Lipstick lover

Pop culture provocateur Janelle Monáe brings her Age of Pleasure tour to Houston this fall

Janelle Monáe is bringing her Age of Pleasure tour to Houston.

Photo by Mason Rose

Janelle Monáe's upcoming Age of Pleasure album is already making headlines with her latest single (and music video) "Lipstick Lover." Her Houston fans won't have to wait long after the album's release (June 9, via Atlantic Records) to watch it come to life on stage.

The critically acclaimed and award-winning singer and actress will bring her Age of Pleasure Tour across North America later this year, with a 26-city lineup kicking off on August 30 at WAMU Theater in Seattle.

She'll hit Houston as part of a three-city Texas stop, playing Bayou Music Center on October 10. She will play Dallas the day before (October 9 at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory) and Austin's Moody Ampitheater the day after Houston on October 11.

Known worldwide for her inimitable style and visionary sound, Monáe is an eight time Grammy Award-nominated singer, songwriter, producer, performer, and fashion icon. According to a release, she promises to light up your body, soul, and all of your senses with an unforgettable performance featuring songs off her latest album and classic hits from her discography.

Tickets for the tour go on sale Thursday, June 1, starting with a Verizon presale at 10 am local time; the exclusive presale via Verizon Up gives customers access to purchase presale tickets for select shows until Tuesday, June 6, at 10 pm. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Wednesday, June 7 at 10 am on Ticketmaster.

The full list of tour dates is below:

Wed Aug 30 – Seattle, WA – WAMU Theater
Thu Aug 31 – Vancouver, BC – UBC - Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
Sat Sep 02 – Portland, OR – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
Wed Sep 06 –Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
Thu Sep 07 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Sat Sep 09 – Kansas City, MO – The Midland Theatre
Mon Sep 11 – Minneapolis, MN – Armory
Wed Sep 13 – St. Louis, MO – Stifel Theatre
Thu Sep 14 – Chicago, IL – Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
Sun Sep 17 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
Mon Sep 18 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met
Wed Sep 20 – Montreal, QB – Mtelus
Thu Sep 21 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
Sun Sep 24 – Washington, DC – The Anthem*
Tue Sep 26 – New York City, NY – Radio City Music Hall
Thu Sep 28 – Brooklyn, NY – Kings Theatre
Mon Oct 02 – Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
Tue Oct 03 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
Wed Oct 04 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company
Fri Oct 06 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre Atlanta
Mon Oct 09 – Dallas, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Tue Oct 10 – Houston – Bayou Music Center
Wed Oct 11 – Austin, TX – Moody Amphitheater
Sun Oct 15 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
Tue Oct 17 – San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Wed Oct 18 – Inglewood, CA – YouTube Theater

* non-Live Nation date

a beautiful mind

Houston Health Museum's new exhibit shines a light on dyslexia

Sarah Sudhoff created "The Reading Brain" in honor of her son.

Photo by Rose Tylinski

"The Reading Brain" replicates neuron activity in a dyslexic brian while reading

No, "The Reading Brain" isn't the title of a B-horror film from the 1960s. It's a brand new installation at the Houston Health Museum that explores dyslexia.

The piece was created by Houston-based artist Sarah Sudhoff, in partnership with Dr. Guinevere Eden, Director of the Center for the Study of Learning at Georgetown University. Hanging from the ceiling of the Health Museum, it uses light-up colored circles to represent the frontal lobe activity of a dyslexic person while reading. MRI scans of dyslexic brains formed the foundation of the light activity. Sudhoff's own son has dyslexia, and she had to adapt her homeschooling of him to account for his neurodivergence. As much as 20 percent of the American population is dyslexic.

"The Reading Brain" grew out of a similar exhibit at the DoSeum in San Antonio. "Beautiful Minds: Dyslexia and the Creative Advantage" challenged visitors to see dyslexia not as a learning disability but as simply a different way some human brains work. The exhibit featured videos, stories, and art work by dyslexic individuals that show how they succeed and create, as well as a selection of brain puzzles used to teach dyslexic people.

“Even though your brain works differently, it still lights up and is beautiful to watch, a wonderful machine you have. It just means you have to navigate and pivot a little differently,” Sudhoff said.

Sudhoff's innovative bridge between science and art is a permanent part of the Health Museum's MindWorks exhibit. Like "The Reading Brain," MindWorks maps out thinking processes through light and hands-on activities. The exhibit will close on January 5, meaning visitors have a very short time to see Sudhoff's piece.

The Health Museum is a hidden gem in Museum District located a block away from the Children's Museum. It houses a variety of exhibits about the human body, such as a giant plastic colon that kids love to run through. Since opening in 1969, the museum has helped Houstonians and visitors from around the world learn about the way the body works as well well as public health protocols. As the only Smithsonian Affiliate Museum in the Houston Museum District, it has a high educational pedigree despite it's colorful and often whimsical offerings.

houston health museum museum district museums

Lipstick lover

Pop culture provocateur Janelle Monáe brings her Age of Pleasure tour to Houston this fall

a beautiful mind

Houston Health Museum's new exhibit shines a light on dyslexia

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