Janet Jackson performs at the Greek

Unlike previous Jackson tours -- think of her baroque late-’90s trek in support of “The Velvet Rope” -- this one carries no discernible theme, no implied narrative beyond her own pop-star ubiquity.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Jackson’s sole costume change Thursday was the removal of a white jean jacket.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Jackson surrounded herself with an extensive supporting cast: eight musicians, seven dancers and innumerable images from the different stages of her long career in show business.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Jackson made slight adjustments to several tunes, including “Miss You Much,” in which she accented the blocky dance-pop rhythm differently than she did in the 1989 studio version.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Before Jackson hit the stage, she appeared in music-video form, as depicted in the futuristic 1995 clip for “Scream,” her aggrieved duet with her brother Michael.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Jackson’s show has been pared down further since it first stopped in Los Angeles, for three nights in April at the Gibson Amphitheatre.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

The Greek performance was a refreshingly straightforward accounting of Jackson’s music.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Jackson, performs with a member of her denim-clad entourage at the Greek.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Smooth moves from the woman who once demanded that we call her “Miss Jackson, if you’re nasty.”  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)