It's 3 o'clock in the morning. (Six by the time I am done writing and posting! HAR HAR!) I am tired. I am rushing with endorphins. I am smiling from ear to ear. I am so sad that the concert had to end. I am so happy that I am able to give another GLOWING review. To paraphrase Homer Simpson: the man, tonight, was luminous, electric, and magnetic. I paid 85 bucks for FRONT ROW seats, and they were worth every penny. The hall was outstanding. The people in the crowd....well...I have no idea what was going on with them because I didn't look behind me that much.

I met some very nice people: a gentleman that I had replied to in alt.music.prince and had a seat next to me, another gentleman who flew all the way from Switzerland to embark on a 6 show journey that will take from Saginaw, to Chicago, to Detroit, and eventually to Buffalo (you are crazy dude! but I understand! ), and countless other people who were all smiles.


Herein begins my One Nite Alone with Prince:

Two caveats -

1) If you are the type of person who will read every review on-line, and then pan the show you attend because it was just like previous shows, please stop reading now. You will want to enjoy this show to the fullest, and I am sure the reason why I had such a great time was because I had no idea what to expect.

2) This review is less a review and more of a diary. I will ramble on and babble plenty and lord knows I will not even come close to getting the set list right. I will be highlighting the events that I will take with me forever. If you need an exact set-list, there are many people who are way better at remembering things like this, and I'm sure they will have their reviews soon. Also, there's always hope that this show gets released in one form or another!

Back to the ONA/P Experience (odd...spell that backwards and you kinda have PIANO)

The day starts with me franticly searching the web for any hint of an Aftershow or Party or word of an Open Sound Check. Nada. After hitting up work for a while, I come home, get ready, and as a last resort, phone the venue to see if they have any information. Nada. I pick up my sister, and we're off...

I live about an hour and a half away, so I show up at the Community Event Centre complex around 6pm. I would guess that only 30 or 40 people have shown up early, and most of them have probably been there most of the day trying to get into the Sound Check (which I hear started at 4, lasted until 5 and was NOT open). I am dying of hunger so I ask a parking attendant where a good place is to get some grub within walking distance. The weather was in the low 30's and the wind made it even worse. I was told that on the back of the parking structure was a bar called Decades that might have some bar food. My sister and I walk over, braving the VERY icy sidewalks! As we turn the last corner to go to the side with the bar, we see a sign: PRINCE! IN HOUSE TONIGHT!!! I got a little excited, thinking this bar might be the site of an aftershow. We hurried in from the cold and got a couple of sodas. NO FOOD. Bleh. Well, the wonderful waitress hooked us up with some Tortilla Chips (NOT FRITOS! ) and salsa, so I was good for a while. This place was small. Draw a rectangle that is four times longer than wide. I'm thinking around 30 (MAYBE 40) feet at the short end, with a bar on the left hand side wall (as you enter), a small reserved seating area with about 10 Wicker chairs w/ cushions, about 8 small 4 person tables with tall stools, a VERY SMALL dance floor, more tables, and a large Projection TV showing some sports. The Hits are playing on the PA.

After a few minutes, a two man crew from Saginaw’s Channel 5 shows up and start a very brief video taping of the crowd. They then begin interviewing people so my sister and I cut out. We are still hungry, and we really don't want to be on TV talking about Prince. God knows what we would say and how it would come out over the airways! LOL!

After this we head over to the front doors of the Heritage Theatre. We stand in the front breezeway for about 20 minutes; all the while I'm belly aching about the increasingly inviting refreshment stand. I told a security guy: "hey, they could be making a lot of money, and they could get these 30 people out of the way real quick if they open those doors!" He chuckled and said, you'll have to talk to Prince! He then made some other jokes about there being no meat at the refreshment stand, and that women and men would probably have to be in separate lines. I'm not sure if he was a fan, or making light of some serious requests from the Purple Camp. LOL! Shortly after that, security opened the doors and I overheard them saying "this is a very light crowd. We'll just let them in since they've been here so long. It's gonna be a late crowd anyway, so they get in, get their drinks and stuff and..." after that I was being frisked by security and really couldn't hear much. We got in, and about two-thirds of the crowd ran to the souvenir line! Me too! Here is what they had:

About 4 or 5 hats @ $25 - orange npgmusicclub.com, a KICK ASS hat with npgmusicclub.com small on the back, and I think a couple other npgmusicclub type hats.

