Those of you who have been to Paisley Park Celebrations... please describe your experience for those of us who did not have the opportunity to attend.
[Edited 1/5/08 22:24pm]

Yes, do that.

Something to jump start your memories...

I went to Paisley Park, one time, on a good friday...evening...No one was there...I took a rock from the parking lot, and I still have it. Gray, lavender marble, granite or something. I'm not sure.

Tame said:

bet u did 2!
it wasn't this one was it?

Tame said:

I think I saw that rock on Ebay.

Tame said:

What you did reminds me of my trip to see the Taj Mahal in India. It was so beautiful and so I looked down to find any loose piece of stone I could take with me. Memories..

May 9 2000 1:15 PM EDT
Prince Opens Up Paisley Park For Fan "Celebration"
By David Basham


Like Willy Wonka in "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory," Prince plans to throw open the doors to his Paisley Park studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota as part of the seven-day "Prince: A Celebration" festival slated for June.

From June 7 (Prince's birthday) through June 12, Prince will allow ticketed fans to enter his Paisley Park domain every half-hour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., during which the attendants will tour the Artist's recording studios, personal offices, wardrobe rooms, and soundstages.

Many of Prince's own personal memorabilia will be on display for the "Celebration," including his 20 gold and platinum certifications, his multiple Grammy Awards, and the infamous motorcycle from the "Purple Rain" album cover and film.

The Paisley Park tour will also include an interactive element in which visitors can vote on which of Prince's unreleased songs should be issued on future New Power Generation albums.

Prince is also staging a series of "dancetildawn" parties each night of the exhibition, with the all-night shows featuring costumed dancers, screenings of Prince's vintage concert footage, and performances by several as-yet-unnamed guests.

"Prince: A Celebration" will culminate on June 13 with his first concert of the summer -- and his first since his all-star New Year's Eve blowout (see "Prince To Retire '1999,' George Clinton Added To 'Rave' Concert") -- slated for Minneapolis' Northrop Auditorium.

Tickets for the "Celebration," Paisley Park exhibit, and Prince's hometown show will go on sale beginning May 13, and will be available through a toll free number, 1-800-482-2502, or The Artist's www.1800newfunk.com Web site.

Proceeds from the "Celebration" affair will be donated to the Love4OneAnother charity, which provides aid and financial assistance to needy children in the Minneapolis area via several local groups and non-profit organizations.

Prince's June 13 gig in Minneapolis will likely be the official start of his planned summer tour, as Prince has posted messages about a summer trek of amphitheaters in late-June at his NPGonlineLTD.com site. Prince has scheduled a press conference in New York City for May 16, during which he's expected to unveil details and dates about the tour.

In other news, The Artist has also confirmed plans to head into a studio and work with TLC's Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes later this month, and any finished material could turn up on Lopes' upcoming solo album (see "TLC's Left Eye Looks Forward To Solo Project").

Seeing Macy Gray play and viewing the Vault with my own eyes was cool - yes, it really exists.

PP Press Release:

June 11, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Appearance Will Preview Allison�s Forthcoming Album, Storms Of Life
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. � Bluesman Bernard Allison will be among the performers featured at Prince�s third annual week-long opening of his Paisley Park home studios to fans. From June 21-27, Prince will hold the celebration, dubbed Xenophobia, at the Minneapolis studio, offering performances, moderated discussions, musical workshops, and exclusive listening sessions to new music.
Allison, who will release his second album for Tone-Cool Records titled Storms Of Life on August 13, will perform at Paisley Park on Tuesday, June 25. The album was produced by yet another renowned Minneapolis music powerhouse, David Z.
During the Xenophobia celebration, Prince and his New Power Generation band will perform each night of the week, with sets on different nights by such performers as Bernard Allison, as well as Norah Jones, Musiq, Maceo Parker, Victor Wooten, Rachelle Ferrell, and Sheila E.
Weekly passes are on sale only to members of Prince's New Power Generation Music Club (NPGMC) for $250 per person. Children under 11 are admitted free. For details of how to join or purchase tickets, visit the NPGMC Web site (http://www.NPGMusicClub.com). Day passes will be available in a limited number to the general public.
According to Allison, who, like Prince, is a resident of the Twin Cities, "I've seen Prince many times in concert. A lot of people don't realize that along with the blues I was exposed to at home with my dad, I listened to a lot of music by Prince. He actually came out to see me play with Koko Taylor back in 1983, and I considered that the highest honor. He's an amazing musician. Even though we both live in Minneapolis, I don't run into him much, so I'm very much looking forward to playing with him and seeing him at Paisley Park on June 25."

Seeeing Nora Jones before she broke big and Sheila E return to the stage were just two highlights.

squirrelgrease said:

v cool!

said:

thanks squirrelgrease, that was awsome, I went to the 2002 on, I had a blast.

http://www.anthonywelling...ywhat.html

Say What?!

Check this out! Back in June, I got to play with the Victor Wooten band at Paisley Park in Minneapolis. This is very, very long. If you're not a Prince fan you might not be interested.

When I first landed in Minneapolis there was a limo driver holding a card with my name on it. VERY COOL. Apparently there are so many musicians going through Paisley Park that he has a full-time limo service on staff. I check in to my 'suite' then waited for my ride to Paisley Park. For you people who aren't familiar with Paisley Park,...it's like Disney World for Prince. He has a couple of full-scale audio facilities in it. He has a couple of full-scale video facilities. A very, very large main concert hall - maybe a little smaller than Constitution Hall. He has a small concert hall about the size of a big club. He has a retail store, a buncha' offices, a game room…It's huge. We had TOTAL ACCESS. There probably isn't any room I didn't go in except his private room.

