It has now been almost 48 hrs since the Houston concert and I am **still** high!! I just wanted to jot down a few thoughts about the concert. I think starboy126 already wrote a great general overview. First and foremost- the concert totally rocked and I was just amazed at the quality of the performance. My husband and I drove up from Mexico for the concert and it was well worth the 24-hour round trip!!

We arrived at the Verizon Theater at 12 noon on Monday and there were only 8 people waiting in line ahead of us, including the purple curse woman, the eastcoastfam (hi, guys!), starboy126, MadCute, and a few others. The 5-hour wait was actually quite pleasant- the other fans (and fanatics) were really cool and the excitement really started building among us all by about 4pm. There was a certain energy in the air! The list started by the purple curse lady was a good idea and we all entered the venue in a peaceful, orderly way. When we got inside the building we could hear random jams coming from the theater and I think all of our hearts skipped a beat! My husband and I got seats in the front row just to the left of the stage and watched as the band warmed up. Prince was seated towards the back (behind us) and I believe I saw Manuela sitting with him at one point, although it was too dark to be sure. I did see her offstage waiting for him at the end of the concert.

A lot of people here on the org are complaining about the soundcheck, but let’s be real- it was a privilege to be there and to get a few more-intimate moments with Prince. My husband and I decided that the soundcheck alone was worth the trip (and the expense)! There were some cringe-inducing comments made to him by some club members (mostly wanting to get that Purple Rain groove on or wanting some special favor), but it was still a really special experience. Prince was somewhat reserved during the soundcheck but I believe it was mostly because he was conserving his energy for the show (as was Rhonda, who was seated for most of the soundcheck). When they returned to the stage at 8 sharp for the concert, they were all really throwing off some energy, including Prince!! One thing that impressed me was how HAPPY they all looked to be performing- these were 7 people who love to make music and who are extremely gifted. As a band, they are incredibly tight.

Somebody mentioned that Rhonda didn’t get a bass solo, but she did- I can’t remember which song it was. Prince seemed to really enjoy hearing the audience sing and clap, and encouraged us to do so at various times- maybe it was part of his “in agreement” theme. It was really cool to see him interacting with the crowd. He asked several people their family names, and I was lucky enough to get invited to sit on the pillows so he could “give” me his guitar solo during The Sensual Everafter!! That was an experience I’ll be telling my GRANDCHILDREN about! I wish somebody would post a complete set list for the Houston show, because I couldn’t keep it all in my head. Some other members said they thought the first row was dead, but everybody on my side stood and danced or swayed or swooned or wiggled the whole time, except when requested to sit! I came away from the concert realizing that not only is Prince an extremely talented musician, but is also a master performer, and there are not many artists who can claim to be both! I’ll definitely be there in the front row again at some future shows!
[This message was edited Thu Apr 18 12:41:56 PDT 2002 by kapers88]

kapers88 said:


I agree with ya! I was on the front row and we had a groove going! I made sure I made plenty of LOUD noise, too! So you were the lucky one that got to sit on the pillows! That is awesome! I was right in front of those pillows and thought mmmhmmm they look comfy! The nice security guard that worked for the theatre said he was thinking about borrowing one of those pillows for the show so he could use it as a back rest. Heehee. Great report, too!