FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRINCE "MUSICOLOGY' TOUR HITS
UNITED STATES -- "SCHOOL'S IN"

PRINCE CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF "PURPLE RAIN"
WITH NEW CD "MUSICOLOGY" AND CONCERT TOUR
PER4MING SOME OF HIS MOST WELL KNOWN HITS 4 THE LAST TIME

Los Angeles, CA-February 24, 2004---For the first time in six years, pop
star Prince and the New Power Generation band are embarking on a
coast-to-coast concert tour of the United States. These concerts will
feature Prince per4ming some of his most well known hits live 4 the last
time.

The tour comes on the heels of Prince's induction into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame and his heart-stopping Grammy opening performance with
multiple-award-winner Beyonce. The launch of the tour also coincides with
the release of Prince's new CD, "Musicology."

Prince has sold more than 100 million records and is regarded by fans and
critics alike as a monumental force and influence in popular culture. During
the '80s, Prince emerged as one of the most singular talents in the history
of music, releasing a series of groundbreaking albums that both defined and
captured the spirit of the times. With each successive album, Prince has
shown remarkable stylistic growth and musical diversity, constantly
experimenting with different sounds, topics and genres. Few artists have
created a body of work as rich and varied.

The tour launches in Los Angeles on March 29th and continues throughout the
spring and summer, hitting more than 38 of cities. The concert will be set
up in the round, with a center stage, allowing for many more great seats in
each venue. Tickets and information are available on Prince's web site at
www.npgmc.com and Ticketmaster and Tickets.com.

Each show will be one long dance party with Prince supplying the music! The
production lives within the players themselves...no gimmicks, no
pre-recorded music and no prisoners taken! Performing with Prince are New
Power Generation band members John Blackwell (drums), Greg Boyer (trombone),
Candy Dulfer (saxophone), Chance Howard (trumpet), Renato Neto (piano and
synthesizers), Maceo Parker (saxophone), RAD. (vocals and keyboards), and
Rhonda Smith (bass).

The concert itinerary with additional dates TBA:
All dates subject to change

March 29 Los Angeles Staples Center
March 31 Phoenix Glendale Arena
April 2 Dallas American Airlines Center
April 6 Oklahoma City Ford Center
April 7 Omaha Qwest Center
April 8 Ames Hilton Coliseum
April 10 Champaign Assembly Hall
April 12 Indianapolis Conseco Fieldhouse
April 13 Cincinnati U.S Bank Arena
April 14 Pittsburgh Mellon Arena
April 16 Columbus Value City Arena,Schottenstein Center
April 17 Cleveland Gund Arena
April 18 State College Bryce Jordan Center
April 21 Columbia Colonial Center
April 22 Knoxville Thompson-Boling Arena
April 23 Raleigh RBC Center
April 25 Ft. Lauderdale Office Depot Center
April 26 Tampa St. Pete Times Forum
April 27 Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
April 29 Birmingham BJCC Coliseum
April 30 Atlanta Philips Arena
May 1 Biloxi Mississippi Coast Coliseum
May 4 Kansas City Kemper Arena
May 5 St. Louis Savvis Center
May 6 Nashville Gaylord Entertainment Center
June 12 Bossier City CenturyTel Center

Other cities slated for the tour include:

Boston
Chicago
Detroit
Houston
Las Vegas
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
New York City
Philadelphia
Portland
San Francisco
Seattle

Well, then time must actually be a "trick" cuz I could have sworn I saw Prince and the New Power Generation in Houston in April 2002!

When is he going to announce dates for Detriot???? BTW, what size places are those? The Staple Center is pretty big, isn't it? And I also don't understand the first time in six years thing since I saw him in do the Hit and Run Tour in 2001 but he cancelled it pretty soon after that show. I really think I'm going to have to go again!

I'm OK with this NPG, but now that Prince has moved on from including our beloved Larry Graham, when will we see Maceo Parker doing something else.. I remember Maceo from the JB day's..but this is where he really needs fresh meat in his band.

two things - i think what they mean by the first US/World tour in 6 years - is just that - they didn't say he hasn't toured in 6 years, this is just on a much larger scale, more tour stops nationally - and overseas.

secondly, touring in the round is being done to provide alot more "good seats". he may not be trying or even care if the venue sells out . . . let it be how it be . .

just my take on it all . . .

Would you happen to have a site that has buss that will be selling the tickets in the dallas area?...thank you.

Yhey left the first tour stop off the list which is Reno !

oh, and then the Staples Center show is May 29th right ??

Just checked and I was wrong I was thinking Las Vegas.The Staples show is March.

is it true that he's going to san antonio, texas? does anybody know?

Doozer said:

Perhaps they mean this is the first "coast-to-coast" tour in six years, the last one being Jam of the Year / Newpower Soul (1997-98). Was One Nite Alone not coast-to-coast? Or maybe this is the first large-venue tour in six years?

matt said:

Basically, the truth is that Prince has been dead to the media for a decade and they don't know he has been touring consistently.

Beside's, it sounds better to make out he is virtually coming out of retirement than to say, 'Prince announces YET ANOTHER tour, yawn, the omnipotent Prince today announced he will be doing a greatest hits tour for the 600th time, the first time he has played his hits live since a week ago, he says, "it will be better than the last tour, or the one before that, but not quite as good as the one before that...This will be the last time I play the hits until the next tour a week after this one finishes..."'