When I first saw him I was in the main concert hall. All the lights were out. You couldn't see a thing. I was standing there in the dark by myself waiting for the lights to be turned on. All of sudden I started to hear loud reverberating footsteps - like a woman walking in high heels in a empty auditorium. I looked a round and saw the light from a flashlight. Then I saw 2 shadowy figures - one very small, the other very large. It was Prince and Charles, his bodyguard. Prince has this very cool pimp when he walks. I just saw their silhouettes but Prince's silhouette is unmistakable. My very first thought was, "He looks like a leprechaun". I just imagined him saying "They're magically delicious".

Next time I saw him was when we were 'sound-checking' a couple of hours later. He was sitting at the end of the main concert hall watching us. I wasn't nervous playing in front of him. I initially thought I would be. But I realized that as a bass player, nothing can be intimidating after being on stage with the very best bass player in the world - Victor Wooten. I tour with some of the best musicians in the world. As a musician Prince isn't intimidating. As a music figure - he's intimidating. I believe that he practically saved the 80's music scene.

Seeing him became routine after that. He's always at Paisley Park recording or something. His house is around the corner. His main assistant said that when he's not touring he's at Paisley around the clock. The engineers hafta' work in shifts to keep up with him.

I would be just walking around then he would pass by. Sometimes we'd say 'hello', sometimes we'd just glance at each other and smile. Like I said, he has a cool walk. His speaking voice is very cool and unusual. The way he looks at people is very interesting too. Sometimes people have a look like they might know the 'mysteries' of the universe. Prince has that look. When he would look at me and talk to me, I felt as if he knew a secret about me that I didn't know. A kind of a smug all-knowing look. Kinda' devilish at the same time. It's hard to explain. One time he walked up behind me. The hallway was crowded. He put his hand on my shoulder and said 'excuse me'. I turned to look to see who it was and he had this 'it's me again' look on his face. It was kinda' weird. About 15 seconds later he was coming back towards me with that same devilish grin on his face. I saw him in passing so many times.

The concert that night was incredible. We 'tore it up'. The audience was made up of The NPG Music Club. That's Prince's official fan club. It was over 1,000 people there. Some of them had never heard of us. They definitely know who we are now. Prince came on after us. Larry Graham (the inventor of funk bass) started the show with him. Maceo Parker from James Brown and Parliament/Funkadelic also played with Prince. They got down. He played guitar all night too. I hadn't seen him do that in a long time. I think he was inspired by Reggie Wooten. He kept saying he wanted to 'touch' Reggie's guitar after he played it. All of you who has seen Reggie play know what I'm talkin' bout. Reggie ripped it up that night. We hung out with Prince for a while after the concert too. The next day was kinda' the same. We got there early for the 'hang'. He gave us a private concert during his sound check. He was making up songs on the spot. Somebody would walk by and he would make a cool song about them on the spot. They shot footage of our concert to be a part of a package to be released. We had to watch it and edit it that day. He asked Victor to do a bass workshop. Victor wanted me to play with him at the workshop. Of course, right before it was time for me to play at the workshop it started to rain. Oh well…

Prince has this week long celebration every year where he invites 7 bands to perform. I think we were the 3rd band. There is a list of the bands on http://www.npgmusicclub.com. A different band performed every night then Prince went on after them. The night before us was Sheila E. It was pajama night. Everyone was in pajamas. He said he wanted that night to be like a date so he took everyone to the movies afterwards. He rented out a multiplex theater for the occasion at 2:30am. The night after us was Norah Jones. I loved her music. You gotta' get her CD. It's very mellow. The 1st song on the CD is one of my favorites.

Prince does this celebration every year. If you're a big Prince fan it's worth joining the music club. The benefits are incredible. These people got to see Prince for 7 nights in a row plus with great opening bands. He also records CD's just for release to the music club. The get to buy tickets to his concert 2 days before they are available to the general public guaranteeing them a front row seat.

He's a cool dude. Very warm and friendly. His wife was cool too. He recently became very religious. He doesn't 'cuss' anymore. He changes all those lyrics where he 'cussed'. He's vegetarian and doesn't allow any meat anywhere in Paisley Park. He lives in purple house and drives a purple Plymouth Prowler along with a buncha' exotic and antique cars.

Oh I forgot to mention. I played a couple of his guitars too. I played the purple guitar that's shaped like the symbol that was his name. And I played the old Telecaster from the 'Dirty Mind' and 'Controversy' days.

I know I said a lot but I left so much out too. I feel very, very fortunate to have played in front of him, at his place, as his invited guest.

WHEW!!!!

peace & blessings,
ant

all I can say is wow,If I could of been a butterfly on your shoulder, that would of been awsome experance, that was the last celly of 2002 that you were talking about I was there, I love my experance also, I wish I could do it again. Prince took us to see A Tom Cruse movie SYI PHY, I was in my long green nightgown and a frilly long white coverup.it was magical.
[Edited 1/6/08 22:39pm]

I went to the celebration in 2001 and 2002. Sooooo many great memories, ones that I will never forget. I wish Prince would go back to doing them again, they were sooooo much fun.

Great event..... glad I was there as part of The Dutch Invasion

xenophobia2002 said:

Thanks for posting. These are really wonderful stories. I wish I had gone.

i was there in 2000 and 2002 ...