2 black T-Shirts @ $25 - The One Nite Alone with Prince shirt from the music club portrait with Prince and a hat, the NPG Lips and Gold Teeth shirt.

3 long sleeve shirts @ $25 - with a simple, yet playful "Prince" on the chest. These came in orange, purple, and I think pink. A nice little shirt, but something I probably could get a local shop to do for 5 or 10 bucks.

3 CDs @ $15 or $20 (I can't remember) - The Work pt1, U Make My Sun Shine, and Intellipop.

2 Keychains @ $15- One , the other the NPG logo. Both of these seem to be stainless steel or a sturdy aluminum. I'm sure this will be a big seller!

2 Ear wraps @ $100 - I think these were the Silver Moon and Treble Clef. They might have been the gold ones...

1 simple glossy of Prince @ $5 - Very similar to what you would receive in a press kit. Just the One nite Alone photo with One Nite Alone on the bottom. Geez...how may times will I type One Nite Alone? LOL!

I might be missing more, but finally:

A "One Nite Alone..." Tour Book @ $20 - This is a very interesting book! Well...kinda. My personal favorite was the Lovesexy tourbook, but this one is still a good collection of photos. This one introduces the band, and with every page, there is an X word + definition. We start with Xenophobia (including a quote from Abe Lincon), then a cool profile shot of Prince and the word Xhalation, and so on. I'm sure scans will make it on the net, but you all should buy one! I will say that some of the pics are kinda dark, and included is a two page blurry mess. It is actually very artistic, but I personally would have liked to have seen a great, two-page shot of the band on stage! Maybe something to think about for the next tour? Sam n Jeremy, you still did a GREAT job on the effects in the rest of the book!

Our band is: Prince on lead everything, John Blackwell on drums, Rhonda Smith on bass, Candy Dulfer on horn (not in Saginaw, as you know), Renato Neto on keys, Maceo Parker on horn, Greg Boyer on trombone.

There is also an ad for the NPGMC and it lists these albums as future releases/club perks:
_Last December_
_One Nite Alone..._
_The Very Best of _
_Xenophobia_

So there ya go.

After the souvenir stand, we hit up the concession for soda and popcorn. We then meandered into a side room where there was more booze, a slushie machine stand, and...PIZZA! Woo-hoo! It was $3 a slice, but it was still good! There were like 2 talbes with 4 chairs a piece, so we grabbed one and chilled for about half an hour. We got to see Paisley security, sound folk, and even John Blackwell walking about. I'm not sure anybody was aware that the room we were in was open, because we were alone for quite a while. Anyway, the ushers opened the doors to the seats, and people slowly gathered in. Many were getting thier drink on, so they just chilled in the lobby. We went in and took our seats and were greeted with the sweet jazz licks from the speakers. I'm pretty sure they were playing _Xenophobia_, and from the sounds of it, it will be a very interesting album to listen to. It had very solid drums, a lot of guitar and horn, and a good dose of Rhoades. I think it will go over well amongst fans, and probably critics, but not be a huge number one with a bullet on the Billboard. But who's counting that??

The stage: OMG. We were front row. We were in awe. WOW. WOW. WOW.

To the left, we have the entrance for the band. a little to the back, was Renato in a synth and keys enclosure. It looked like about 5 or 6 boards he had to use. Following the "curve" was Rhonda and her bass gear. I remember the Stand up bass (which is a cool looking thing, I tell you), and what looked like the bass on the "Come On" Single. (I think...was that even a bass???). In the center-rear was John Blackwell, on a platform with a Plexiglas enclosure. It is interesting because it reminded me of how the drummer is usually set up in a revivalist church. Anyway, his rig was hooked up for action. To the right on the platform but outside of the partition were Maceo and Greg’s spots. Of course, they got to come up and solo from time to time, but this was their home base. Continuing right were some monitors and finally, Prince's Rhoades and ...um... maybe Yamaha (?) keys setup. I couldn't see that well, because in the front row were a large station of pillows on the left and right of Prince's center-front mic and pedal board.

