For many people, their first exposure to Janelle Monáe was as an opening act to of Montreal. Though she has moved completely beyond those early days to massive pop stardom, it was always a good combination. From the theatricality, costume changes, and explosive energy, Monáe still carries the magic from those early shows, only amplified in every way. She exudes confidence throughout her performance whether she’s crowdsurfing or walking through the audience or taking multiple encores. As our photographer Colin McLaughlin said, “[I’ve] seen her on her tours for every album. First time she didn’t have to win over the audience, they were already there and pumped.” Check out his photos from the show above and our Album Of The Week review of The Electric Lady here.