Hi gang just got back to baton rouge from the prince concert last night. Since i don't see any reports here yet i will do my best to tell what happened...i got to the venue at about 3:00 and i was number 12 on the sign in list so that was cool.....i would say there were about 50 to 60 npg members by 5:00p.m. when they let us in through the first doors....we waited in the main lobby for about 10 minutes more and you could hear the band playing inside the theatre....while waiting in that lobby we spotted prince's wife Mani?(i think is her name)strolling through the lobby. she is very attractive but quite small like him . They let us in and as you walked down the isle you could see prince at his piano with a hat on(looked like a cowboy hat to me).i was kinda taking it all in as it hit me how close and intimate the setting was. I have been to many concerts but never this close! second row center.prince inspired me when i saw him when i was 12 years old to be in my current profession(high school band director)so now i get to really see what he be doing with that guitar! he came over to talk to us....asked us when was the last time he was in New Orleans.we told him 1998...he promised that tonight would be better than that...he joked with a brother who came in looking like a pimp about his clothes...then a guy name shawn also from baton rouge asked if he could play his guitar...he walked over and handed it to him....man this dude could play! He started whaling on "bambi" sounding just like prince with the solos and everything...prince was smiling and getting the rest of the band to play with him...rhonda didn't know the bass part so he took her bass guitar and started playing the bass part. It was jamming!

after the guy finished everyone was applauding and prince asked him if he had a band."No but i was trying to recruit YOU for my band i am starting!" he replied...prince said "no I am too expensive" he then said "that sounds like a challenge to me!" he then took off his rings and asked the guitar guy for his guitar. then he started whaling "bambi" again! He was playing some incredible stuff! He blew the guy away! He was really showing the guy that hey you are good, but you cant touch me on this guitar! after he finished prince went over and gave the shawn a little bible book called "the knowledge"(shawn showed it to me at the break.) it was cool to see this competitive side of prince upclose and personal.

He did the new version of dolphin in the soundcheck but the highlight for me was the guitar battle! the soundcheck lasted a little more than a hour then he said he had to go change.....the concert started at 8 with candy coming down the middle playing "rainbow children"...his energy level was pretty high all night...i think he was reacting to the crowd really getting into everything he played.xenophobia was jamming hard...the horns were so tight i could die! Rhonda was jamming on that bass...john blackwell is the best Prince drummer ever..end of story! the keyboard player was smooth too..i like how he always played with feeling and wasn't doing things to show off.he played with a purpose. Maceo still got it! Candy and Greg both fit into the band nicely. The crowd really got into 1+1+1=3 and rollercoaster. The rest of the show was pretty standard of what has been reported here before...he did two encores..one was the piano medley(on adore he joked that he would make Juvenile(the rapper) pay for the smashed up ride) and that was funny...second encore he did HCUDCM,purple rain,and then anna stesia...it was close to a three hour show.it was awesome to say the least...i was most impressed with the high level of musicianship prince and his band displayed...his singing and playing was flawless! I got one of his guitar picks from the guitar tech after the show which was cool...there was no afterparty because he had to get to Dallas which i could understand..overall i think the rainbow children album sounds better live....now i understand some things about it better after seeing the show. After last night, I put prince in what i call the "MICHAEL JORDAN" category.there is PRINCE at the top then everyone else following him.All the club members were very nice people to be around. Peace and see you at the celebration!

OK I just need some clarification here. If you miss the soundcheck does that mean you won't get a seat because the seats you have at the s. check are carried over for the show? And how do they do that? Do they distribute tix with your seat #'s on them?? thanks, farfunk

Is it just me or are the "middle" to "smaller" cities without the aftershow not only getting a better soundcheck and show?..nicer people,more intimacy,less assholes..i guess because i moved to get out of the ratrace i notice crap like that..

Hi was there to. Thanks for the report i enjoyed being there with all the Americans (I was the one from holland)
I was glad i actually spoke two words to de guy
I'm a keyboard player myself but i just hadn't the guts to ask.