After chatting it up with the guy next to me from a.m.p and the Swiss dude, the lights slowly begin to go down. After a few minutes, Blackwell starts working a simple beat in the dark. People cannot really tell if this is still the setup or if this is action. In the dark, Rhonda, Renato, and the horn section come out and take thier places and the action begins! The Intro is very jazzy and resembles "The Rainbow Children." Suddenly, the crowd begins going MAD, just flat out INSANE as Prince casually walks out and takes the mic! He is wearing an all black number, with a red pin-stripe that diagonally encircles his outfit about 5 or 6 times in a downward pattern. He has some shiny red boots on that are mostly covered by his pants. His hair is just like on the inside photo of the tour book (like I said, soon to be scanned on web sites everywhere! )

Prince begins reciting the spoken intro of "The Rainbow Children" in a distorted voice that sounds exactly like the album! "With accurate understand of God and his law..." After that, Prince starts playing on his rebuilt Dirty Mind era guitar (Hohner?) and we get to go through "The Rainbow Children!" This was a LONG SONG with LOTS of "improvisation" inspired jazz jamming. The Drums are SOLID and Renato is working the keys like a mad man. Maceo is laying beautiful lines and Greg is dropping some mad riffs. Prince and Rhonda? Well... Rhonda's bass kept sounding like it was dropping in and out of the mix. And Prince's guitar wasn't exactly making any sound. Shortly, the bass was in it to win it, and Prince was letting loose on the opening of "TRC." He kept looking over at the techs, however, and asking for more volume, etc. He even took the ear piece out of his ear a few times to hear how it sounded to the crowd! After a bit of this, Prince was able to jam through the rest of the tune with less stress. Occasionally for the rest of the night, Prince would look over at his techs, but nothing that really took that much away from the show, in my eyes.

Soon, the band worked into the outro for "TRC" and this was HARSH! I am having a hard time coming up with the words to explain this, but it was VERY GUITAR FILLED. Still very close to the CD version, but on FUNK STEROIDS. Prince then brought them back into the main throws of "TRC," and soon we were off into Muse 2 the Pharaoh.

From here on out...I can only remember highlights. I am sorry.

- Prince plays 1+1+1=3. OMG. This song is so hype live! To make it even sicker, HE INCLUDES THE MAIN LINE FROM "LOVE ROLLERCOASTER"!!!!! This works like MAGIC! The whole arena was wild for this! I personally wet myself! Here, a woman was brought up on stage to dance, and prince was beginning a solo for her and she kinda was dancing back to her seat. He turned and saw her not getting down and said "is that all we get???!?!?!" "NPGMC, we need you to get on the stage and show 'em how it's done!" He then brought up two gals from our area onto the stage. Well...I could tell they were having fun, but it wasn't like they would be all-star soul train dancers. There was this young gal (I think around 8 or 10) who got on stage for the "awwwww" effect. Not a bad thing, in my opinion! The three get to stay on stage on a few tiered boxes behind all the equipment. I hope to hear their story on-line soon!

- During the Santana Medley (the first set closer), Prince and Takumi hand out Maracas, Cowbells, Agogos, and what looked to me like a two-bar rocar! Even some drumsticks to beat them on! I got a cowbell and an Agogo! I HAD PRINCE COME UP TO ME AND TAKE MY COWBELL AND DEMONSTRATE WHAT HE WANTED ME TO PLAY!!! I was pretty much in awe...but I think I remembered right! Only the fan recording will tell, I suppose (please tell me somebody got this on memorex) To all of you whom I annoyed with my cowbell pounding, SORRY! If you heard somebody pounding out Housequake at the end of the show, that was me! Did I suck?! LOL!

- There was this cut that sounded like it was from Xenophobia. During it, the lights were out and a speech from Abe Lincoln rolled on the curtain in the back that promoted separatism. Prince then came out and this is song about "Snow Coming Down from the Mountain". I later heard somebody talk about a song called "Avalanche," so this was probably it. It directly talks about the 13th amendment and how Abe Lincoln tried to convince people that we would never be able to let go of our history, so we must be separate in races. I think the quote was: "but for your race among us there could not be war...[W]ithout the institution of Slavery and the colored race as a basis, the war could not have an existence. It is better for us both, therefore, to be separated." (from the tour book) I think that there is a very large conversation in there that would be difficult to encapsulate in a 3 or 4 minute song, but I digress. Maybe I'll get a chance to talk to Prince about this at the Celebration this year... (HINT HINT!!)

