Photo courtesy of Ravinia Festival Transcendentally beautiful and pridefully magnificent. That is how you can best describe Grace Jones and Janelle Monáe’s debut Ravinia performance on Saturday June 7, 2025. Which was a full on celebration of pride month and the LGBTQIA+ community for the opening weekend of Ravinia Festival’s new 2025 season. The first of many highly-anticipated performances at Ravinia for their new season and also debut performances at the very popular Chicago-area based outdoor venue as well. That did not disappoint at all and was well worth it for me, my brother and others in attendance for the nearly jam-packed crowd. Who danced and sang the night away for a night of dance, moving, singing and some messages of equal rights we could all agree on and celebrate.
Janelle Monáe in a black and white top with black matching miniskirt, hat, shades and thigh high black boots kicking things off by going through much of her most recent album, The Age of Pleasure. Including the very intriguing, Haute, that had Monáe and her dancers with her backing band in full on dance mode. While singing the simple, yet catchy lyrics that the crowd sang along to with as much ease as Janelle and her backup dancers. Much of the crowd also dancing along as well. Right before she went into, Oooh La La. Janelle then asking who from the crowd would be willing to go up on stage to be seen and show off their dance moves. To which she invited about a half dozen to a dozen or so people from the crowd to join her onstage. Asking them all to introduce themselves and dance as if she wasn’t there with them onstage or nobody else was looking. Before she actually left the stage and let them all dance onstage with her band. Definitely one of the more interesting and fun parts of her very amazing set.
Janelle would then come back out in a chinchilla with a red hat like the same one she had in the video for Django Jane. Saying, “This is for LGBTQIA+ rights. Black and brown people’s rights. Reproductive rights. This is for you. Thank you.” Before going into a very powerful performance of her rapping, Django Jane, that had her losing the chinchilla by the end of it. Janelle then so smoothly another powerful anthem of hers Q.U.E.E.N. before going into a very electric performance of, Electric Lady. That had her asking the left and right side to sing along and scream, “Electric Lady!” Before then asking everyone in the crowd to just dance and sing along. To which everyone obliged as they just as smoothly as Janelle and her dancers, danced and sang along.
Photo courtesy of Ravinia Festival
After changing into a white letterman jacket and bringing out a guitar. Monáe would show why she’s one of the most talented artists and performers of not only her generation, but ever. As she so smoothly played the guitar along with her band while singing, Lipstick Lover. Before going into such fan favorites as Paid In Pleasure and PYNK. Coming out in the same outfit from the video for the latter. Janelle would playfully dance and thrust with her backup dancers while singing the very fun and somewhat provocative lyrics. A message would be had about people feeling uncomfortable in their own skin and how they shouldn’t feel that. Monáe saying, “This is dedicated to you free ass motherfvcker.” Before sitting down by the stage to go into her very popular hit single, I Like That. Janelle leaving for another costume change. This time into a full on black and white suit with matching black and white shoes with black matching fedora hat. Going into a full on beautifully amazing solo dance routine intro that really let Monáe show off her dance moves. Before the mic stand and her guitar were brought back out. Saying, “We love you so much Chicago.” To which the crowd roared their approval as she went into her very funk-filled single, Make Me Feel. Janelle would send one more last message of standing with the trans, queer and LGBTQIA+ community. Before going into her very emotionally charged with a message record that still stands of so much importance, Cold War. Then closing out with all the energy of her single, Tightrope. That everyone so enthusiastically sang and danced along to her with.
The iconic Grace Jones would come out to close things out. Showing that even at 77-years-old she can still move as good as most anybody trying to perform at that age. Her vocals sounding pretty good and her stage presence as great as most anyone ever. To show why she’s such a trailblazer and icon in everything from music to fashion and as an actress. Jones going through many of her classics such as, Nightclubbing, Private Life, Demolition Man, My Jamaican Guy, I’ve Seen That Face Before (Libertango) and Love Is the Drug. Plus her rendition of Amazing Grace and a new never before yet released record, The Key, she dedicated to two of her band members she lost during COVID. The way that Jones band played with her really bringing out and making me and probably a lot of the younger generation who does not know her music as well. Realize how low key not only a legend and icon she is, but influential a lot of her music is. Not to mention Jones also still being able to do everything from the strobe light full on disco section of her performance to the way she played drums herself for part of her moved, showed off her sensuality and even hula hooping while performing. If that wasn’t enough to show how transcendent and influential she still is. Grace Jones having Janelle Monáe emerge as a surprise from the front of the crowd onto the stage to drink wine and sing along with her and bowing to her. While performing her classic record, Pull Up to the Bumper. Showing the respect and influence Jones has had to Monáe and so many others that would otherwise be marginalized. The performance and night at Ravinia really showed no matter how much some try to deny it. That whether you are gay, bi, straight or whatever you maybe. How much we are all still alike and at the end of the day, all human. Which