BTW goooood show, best i've seen in years (i'm sorry he played purple rain, i can't stand to hear the song live)

Bart
[This message was edited Sun Apr 21 5:52:21 PDT 2002 by thejam1999]

Another great report. It sounds like an AWESOME show. Seems like he pulled out all the stops for NewOrleans.

So great to hear about a POSITIVE soundcheck experience. The image of the dueling guitars made me smile.

Thanks for sharing!

P.S.: I'm really hoping for AnnaStesia in L.A.


*****

rainbowray said:

Don't even start speculating about this, because then those in cities they might classify as "middle to smaller cities" will be expecting a better soundcheck and show. Then, if it's not up to their standards or this experience, they'll start whining and bitching that it was 5 minutes shorter than this one was or some shit like that!

this "guitar-battle" stuff sounds really cool! Wish I could have been there...the guy rocking Bambi and then Prince ripping Bambi!

Hey, guy, if you're out there let us know your take on it!

Do NOT pass up a chance to see 'One Nite Alone'! Let's hope this tour sprouts a DVD video release, so everyone can see how fast John Blackwell's arms move! Props to Renato. Rhonda's groove is smooth. Maceo, Candy, and Greg Boyer: the colors that you paint make 3.

Thanks to Prince and the crew.
[This message was edited Tue Apr 29 23:02:52 PDT 2003 by daysofwild]

Humongous ups to Shawn from Baton Rouge... Shorty got his moment and in the sun and SHINED.

Wow, that sounds too much fun with the guitar battle between the fan and Prince. I hope someone taped this and we get to hear it eventually.

I was also @ the soundcheck and concert (I was the one from St. Paul)! I said I was from St. Paul (now I live in N.O.) after 'thajam1999' said he was from Holland, and Prince said "Are you from St.Paul?" I said "yes" and he said "sorry to hear that" {Note- anyone from the Twin Cities knows this is a long standing rivalry joke. If you live in Mpls. you dog people who live in St. Paul and vice versa} Prince spoke to us on a level like talking to your best friend. It was as if he knew us for years! In fact, EVERONE was very friendly at this concert and it was sincere!. I spoke to the sound guy, 2 of the security guys, the guitar tech, various NPG Musicclub members. Felt like a backyard. This was all very special. In fact, it felt like a backyard concert that Prince had with 80 close friends (Soundcheck) and then a full blown Block Party when the actual show began! Soundcheck + Concert was AWESOME in New Orleans!

Ah man, I'm so hurt. I live about one hour from New Orleans but I happened to be in Japan at the time. I can't beleive it. It sounded like it was so good. I was there for that '98 Jam o da year concert and it wasn't all that. I hope I can catch him in another city soon as I get back later this week. And to make matters worse, my wife went to it with my friend and they were front and center. Life's not fair

Wussup Peeps? This is Sean (Shawn) from the New Orleans sound check. Thanx to everybody for the positive words and the reports about the pinnacle of my musical life. I was curious to know how many people would be interested in a "Fam Jam" in the New Orleans/Baton Rouge area. All musicians/singers could get together and have a jam session of Prince and related artists songs. All would be welcome to come. Tell me what you think. You can hit me back here and at sean504@aol.com. Peace everybody!

Sean

SeanBambiBoy said:

oooh... can i ask you about somethin else? i'm gonna be in new orleans sometime in june... wanted to know where to hear good music from a local... recommendations?

tell me, tho, when/where yer plannin on jamming... i am a singer...

apollonia7 said:

anywhere on bourbon street!!!!!

Now he's giving out bibles?
Shit. he cant knock on all our doors, but like lambs to the slaughter, we all run after him for music and he turns around and blind sides us with shit not all of us want/need.

This year's celebration may be more preaching than last year's.

Bob

apollonia7 said:

yeah....she's not kiddin' I was with her in Key West Fla, and she did Janice Joplin's Me and Bobby McGee and rocked the house, didn't miss a note! She wailed....wished I'd brot the video cam