- Mellow: GREAT song. Even better was the rap portion. "The opposite of NATO is...ME!" LOL! I loved it!

- Raspberry Beret: THE WHOLE THING! I mean...THE WHOLE, WHOLE THING! WOW. What a great crowd pleaser. The guy next to me mentioned that people in the lobby were belly aching about the absence of the Hits...OH WELL. The only thing that I missed was "If I Was Your Girlfriend" and "Purple Rain." *sob* OH well, because we got STRANGE RELATIONSHIP! OH MAN was this hot!!!!! If I could soak my pants any more, I did at this point.

- When U Were Mine: Prince is about to sing the last verse. The crowd, of course, is starting to sing along. Prince stops the band twice and starts over! LOL THEN HE STOPS THEM AGAIN AS SAYS: "Let ME sing it!" ROTFL!!!

- Anna Stesia: Very nicely done. This is starting to become a staple in his concerts, and he wears it well. Another funny: Prince asks us if we want to take that chant outside (Love is God, God is Love...) into the streets and if we want to body surf him out with us. Of course, everybody is screaming yes. Then he says: "You aren't gonna pick my pocket now, are ya?! You can't sing what you're singing and then go pickin' a brotha's pocket now!" To quote the Comic Book guy from the Simpsons, "There is no emoticon...!" HAR HAR HAR!

- Some Eryka Badu Song about "Didn't U Know." I have that CD here somewhere, but I'm too tired to look it up. It was...interesting, with Rhonda on vocals. This was during a piece where Prince was talking about how he came into town and was listening to the radio. He said the radio dj said he was getting a lot of requests for some of the older Prince stuff, and that the dj didn't have any on file. Prince said, we're gonna change all that. Then Prince says "Don't worry, the radio stations suck in our hometown too!" (guffaw!) At this point he went on about NPG Radio and what would be playing on it. This song was one that he would play, and then he also played "La La La La La means I love U", and "Sing a Simple Song." I think he played "Strange Relationship" first though...geez I have no brain here...MUST BE FROM THE LOUD SPEAKERS IN MY EARS! Heh.

- Lip Synch and Samples: NONE. He sang EVERY NOTE. The only samples were some cached drum sounds once in a while, and sound effects on Renato's boards. People, THIS MAIN STILL HAS AN OUTSTANDING RANGE. "La La La" itself was a great show off of his falsetto!

- Dancing: He didn't really dance much. A couple of times, but not enough! Granted, more time dancing means less time playing an instrument...so... Six in one hand, half a dozen in the other. Oh and I didn't get on stage! ;-( Heh.

- Renato and Greg: these guys are GOOD. Renato has ALL of the Fink/Barbarella/and Hayes licks down pat. He is a great replacement, and rivals Fink and Hayes in the keys. He was SO good considering this was his first real show with Prince outside of the Paisley Shows! And Greg has a great, deep voice that helped on "Sing a Simple Song" and he has the chops to work out a very well executed trombone solo. Is this guy related to Bonnie Boyer?? Hrmmm.

- Rhonda: Please get those bass outages resolved! Your sound is thick and clear, and I love it when it's at the right levels!

- Maceo: A lot less "in your face" than Najee was in the Hit and Run shows. Now, remember that I am a Najee fan, but in this environment, Maceo did PERFECT. 2 or 3 great and intricate solos, and awesome "pocket play."

- Greg: Glad to have you along sir! Horns turn Prince's music into pure magic on many an album!

- Blackwell: People, this man brings a whole new level to Prince's sound. I am having a hard time ranking him under Michael B and Shiela E. Let's face it, Prince has worked with TOP TIER TALENT when it comes to the skins. Hell, even Bobby Z worked it raw! But Johnny...he makes you feel it. WOW. Another funny, Prince got Johnny to go falsetto for a note AND IT WAS NOT TOO PRETTY! HAR HAR HAR!

- PRINCE GAVE ME PRIVATE MUSIC LESSONS! WOO-HOO!!!! (Yeah it was just a freaken cowbell...sue me )

- Prince: What else is there to say? Amazing! For those of you who want to know instruments: the Hohner (is that right?), that big ass Les Paul looking peach/tan/beige guitar, HABIBI!! (Has never looked better! IMO). He didn't play Bass... again though...play bass and drums, that means less guitar...hrmmm.

