Just got back from the Houston show and thought I would post my thoughts before they fade away.

We got to the venue about 3:00 and there were about 20 people in front of us. The doors opened about 5:30 or so. Once we got inside, the houselights were down and the band was jamming to Stevie Wonder's "Another Star". Prince was sitting back by the soundboard directing. Then he came onstage and played guitar along with the Stevie song. That, to me, was the highlight of the evening because I love that song and they really tore it up.

They jammed around a little more, mixing in bits from the Xenophobia material and even a little bit of P-Funk's "Up For The Down Stroke". Then the music started for "Muse to the Pharaoh", but he sang the lyrics to "Adore". Very cool! Then it was karaoke time with several folks singing along with "Last December". They then played a few more little jams, but nothing really recognizable to me.

Finally Prince came and sat down at the front of the stage and talked to everybody for a few minutes. A woman told Prince a long story about her concert experiences. Then she asked him to play "International Lover" in the piano medley, which he seemed lukewarm to (and didn't do). I yelled out "The Ladder", and he said that they were working on that one! A friend then yelled out "Dance Electric", to which he said that he knew it but the band didn't.

During the break, they played 5-6 songs from Xenophobia over the PA. It was real jazzy and all instrumental. I think it will take a while to digest once we finally get it. The guy next to me said that they played parts of the One Night Alone album over the PA in Kansas City.

Prince came on stage promptly at 8:00 (for once) and played a standard set. I think we got some good energy by having both Candy Dulfer and Maceo Parker there on sax. The only real set change from earlier shows was "The Everlasting Now" out of "Raspberry Beret" instead of the "Santana Medley". I was told that this was also done in KC, but nowhere else yet.

The piano medley contained "Adore", "I Wanna Be Your Lover", "Do Me Baby", "Free", "Starfish & Coffee", "Sometimes It Snows", "How Come U Don't Call Me", "I Don't Trust U Anymore" and "Purple Rain"

The biggest downer of the night was that "Purple Rain" was the end of the show. They didn't do "Anna Stesia". We were all very disappointed by that. I'm not sure if there was a problem with the venue or that they just wanted to get going to New Orleans.

Not getting "Anna Stesia" was a bummer, but I really can't complain about getting 4 hours worth of music. And folks I talked to agreed that he was really "on" tonight. His voice was very clean and the guitar playing was fantastic. Maceo and Candy both brought lots of energy to the show, and the rest of the band was also great.

Definitely glad I went!

Thanks for the review. Lookin' forward to the LA shows next week. Hey, how does Purple Rain sound these days?

You phony.
No, not you jchamp.

jchamp said:

thje chicago show that's circulating has everlasting now instead of the santana medley as well.

Just got back from the show. I will go into detail later but the show was AWESOME!!!!!

By the time the doors opened at around 5:30, there were at LEAST 150 people out in line for the Music club, so HOUSTON NPG Club members really showed up.

Horns were off the hook

Renato blew me away.

Rhonda, OH MY GOODNESS

Mr.Blackwell, I'm sorry but he has taken Michael B.'s place in my book.

Prince, voice unbelievable, lots of guitar, lots of energy, was really vibing off of the crowd.

Was really dissappointed as many others at the end of the show with Purple Rain.

Very Greatful.

Details will be later.

By the way, WHAT'S UP TO MY BROTHER AND HIS LADY THAT DROVE ALL THE WAY FROM MISSIPPI. I DIPPED INTO YOUR CONVERSATION AND ASKED IF YOU COME TO THIS SITE. PEACE!!!!!

I am weary sleepy. Peac out!

jchamp said:

Hmm, I wonder if this means that "The Last December" will eventually turn up in the concert setlist. It's the only song missing from the current set. Would make a great alternative to "Anna Stesia" IMHO.

NuPwrSoul said:

NuPwrSoul, they played "Last December" in Louisville for the first, and up unitl Houston, the only time during the show...it is beautiful live....

Lookes like both 'One Nite Alone' as 'Xenophobia' are as good as finished as they are playing them before the show.....

What is stopping them from shipping one of those CD's then. If they would just give us some info on what the problem is. That would make it better in my opinion.
But well, we all know who we are dealing with, and it is not someone who keeps his word....

VelvetJ said:

I agree, John Blackwell is no joke. For those who don't know check out one of the shows.

ChocolateInvasion said:

I don't need no cd's I'll be listening to "Silicon" all year.

No CD's?

Imagine:
It would be kinda funny if those 4 new CD's weren't CD's, but were on vinyl.....would be kinda, well, strange.

.
[This message was edited Thu Apr 18 22:23:17 PDT 2002 by luvy]

My highlights from the show:

Loved hearing Strange Relationship, 1+1+1=3, and When U Were Mine totally rocked the house, also the piano medly was just incredible. Looking forward to his next Houston visit.
I'm hoping there'll be a bootleg of the Houston show soon, and does anyone have a setlist from this concert. I can only remember about 70% of the songs he played.

Chaka

The Last December was done at the soundcheck in Buffalo as well with NPGmembers singing the chorus.

Sounds like a great show.

To Velvet J, Jackson, MS is our home town, but we've lived in Houston for the past 4 years.

jchamp said:

I know what Prince meant. But it's actually kinda funny when you think about it. There's only about a thousand other songs that the band doesn't know!

the show was XCELENT of course!!! and i actually liked it ending with Purple Rain though many will differ with me....
~dancelikeyouncle~
[This message was edited Mon Apr 15 16:43:30 PDT 2002 by gatorgirl]

houston is first place he did do me baby.... also thy was some problems with sitting order...

THECROSS2002 said:

How does it sound? Well, in Lakeland it was incredible. Very finely tuned and still done with much passion. Every row was swaying gently as he sang the enitre song for the first time during the ONA visits. I had my arms around my daughter and it's a moment I will never forget. She sang along, too, and she's only 16.

Get ready for a wonderful evening! And then let us hear all about it!!

the Purple Rain in Lakeland was him at the piano with no gee-tar. I can only dream that somebody taped that show...

jchamp said:[quote]
During the break, they played 5-6 songs from Xenophobia over the PA. It was real jazzy and all instrumental. I think it will take a while to digest once we finally get it. The guy next to me said that they played parts of the One Night Alone album over the PA in Kansas City.


Hi,

That NOT was the Xenophobia Album...They played it also in NYC, that album is "Minneapolis" From Michel Portal with Sonny Thompson and Michael Bland.

Great album thought

jchamp said:[quote]

During the break, they played 5-6 songs from Xenophobia over the PA. It was real jazzy and all instrumental. I think it will take a while to digest once we finally get it. The guy next to me said that they played parts of the One Night Alone album over the PA in Kansas City.


That was NOT the Xenophobia album but "Minneapolis" an album from Michel Portal with Sonny Thompson and Michael Bland, great album thought

"That was NOT the Xenophobia album but "Minneapolis" an album from Michel Portal with Sonny Thompson and Michael Band, great album though"

I don't know about that. It included the same song that is on the front page of NPGonline, the one that he played live during the show.

I've gotta agree with SpaceCity on that one. The first song played was definitely the one everybody's been calling Xenophobia (3-4 songs into the show). The rest may very well be from something else, but there were also riffs from those songs performed in the soundcheck.

I just assumed that it was the whole album because of the first song and Prince's history of playing his own soon-to-be-released music over the PA before shows.

Hopefully I'll know for sure in the next few weeks.

.
[This message was edited Tue Apr 29 23:07:46 PDT 2003 by daysofwild]