oh, Janelle!
It all started last year, when Adriel announced he was in love. Her name is Jane, he sighed, with unmistakable wanderlust and magic in his eyes. Jane? Yes, Jane, as her adoring fans have come to know her. To most, she’s known as Janelle Monae. When I first “got to know” her, she was signed to Purple Ribbon, Big Boi’s upcoming label, and appeared on the “Morris Brown” video as the adorable beauty with big hair. She was amazing.
Since the day Drizz showed me her live performance of “Sincerely, Jane”, I fell in love too. Her highly original artistic concepts were mind-blowing, and her music gave hope for true music and art to revive pop culture again. It’s 2008, and she’s Diddy’s newest artist. Oh, Janelle. Please how Danity Kane how real girls do it.
I came to Atlanta because of Outkast. But I also came with the intent of finding her. To my surprise, I found that Jane was performing at Olde Smith’s on the 21st, and with giddy excitement, I found myself at the front of the stage, finally watching my favorite tuxedo girl with awe. My goodness. The live performance was incredible beyond my expectation. It was like waiting to go on a Disneyland ride, like, entering Wonderland, like teleporting into Magic City (no, not the strip club on Memorial, I mean like, real Magic), like…watching a dream unravel. The whole room was electric. And there I was, singing along to all my favorite Janelle songs, more present and in the moment than I’ve ever been on this trip.
The bonus? I told her I came all the way from California to find her, and she gave me a kiss. 
(Sorry, Adriel…)
Another bonus? While at the Jane show, I met Atlanta’s resident fashionistas, the Late Boots crew, who granted me a great honor of appearing on their blog (I think the new glasses and the suspenders did it) I’m a sucker for fashion blogs. Check out theirs here: Late Boots
(photos above are courtesy of Late Boots staff- thanks yall!)