3 hours after all the fun began, we were leaving the concert. I pondered going back to the Decades Nightclub...but decided against it. What is the use of paying a large cover and 2 drink minimum just to gawk at Prince? I just hope I didn't miss an aftershow! But in that small a space...maybe I'm glad I did.

And a note: JUST BECAUSE PRINCE IS BRINGING PEOPLE ON STAGE, DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO RUSH THE FRONT ROW!!!! You guys trampled on my coat and merchandise, and were pushing and you all were lucky I didn't start going Prodigy on you all! Luckily the wonderful security in the joint got you all back before I lost it. Much props to the security! Picture this:

Security: "Get back to your seat!"
Chick who pushed to get IN-BETWEEN ME AND MY SEAT!: But I want to get on stage!
Security: "Get back to your seat, NOW!"
Chick: "But I'm just gonna listen!"
Security: attempts to escort her away
Chick: DRAGGING HER FEET LIKE A CHILD
Me: "YOU ALL BETTER GET THE HELL BACK TO YOUR SEATS AND STOP YOUR DAMN PUSHING!"

Anyway...everybody come to the show. Get the word out that this is not a greatest hits show, but newer material. I can't say that this is a Funk/Jazz fusion, because Prince has always fused many styles and kept funk and jazz as a base in his best work. Just let them know not to be surprised when he doesn't play The Very Best of Warner Brothers Prince.

Prince - If you or anybody who is taking note for you is reading this: Please insert Purple Rain in your set! And where was Everlasting Now? THAT would have been awesome! THANK YOU FOR LOVE ROLLERCOASTER AND STRANGE RELATIONSHIP! WOW! And you all looked like you were having such a good time! It was great to see you all laughing with each other, playing some jams here and there, and improvising a little. This is a great band for you, and I look forward to hearing the songs that are inspired from this combination!


- PEACE!

I really appreciate the time you took to report this - so much detail, I love it! And I'm COMPLETELY jealous that P talked you through your cowbell lesson!!!!! WHY COULDN'T IT HAVE BEEN ME!!!!!

I'm just glad to hear he was in good spirits & had fun w/ the show, can't wait to see it & wet myself - you're not the only one who wants moist drawz!!! :O

wow! thanx 4 the review, it sounded so cool.

cool

cool

sorry! i kept getting error messages so i thought none of my comments was posted

will b wearing dpends n Oakland, while boning up on tamborines, cowbell, clavas, maracas, timbalas, and meranga, Hey y'all break out that old Black Magic Woman of Carlos's 2 practice by.

but how u gonna give such dtail, and not talk about his eyes, his cologne, or if he still wears make up.

was he taller than u?

how many times did he have 2 show u b4 u got it rite? did u have 2 do a satisfactory demonstration 4 him b4 he turned u loose 2 play?

XCELLENT DATGUMM REVIEW, THANX 2 U, EYE FELT LIKE EYE WAS THERE...

WOWWWWW!!!! Many thanx 4 this extensive report!! It feels like I was there after reading it...well..almost
I hope every show will have such a report...this tour needs 2 be a World tour indeed...YAY

Dude..that was you with the cowbell! How cool for you. I was in row u directly behind u but I felt like I was front row. I dug the crack about the radio stations because, yeah, they do suck. My husband worked backstage catering in the 80's to his P rain concert and said he liked that concert better...but I loved the studd he played. Cow bell, you lucky dog! And how nice did he seem to those girls he let dance on stage (not the blond drunk one who broke security and just kinda stood there.....man I would never do it but if you are going to get thrown out of a concert at least do something to make it worthwhile! Reach out and touch the dude! /b

Peace and great cow belling (is that a verb?)
nikki

Thank u, thank u, thank u, 4 putting the effort in2 writing such a detailed report.

C I told everyone Renalto is great!

I put on my phones last night and just pretended I was there. It works, and after reading this, I thought I was there again.

This was a great report, I could feel your enthusiasm.

ooops - I mean Renato!

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! This is soooo exciting. I lov the set list and can't wait to be able to sing along with the crowd....oh and Prince. Thanks for the report....well done! Sorry you had to stay up to enlighten us on your experience.

Much Love,
LoLinex

PRINCE!!!!!
Come to Canada!!!!! Please?

