Being A Janet Jackson Fan Takes "Discipline"...

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A still from the video I recorded of Janet Jackson performing her new single "Rock With U" live in New York for a taping of "Good Morning America" this morning. That little cute thing in the middle, That's Janet.
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Alright, alright, alright, I know, I know, I know. This is the third of my Janet Jackson related postings here. It is also the last of the trilogy. Tomorrow we go back to our regularly scheduled programming (that is unless Janet does something really amazing tomorrow). I know that I'm probably driving my two non-Janet loving gay readers ('cuz literally there has to be only like two of y'all, all the gays love Janet) crazy with all of this but y'all know how much I love me some Janet. I love her so much that I have spent the past 24 hours totally and completely inundated with her.

Just in case you're new to the blog, don't watch TV, or have been living under a rock for the past week, Janet Jackson's new album came out today. It's called "Discipline" and it's actually good this time, I swear (read my review of it here). Like for her past few album releases, a huge media and promotion blitz around the release date here in New York. And for these past few albums me and my hard core Janet fanatic friends come in from all over the country, buses, trains, and aeroplanes to celebrate. Because I'm Adam Benjamin Irby, your favorite blogger I'm gonna take you along for the ride, in style.

Things started yesterday with Janet's appearance on BET's "106 & Park", which is actually now taped at CBS Studios on 57th & 11th, but that's a whole 'nother story. Even though I was there, if you watched the show you wouldn't have seen me because I wasn't in the audience. Thanks to my homie at BET (thanks homie) I was able to get backstage access to the show, which not only had an appearance by Janet, but by Andre 3000 and Will Ferrell, there to promote their new movie, the basketball comedy "Semi-Pro". Thank God for friends in high places.

I got a tour of the studios and saw all the people there doing what they do. It almost felt like I was back in the 7th grade and this was career day or something. Even with all the business there was a certain expectancy in the air. Word had spread that Janet was in the building and even the people who worked at BET, who were used to seeing celebrities day in and day out were starstruck. I won't give any names though.

During Janet's segment on the show there was a part where one of the co-hosts Rocsi invted a fan on stage who was crying uncontrollably at the sight of Janet. That fan was Tirza (who reads the blog, hey girl, if I spelled your name wrong, holla at me). As I watched her from backstage meeting and hugging Janet I told my homie that if there was anybody who deserved to meet Janet Jackson it was her. Every time Janet does something in New York she's there, rain, shine, wind, cold, standing outside all night, homegirl is dedicated. I love me some Janet but that girl LOVES Janet. I was so happy for her.

The funniest part of the whole thing was the part that you didn't get to see on TV. During one of the commercial breaks the warm up people had kids (literally kids, the median age of the whole "106 & Park" audience in person and at home is like seventeen, I'm getting too old for this shit) from the studio audience dancing on one of the stages. One group of kids started doing that new 5000 dance, I think it's called. It's basically a total ripoff of the dipping that they do in the black gay ballroom scene, except now the straight kids do it. So as the music is playing of the boys does a dip. When he hit the floor, Janet who's sitting on the couch, watching from the other side of the studio extended her right hand down across torso and to her left, crossing her other arm and did an ol' nasty, ballroom queen snap! It was funny as hell. Only the gays got into it, the straight people didn't even notice. I love Janet, she's such a queen.

When the taping was over I met the rest of my Janet friends from the audience who rushed in a cab to get over to Best Buy to wait outside, in the cold, all night to get wristbands in order to gain entry back into the store the next day to get an autographed CD from Janet. Now y'all know good and damn well my black ass was not tryna stand outside in the motha fuckin' cold (it was like 30 degrees last night) all motha fuckin' night for no damn wristband. I did that shit once in 2004. I met Janet, she signed my CD and I'm good. Matter fact, where the hell is that CD? See, I probably done went and lost the shit. I'm good.

The next morning I arrived to the Nokia theatre for the taping of Janet's performance on "Good Morning America". While some people were waiting out there half the night or possibly all night last night. I arrived only fifteen minutes before the doors opened. Thanks to another friend in a high place I got my hands on some guaranteed admission passes. Once I arrived inside it was like a damn family reunion. Was every homo in the New York Metropolitan Area at this place. I hear my name being called out here, an "I see you" text message from over there and not to mention having to cringe at the sight of ex dates. Ugh, sometimes our pink little world is entirely too small. I ended up on an aisle seated by fellow blogger and Janet fanatic Darian Aaron. The performance was hot, lip-synched, as expected but the dance moves were awesome, especially on "Feedback". She performed "Feedback", "That's The Way Love Goes" and "Rock With U". All three are available on my YouTube Channel.

Later that day after a quick run home for a wardrobe change I joined my homegirl Mika from Baltimore on the front of the line for entry to MTV's "TRL". She, and her guest, me were on the list to get in. When I looked at the confirmation email Mika had from MTV it said that to be let into TRL you have to be between the ages of 16 to 24. Damn, I really am too old for this shit! Anyway, we and a select few others were given black wristbands while the remainder of the audience was given yellow ones. Our minds spun at the speed of light wondering what exactly the difference in wristbands meant. While we waited, out of nowhere Matthew Knowles (the music industry executive better known as Beyonce's daddy) strolled casually by us down 45th Street, on his cell phone unbothered. That's New York for ya.

Once we finally entered into MTV Studios at 1515 Broadway and were processed and stripped of all of our worldly possessions, even our hats (I was on national TV today without my Yankee fitted! Only for Janet). We learned of our black wristbanded fate after we watched Janet perform "Feedback" in the main studio. As soon as she was done we were all whisked out into the hallway where a MTV staffer told us that we were selected as VIPs. We as VIPs, the sixteen or so of us were going to spend the remainder of the show in a smaller studio, just us and Janet. Of course were all excited at that news.

Once we were all seated in the studio Janet walked in and took her place on the plush red couch in the center of the room. During the commercial breaks there were yells of "I love you Janet!" "Icon!" "Werq Miss Janet!" and "The face is sitting Miss Janet!" among other things from the fans. She graciously thanked us for all the compliments while continually flashing her world famous, high voltage, kazillion dollar smile. At one point LA Reid (chairman of her record label, Island/Def Jam) peeked his bald head in the room. We thanked him for everything he's been doing involving promotion for the album. TRL did their whole broadcast about Janet and the album. He definitely pulled some major strings and/or spent some major bucks to make that happen. Hopefully it all generates some major sales for the album.

After the TRL taping was over my out of town friends raced over to Best Buy for the album signing that they stood outside all night for. I walked them over and made my rounds on the line saying hello to people, putting faces to the screen names of people I had been talking to on the Janet Jackson Message Board for the past six years. All in all it was a great day. I'd only do all of this for Janet and some of it I don't plan on ever doing again.

So I spent the day with Janet and I'm gonna spend my night with Cheri Dennis. Her album released today too.

I have uploaded all three "Good Morning America" performances on the A. Benjamin Irby YouTube Channel for your viewing enjoyment. Two of them "Feedback" and "Rock With U" are also embedded here. Check out the rest on the channel.

There are seven more videos from this concert and even more live concert footage of Rihanna, Amerie, Teedra Moses, Vivian Green, and more on the A. Benjamin Irby YouTube Channel.

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Playing In The Background...
"2Nite"
by Janet Jackson
from the album "Discipline"
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