[Note: this was actually sent in by EROTICCITYNPG, but unfortunately things got confused when I was editing the news--but he should get credit for sending it in! -Ben]

His Musicology tour stop in Tampa proved that the iconic musician really can back up his bravado.

By Jim Abbott | Sentinel Pop Music Critic
Posted April 28, 2004

TAMPA -- "Let's Go Crazy" is more than a song on this tour: It's a mission statement.

Prince took the signature line from that Purple Rain hit and embraced it as a personal challenge Monday at the St. Pete Times Forum.

For the first half of an exuberant, rocking and undeniably funky 125 minutes, the inscrutable singer ripped the roof off the nearly sold-out arena with one of the most fiery performances you'll see from any superstar, much less a guy on a "comeback" tour.

It showed that his absence from the scene for half a decade -- an eternity in the life span of a pop star -- was merely a self-imposed exile. Prince seemingly can be Prince again anytime he wants, a job description he handled with style to spare on Monday.

"Y'all are not ready for me tonight!" he said at one point, wagging his finger at the screaming crowd after a breathless sprint through his biggest hits early in the show. Even a die-hard fan might have admitted he was right, not to mention cynics who expected an obligatory history lesson on his Musicology tour.

Dressed in a stunning white suit lined with long fringe on the sleeves and legs, he danced with effortless cool and commanded attention with subtle gestures, the lifting of an eyebrow or the tilting of his head. His strong voice attacked songs with a range that darted from delicate falsetto to impassioned shrieking.

In short, Prince schooled everyone on the perils of underestimating his potential. It might be convenient to promote this trek as a last chance to hear old hits, but the show transcends the narrow expectations of nostalgia.

The Artist Once Again Known As Prince did more than merely revisit songs that inspired his recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He did more than expand the promise of material from his excellent new Musicology.

He accomplished the monumental task of reaffirming his charismatic presence by invoking the spirit of Elvis, OutKast and James Brown with equal credibility. That's a tall order, unless you happen to be a performer who deserves to be in the pantheon of all-time rock and R&B idols.

Prince certainly doesn't shrink from that legacy. The show opened with a video montage that wrapped career highlights around the reverential Hall of Fame induction speech by Alicia Keys: "Get on your feet," she said by way of introduction, "and pay homage to the one and only Prince!"

Ascending on a platform in the middle of a compact, utilitarian stage placed at the center of the arena floor, Prince left audience members no time to ponder the hype, much less catch their breath.

"Don't you miss the feeling music gave you back in the day?" he asked in the funk workout of the opening "Musicology." Not content to rely on a slow build, Prince jumped immediately into the raucous, gospel-sounding spoken-word introduction to "Let's Go Crazy."

As confetti cannons showered the crowd, Prince delivered the song with studio precision, wailing the lyrics above a churning rhythm section that built to a frenzied conclusion. It was capped by the signature meltdown of dirty blues guitar, the first of many times that the Purple One would offer a reminder of his overlooked prowess on that instrument.

Prince crammed so many songs into the opening moments that it almost seemed like a Vegas revue. "I Would Die 4 U" was jammed into a medley with "When Doves Cry," though both songs would have been worthy of a full arrangement. "Baby I'm a Star" melted into a lengthy Latin-tinged piano solo.

Prince used such touches to establish his democratic approach to the evening, spreading solos liberally among the aptly named New Power Generation.

The ensemble was smaller than the entourage one might expect at an arena concert, with a rhythm section, a pair of keyboardists each behind a bank of synthesizers, and a four-piece horn section. Most rappers come equipped with a bigger posse.

If modest in number, the band operated with maximum efficiency. Bassist Rhonda Smith and drummer John Blackwell consistently generated an airtight groove, while the horn section augmented by R&B icon Maceo Parker enlivened its punchy funk by strutting like Mardi Gras street performers.

Though Prince's voice was always kept above the mix, the sound occasionally drifted into an annoying roar under the magnitude of the full band. Even a featured instrumental by Parker on Louis Armstrong's "It's a Wonderful World" sounded more harsh than the gentle arrangement required. Fortunately, that wasn't a problem for less subtle sax breaks by Candy Dulfer.

Aside from referencing OutKast's "The Way You Move" at one point, the band generally didn't reinvent familiar hits too much. Instead, the most illuminating twists came in an acoustic segment. When Prince strummed "Little Red Corvette" on a purple acoustic guitar, it transformed a swaggering anthem into something more lonely and vulnerable.

Yet cockiness still becomes him. Whether it's busting a groove with a dozen or so women from the audience in "Take Me With U" or basking in a "Purple Rain" finale, Prince showed that it's not bragging if you back it up.

Jim Abbott can be reached at jabbott@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-6213.