" and Jackson's top-five hit, "

Runaway Runaway, Runaways or Run Away may refer to: Engineering * Runaway reaction, a chemical reaction releasing more heat than what can be removed and becoming uncontrollable * Thermal runaway, self-increase of the reaction rate of an exothermic proce ...

Critical reception

The tour was met with rave reviews from critics, who praised the show’s production and choreography and commended Jackson’s dancing and showmanship. Tim Henley of ''

NewsOK ''The Oklahoman'' is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma, United States, and is the only regional daily that covers the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, Greater Oklahoma City area. The Alliance for Audited Media (formerly Audit Bureau Circul ...

'' wrote that, "Despite the fact that she is 42-years-old, Janet still gave a high energy performance from start to finish. She danced during the entire show, and her choreography was on point. She put

Britney Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. An influential figur ...

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

and Usher to shame. Janet has officially solidified herself as the queen.” Marsha Lederman of ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'' claimed that "The most memorable moment of the Vancouver show came almost halfway through, when Jackson, dressed in a gold and black glam hip hop-inspired track suit (and one gold glove), stopped on the catwalk after her hit ' Together Again', listened to the crowd roar its approval, and became emotional – really emotional." Lederman called the show, "a fun, glitzy choreographed experience worthy of a woman who's been in show business longer than most of the people in the audience have been alive. Bravo." ''

Rap-Up ''Rap-Up'' is a magazine launched in 2001 by founder Devin Lazerine. The publication was originally a website devoted to hip hop, until Lazerine decided to pitch the possibility of a magazine to several publishers. The magazine is focused on the ...

'' magazine wrote that, "There are few artists in 2008 who can pack arenas and put on a spectacle the way Janet Jackson can, and last night was proof that Janet's fans still remain loyal to the icon." Denise Sheppard of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' gave the tour a positive review, writing that Janet "put together a show that was less extravagant in terms of outfits and stage props, attempting instead to bring the bang with pyro and mini-explosions." However, Sheppard criticized "the inclusion of nearly nonsensical video vignettes designed to create a space-age good vs. evil battle", calling it "bizarre". Jason Bracelin of ''

Las Vegas Review-Journal The ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'' is a daily subscription newspaper published in Las Vegas, Nevada, since 1909. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada and one of two daily newspapers in the Las Vegas area. The ''Review-Journal' ...

'' wrote that, "It was a night of sweaty performance art as it was a larger-than-life pop show, with Jackson taking the stage alone at first, without the oversized backing band that most contemporary singers employ to lard up their tunes live." Ann Powers of ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' review the

concert, writing that "Jackson has crafted a spectacle meant to help her finally recover from that Super Bowl incident and prove to those who say she's washed up that, at 42, she still deserves serious attention." However, Powers criticized that, "The elaborate set also made it hard to focus on the charisma of the night's star", saying that its narrative "was painfully unclear and the worst part of the show." American singer

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

stated the show inspired the choreography for her "

Womanizer Womanizer may refer to: * "Womanizer" (term), a promiscuous heterosexual man * "Womanizer" (song), a 2008 song by Britney Spears * "Womanizer", a 1977 song by Blood, Sweat & Tears from '' Brand New Day'' * ''Womanizer'', a 2004 album by Absolut ...

" video, after attending the concert in Los Angeles. Rehearsals for "Womanizer" were shown on the documentary '' Britney: For the Record'', with Spears saying "I like how it's close together. In Janet's show that's what they did a lot. She did a lot of close stuff like that with the dancers, and it was so powerful". Spears also hired Janet's stylist from the tour for

The Circus Starring Britney Spears The Circus Starring Britney Spears, commonly referred to as the Circus Tour, was the seventh concert tour by American entertainer Britney Spears. It was launched in support of her sixth studio album, ''Circus'' (2008). Rumors of a tour arose as ...

Controversies and additional notes

During the sound check for the show in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Jackson "got suddenly ill" and had to be rushed to the hospital. She was later discharged two hours later. After postponing her Montreal show due to an unspecified illness, Jackson also canceled her show in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

and

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. According to

The Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are distributed to its members, major ...

, Jackson's publicist sent out an e-mail stating that the singer was postponing shows in

Greensboro Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina, af ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, and

Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning, at the start of the Sun path. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon. Terminology Although the S ...

