April 29 brings the showdown of the century – as last remaining god of rock and American treasure, Bruce Springsteen takes the Acura Stage, Janelle Monae, the ArchAndroid herself, performs on the Gentilly Stage, and Al Green, the voice that launched a million steamy love-making sessions, steps onto the Congo Square Stage. Choosing just one of these acts is enough to make a young music fan’s head spin.

The Boss – stadium-filler that he is – may seem like the obvious choice, but don’t leap to any conclusions. Though the man has been putting on life-affirming concerts for nearly five decades, it would be folly to assume he is the runaway victor of this duel. Anyone that had the good fortune to catch Janelle Monae when she brought down the house in McAlister Auditorium in the fall semester knows that the woman can assemble a freaky, fascinating and undeniably danceable concert that competes with the best of them. Monae’s live show at McAlister came complete with phantom-battling stage antics, live canvas-painting and a double encore.

Last, but jive-tastically not least, there’s Al Green. The maestro of sweaty R&B jams will most definitely bring his patented sexual charisma to the stage. Concertgoers be warned, though: When he busts out “Let’s Stay Together,” female members of the audience may spontaneously conceive children.