June 2023 Monthly Adventure
My mom is a HUGE fan of Janet Jackson and that has trickled down to me also being a big fan. Her songs are across most of my routinely streamed playlists on Spotify which is what allowed me the opportunity to get a Spotify presale code when tickets went on sale. So if you've been to the concert, have plans to see an upcoming show, or just want to live vicariously through my experience, continue reading!
Background
This is a big birthday year for my mom and something she really wanted to do was see the Janet Jackson: Together Again Tour. She was supposed to see Janet Jackson on her previous tour, but that was cancelled and this was my mom's next opportunity to go. Rather than attending the concert outside in Houston, I asked her if she wanted to come to Austin where it would be indoors at the new Moody Center and we could go together. We got floor seats some months ago to see Janet Jackson live in concert and couldn't wait for June 4th to get here!
Dinner at Canje
With this being a birthday celebration for my mom, I wanted to treat her to a nice dinner before the concert started. She loves Caribbean food and there's a restaurant in Austin called Canje that has both delicious food and a unique dining experience. This restaurant was named one of the top 50 restaurants in the United States by The New York Times in 2022 and reservations are a necessity if you want to eat here. You can make a reservation through OpenTable and can do so as early as two months in advance of your dining date which is what I did to ensure my mom and I could get dinner before the show. I let her order whatever she wanted from the menu while we dined and we were beyond impressed by each dish.
The food is served family style, so that provides a great opportunity to try multiple menu items. Additionally, you order the drinks, appetizers, entrees, and sides at once. Your server will keep an eye on your table and have food continuously arrive as you finish up whatever is already on the table. Finally, your server will ask if you "saved room for dessert". My mom and I didn't exactly do that, but she wanted to try items across the entire menu and it was her birthday, so she wanted to get something sweet. She ordered the tres leches which was probably the best tres leches I've ever had! The toasted white chocolate, coconut, and blackberry all complimented each other very well and made for a perfectly balanced dessert. I put on the reservation that we were celebrating a birthday, so they added a candle for my mom to make it feel even more like a birthday celebration. I highly recommend this restaurant for the food, pleasant dining experience, and good parking!
The Moody Center
As Matthew McConaughey once said, "Bless the Mood". This place is absolutely incredible and it's no wonder they have won awards globally for being a top new venue! They have so many corporate sponsors that helped make some extremely nice features like lounges, restaurants, various merchandise, bars, etc. possible to exist in the building. In fact, you would never even know this was a venue associated with The University of Texas at Austin if it weren't for the building being on the campus (and the Texas Longhorns Team Store). The look and feel of the Moody Center is very similar of any newer NBA arena even though this is a college basketball arena. However, UT Athletics isn't just a typical athletics program and this arena further proves that.
Parking is a bit pricey, but you can purchase parking in advance online for one of the nearby garages. Manor Garage is the closest garage parking to the Moody Center, but it's not cheap. Parking in that garage will be about $40 with an additional $10 service fee. Parking is cheaper at the other garages, but there's bit of a walk to the venue from those locations. There's a designated rideshare/taxi drop-off and pickup area. This is the most ideal route to go if you don't need to go too far to get home as rideshare can get to be more expensive than paying for parking during peak times. However, on a hot summer day the cost of parking in Manor Garage was worth it because it was cool when we arrived and somehow warmer as we were leaving. If you're wondering about ADA parking, that's available in the different garages as well and they have a designated ADA drop-off/pick-up point at the Moody Center.
Janet Jackson: Together Again Concert
After my mom got some merch and ordered a Velvet Margarita, the featured signature drink at the Moody Center, we went to find our seats and settle in just as things were kicking off. There was a DJ who got the crowd hyped up with some great music for the primary audiences of Janet Jackson. Then, he transitioned into bringing out Ludacris for the official opening act of the show. I previously saw Ludacris on the UT Austin campus about 4 years ago and it was a great concert. Once again, Luda didn't disappoint and gave us all the hits along with some fun props like the giant shoes and giant arms from his music videos. My mom and I are big Ludacris fans, so we couldn't have asked for a better opener!
After a brief break post-Ludacris, Miss Janet Jackson came on stage in gold and purple with four male backup dancers. For some reason, the sound wasn't very good in the first act of the show and it was difficult to hear her. However, that seemed to be resolved by the second act when she appeared in black and white and immediately got into some of the classics that we all (especially me) know and love. She gave us choreography and her signature giggles –– it was clear she was having fun on stage and that energy was infectious! What I loved most about the concert is the same thing that I love the "Pleasure Principle" music video: Janet Jackson keeps things around her to a minimum for her talent and ability to engage the audience so she can hold her own. All eyes are on her and she soaks up all the energy the crowd has and gives it right back to them!
For more pictures and for some videos from the concert, be sure to follow Kimi's Travel Thoughts on Instagram where I post all of my exclusive content.
Wrap-Up
Janet Jackson is a music legend and it was an unforgettable experience getting to see her Together Again Tour with my mom! The entire evening from dinner at Canje, to my first time going to an event at the Moody Center, to the entire show that night went seamlessly and we had such a fun time. I'm looking forward to one day eating at Canje again along with my next event at the Moody Center. They're hosting venue tours throughout the summer at the Moody Center, so I might try to go to one day and write about what that experience. Continue to follow along with my blog for more posts in the Monthly Adventures Series and other things I write about related to my trips and for travel tips!
Feel free to leave comments below, tweet (@KimiThoughts), or leave a post/message on Facebook (@KimisTravelThoughts) !