Prince, you don't tour enough, mate. Why haven't you been to Easter Island for so long? Why have you neglected your Easter Islandeze fans? Is it because of what they did to the trees?

What about Washington, DC???

VinnyM27 said:

Let me know if you here anything regarding Detroit. Also, frequent TheDetroitCrawl.org, they along with prince.org will more than likely be your first source of info regarding a Detroit concert.

I'm shopping for dates to the concert, as I'm the only Prince fan, that I know in my local area (Novi). Yet, at home (Detroit) I'm sure I'll find someone.

Blue

steevetheeo said:

Fresh Meat??? Maceo is one of the pioneer's of the FUNK!!!! You dismiss him like he's a session player, that was picked up in Minneapolis. P is blessed to have him in the NPG, and I'm sure if you asked P, he would tell u so. Candy Dulpher, Maceo, and Greg Boyer on HORNZ, you should recognize instead of hatin, cause that might be one of the strongest musically enriched units to grace a stage!!! You must have been smokin something before you got on here.

McGee said:

Excuse my ignorance, but what exactly does this mean? Will the stage be smack in the middle of the arena with people sitting on all sides of it?

If so, how will P be able to go "backstage" to change clothes, wait to be called back for an encore etc? And more importantly, wouldn´t that mean that at any given time, P would have his back turned to at least half the audience?

The six year thing is easy to explain. It has been six years since he as used the name Prince.

Check It...I have the utmost respect for Maceo and Friends... That's what I grew up on, but at the same time, Maceo would probably serve a James Brown show better than a Prince show... Its a new time....not 1964....2004.

NPGman said:

NO CANADA?!?!??!?!?!

NPGman said:

Well, maceo is a little old... Nugh respect for the man, of course... but I would rather see some fresh talent play his ass off... but: must be of course as good as Maceo (who still is way cool)... But I am always a bit wary if too many "legends" play together in a band (LG, Maceo, Prince)

damn it...ticketmaster isn't showing the Indianapolis dates yet.....I need those tickets man....grrrrr

McGee said:

whoa

when did Chance become a Trumpet player ?!?!?!?!

kbarso said:

Ermm, that's not true, he changed it back in 2000, 4 years ago. And he's toured under the name Prince since. Where have you been?!

I hate when artists announce that they are performing their classic hits "for the last time".How many artists in the past have said that,and then changed their minds years later? Why not just say "This is the last time I will do the hits FOR AWHILE ."?
[This message was edited Fri Feb 27 4:25:37 2004 by DavidEye]

steevetheeo said:

It's time to get over your ageist stance, or whatever it is...
Maceo with JB??? Wake up he hasn't done that since JB went to Jail the LAST time and that was nearly 20 years ago.
Fresh meat?
Prince himself is going on 46 that's middle aged, but do we care? I don't not if he is producing great music.
Fresh Meat?
there's a bunch of younger folk in the band...
If you remember Maceo from the JBs then you must be a decent age yourself, perhaps you don't realise that Maceo has been doing his own thing to a much younger crowd than Prince's average crowd.
What is the obsession with age? what is this obsession with age being relevant?
What is so nice about Maceo is that he never grandstands and he brings what only he can bring to the party...

For what it's worth I have got interested in Prince again because of him specifically having Maceo in the band.

Rebeka you have to realise that there are people on this site who are musically inclined who understand what Maceo or someone like him represents both musically and historically. Then there are those (sad) people who want Prince to be 20something again and Wendy and Lisa to be 20something again and for it all to be the re-hash of the 80's.

There are people who are clearly so into the youth celebrity culture which the Media constantly bombards us with.

Isn't a fine wine, one that's been around.
Being a vegetarian I aint that into meat fresh or aged!

I want to know WHEN ARE YOU BRINGING THIS TOUR TO EUROPE PRINCE???
London is waiting for you!!!!

Better finish this thread before I get onto the cultural differences...

metalorange said:

nah,thats not true , when he was touring with the Jam Of The Year show after Emacipation came out he was doing interviews with anyone and everyone from every location he was on tour at in the US seemingly , theyre just spinning the line he wants them to that its the first major US coast-to-coast tour .

And the reason he hasnt been to Easter island is hes spooked by those big-ass heads sticking out the ground ,copying his typhoon hair-do too

hey Yall...Does anyone know if he's coming to Canada?? Im in Ontario~~~
Ta~~~

moonshine said:

Yeah, I know he's talked to the media in less than 6 years - but the media must have short memories or something, "Who was that dude we talked to 2 years ago belting out Purple Rain? Can't remember, can't be Prince because clearly he hasn't toured for 6 years..."

I like how they always refer to him as the 'reclusive' Prince - how is he anymore reclusive than any other popstar, who has a record out, promotes it on a few tv shows, goes on tour, then goes home for a year or so? If you aren't in the papers every other day, they think you have gone off to live in a cave or something!

Anyone know if the rumors are true?? Will Prince hit San Antonio?? If not, anyone know anything about when he'll hit Houston??