WOWWWWW!

Your report made me feel like I was there! Thanks so much for sharing that!!

Much Peace and luv to ya...

Awesome report! Thanx!

bad-ass report, dauphin. very well-written and pretty funny as well! wish i wuz there....

So... now we know what the opposite of NATO means... : )

Geez extensive to say the least. The only thing you left out was if you went to the bathroom or not.

Thank YOU so much for the amazing feedback... aaaaah... beautiful people.. this is when I HATE living in Australia!!!!!

I am BEYOND envy, and beyond jealousy, I am dying here ;(



My turn will come right? Oneday? *sigh*

Until then I will have to live vicariously through the retelling of everyones experiences... better than nothing, thanks again..

Dauphin..... What a great review.....I sat here visualising it all with my heart pounding....Oooooo the excitment....I cant wait...ty ty ty ty ty 4 the time u took out 2 do this review....Oooooo P u MUST come 2 the UK.....jesus i think ive wet myself whhooooo

Cool report! Lookin forward for this show to hit my town!

Great review !!! There was so much to experience !!! I also got a cowbell and was to the right of you banging away in front of the PA speakers !!! Hope I sounded good also !!!

See Ya !!! Dennis

I was in the 13th row in the center of the stage and was completely blown away by the show! I saw the Hit and Run tour in Kansas City last year and that was great in its own way. This really showcased his musical genius and wide range of abilities. The small setting was very condusive to the songs he played and was so intimate. Many obnoxious people were chanting for some of his classics and didn't seem to understand the gist of this new tour. I'm sure he could hear some of the comments being yelled out, but he kept on playing with a smile on his face. He really seemed to enjoy himself and interacted with the crowd a lot! The aftershow was pretty lame. Prince did show up, but got mobbed and went into a private room. The crowd would not move away from the door, even after being asked very kindly by the DJ to move away, so he left. We left around 1:00 or shortly thereafter after getting word from the DJ that yes, he did leave because the crowd wouldn't cooperate. I was pretty disappointed that some of the fans spoiled the after party like that. Maybe next time around... The concert itself was well worth the money!

* Dauphin *

Wowie Wow Wow to your report!

Thanx for taking the time to give such a detailed report

Those of us, less fortunate, do so appreciate it.

Happy to hear you had a most excellent experience!!

Now, can we get a SoCal confirmation, PLEEEEEZZZZZ!!
Life Sexy u all

Dauphin said:

Just for clarification, I was in the middle of row 2 and the blond lady that you mention being "brought up on stage to dance" was actually not supposed to be there. She and some other woman came from further back in the seats and pushed up to the front row right in front of me. People kept telling them to get out of there and eventually a couple of people hailed the security over to escort these two women out of there. The security guy moved them over to the left of the stage and before they could get the girls back, the blond walks right up on stage and stands within a foot or two of Prince. She just stood there, looking like an idiot. Prince had his eyes closed and was in the middle of tearing shit up with his guitar. He didn't even know she was there. Then after perhaps a half a minute, he opens his eyes and notices her (my wife swears that she touched him and that's why he opened his eyes). He immediately (yet slow and calm) backs away from her over to the right side of the stage.

It was at this point that he made the comment about are there any NPGMCers there and got the other three people up on stage to dance.

I couldn't believe the nerve of that woman. That's just pathetic. Later, some other asshole actually climbs over rows of seats up to the front just to my left and stands in front of this short woman beside me. She keeps telling him to leave and we practically have the same situation over again. People need to learn some fucking respect!

That show was insanely good though and the band is tight, even for the opening night of the tour. I can't wait for a copy.

.
[This message was edited Fri Apr 19 8:03:19 PDT 2002 by luvy]

Thanks for the great report. This sounds like the Prince show I've waited years for.
I guess the down side is the people screaming for the hits. Hopefully, they won't be sitting near me, cause they'll definitely spoil my flow.
This tour is a dream come true for the long-time, hardcore Prince fan.

PURPLE RAIN IS OVER

Yes, ok it's a signature song, obviously, but REALLY! Let the man give it a rest. We've ALL heard it a million times. If he let's it go for a while it will be that much fresher and interesting when he brings it back! More obscure stuff! Other Side if the Pillow! Awesome! Strange Relationship! Yea!!! This is the Prince show for US!!!