, stating, "Janet was hoping to resume her tour in an effort not to disappoint her fans. However, after arriving in Greensboro, it became evident that she is not fully recovered. A local doctor advised that she not perform tomorrow." Finally, in November 2008, the postponed dates, along with shows in

Uncasville Uncasville is a village in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is located in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the e ...

and

Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...

, were ultimately cancelled due to

migraine-associated vertigo Vestibular migraine (VM) is vertigo with migraine, either as a symptom of migraine or as a related neurological disorder. A 2010 report from the University of British Columbia published in the journal ''Headache'' said that Migraine associated ve ...

. The opening act

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip ho ...

also announced that he has dropped off the bill due to unspecified "scheduling conflicts."

Set list

The following set list is obtained from the September 10 show in Vancouver. It is not intended to represent all dates throughout the tour. #" The Pleasure Principle" / "

" / "

" #"

Feedback Feedback occurs when outputs of a system are routed back as inputs as part of a chain of cause and effect that forms a circuit or loop. The system can then be said to ''feed back'' into itself. The notion of cause-and-effect has to be handle ...

" #" You Want This" #"

" / "

" #"Never Letchu Go" / " Come Back to Me" / "

" / " Again" #" So Excited" #"So Much Betta" #" Nasty" #"

All Nite (Don't Stop) "All Nite (Don't Stop)" is a song recorded by American singer Janet Jackson for her eighth studio album, '' Damita Jo'' (2004). It was written and produced by Jackson and Swedish duo Bag & Arnthor (consisting of Anders Bagge and Arnthor Birgisso ...

" #" Rock with U" #" Together Again" #" Young Love" / " Say You Do" / " Don't Stand Another Chance" #" Doesn't Really Matter" / "

" / " Love Will Never Do (Without You)" / " When I Think of You" / " All for You" #"

Got 'til It's Gone "Got 'til It's Gone" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson, featuring American rapper Q-Tip (musician), Q-Tip and Canadian singer Joni Mitchell, from her sixth studio album, ''The Velvet Rope'' (1997). It was written by Jackson, Jimmy Jam ...

" #" Call on Me" #" That's the Way Love Goes" #" I Get Lonely" #" Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)" / "

Any Time, Any Place "Any Time, Any Place" is a song by American singer-songwriter Janet Jackson from her fifth studio album, ''Janet'' (1993). It was written and produced by Jackson along with production duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and released as the album's fi ...

" #"Discipline" #"

Black Cat A black cat is a Cat, domestic cat with black fur. They may be a specific Purebred, breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular or mixed breed. Most black cats have golden iris (anatomy), irises due to their high melanin pigment content. Bl ...

" #" If" #"

" ;Encore #

" Luv" #"

Notes

* During the Oakland show,

joined Jackson onstage to perform "Call on Me".

Shows

Cancelled shows

Personnel

;Show Director: Janet Jackson & Gil Duldulao ;Promoter: Leonard Rowe ;Creative Director and Choreographer: Gil Duldulao ;Choreographer: Ed Moore ;Assistant to Creative Director & Choreographer: Stephani Kammer ;Band: *

Adam Blackstone Adam Blackstone (born December 4, 1982, in Trenton, New Jersey) is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and bassist. He is the musical director for Nicki Minaj and Justin Timberlake. Blackstone has also directed and played in performan ...

(Musical Director/Bass) *

(Guitars) *Lil' John Roberts (Drums) *Daniel Jones (Keyboards) * Jae Deal (programming, orchestration) ;Costumes:

Donatella Versace Donatella Francesca Versace (; born 2 May 1955), sometimes simply referred to mononymously as Donatella, is an Italian fashion designer, businesswoman, socialite, and model. She is the sister of Gianni Versace, founder of the luxury fashion com ...

;Lighting and Set Design: Vince Foster ;FOH Sound Engineer: Jon Lemon ;Pyrotechnics Design: Lorenzo Cornacchia (Vice President of Pyrotek Special Effects) ;Dancers Gil Duldulao (Choreographer), Ed Moore (Choreographer), Jillian Meyers, Laurel Thompson, Nick Bass, Teddy Forance, Cassidy Noblett, Josh Ortiz, Victor Rojas, Whyley Yoshimura, Anthony Garza (Swing Dancer)

References

External links

Official website
{{Janet Jackson Janet Jackson concert tours 2008 concert tours