As I was looking up into eyes so lovely everything around them blurs into a haze…I was overcome by a deep gratitude…so thankful to be alive at that moment in that space and time. Drinking in that soft commanding voice we felt him. His sincerity was as real as a soft blanket in front of a warm fire. We all know who “him” is. My friends tagged me Mrs. Him, because whenever Prince is with in 500 miles of me I drop everything to be where he is. When my people can’t find me they assume it was “him” again. This time my girl Ree-Ree went with me. I tried my best but failed to get my girl Jo to come too. So it was the April and Ree-Ree team, we jumped in the lovely jackets Ricco made and headed for Indy.

We had nothing but faith that everything would work out all right. We were ticket-less because the self-proclaimed “Masters of tickets” are cruel and conniving. We kept the faith and made it to the venue just in time to see the tour bus spill forth a vision of loveliness, first came Tacomi, then Trevor then (eevaaaahhh the sound of air going in through parted lips and not coming out) “him”. I’ve got to quit pointing, but when I’m excited and and my lungs are uncooperative I tend to point and squeal. This first sighting of our funky rock star had us soaring. We knew everything would be just fine.

We “acquired” a pair of nose-bleeders for tix and got in line for the sound check. The sound check is what we were really looking forward to. All the other ones have been open and intimate, just priceless experiences. When we made it to the front of the line we were pawed over by security. They practically skipped our jacket pockets but felt nearly every inch of our skin tight pants. I said “uhh-unah I’m telling Billy!” So Ree-Ree stayed in line and I went to tell (like I was 14). I found Billy and told him that at all the other One Night Alone Shows I had been to they had girls to search the girls. It was too late for us but when I looked at the line again they had a lady security guard up there, that Billy knows how to handle stuff.

While I was looking for Billy trying to save the girls who would come in after us from getting what we got, they let people into the theater. Ree-Ree broke for the front and was out of sight I took the outside path and went in late. Again our faith that everything would work out proved well placed. Ree-Ree saw Tacomi and asked if he would please hold our seats down, because she couldn’t jump the bar (tight pants We definitely wanted to be “front row center with the out-stretched hands” at the sound check because our seats for the show were too far away to enjoy Prince’s magnificent funky faces. Tacomi came through huge for us. By the time I jumped the bar Ree-Ree was settled in and our spot was secure.

We were sitting there chirping excitedly to one another when all of a sudden it was “him.” A lady yelled something out and Prince replied “I haven’t done anything yet.” I sure hope he knows that just to be in his presence is sweet pleasure for those of us who have welcomed his voice, his image and his work into our lives for so many years. When we see him the force of who he is to us floods our bodies instantly. I can’t begin to describe how much seeing him playfully interact with fams, flashing that wondrous smile and sharing stories from the road mean to us. But how could he know what he means to us we all have individual stories. Without him I would have never believed God is Love simple and plain. He is our joy, our poet, our preacher, our comfort, our counsel, our activist, our hero, our love. I wonder what we are to him? We are each unfamiliar but I hope not strangers. The fact that he welcomes us to his home at Paisley Park is so endearing. As fams we are bonding with each other because of our common love for “him.” He gives us so much of himself through his work that we really do feel cared about.

Speaking of feeling cared about at the after party, he blew our mind body and souls out…couldn’t even began to think straight…walking with a glaze over our eyes…we just looked at each other and knew we would never be the same. I only thought I was whipped before.....mmemh. (but I digress So we were sitting front row center cheering and screaming at the sight of the one and only and he asked us if we were in our seats, A large percentage of us told him we got stuck way up in the balcony. With kindness and authentic concern he said he was going to do something about that. We truly felt appreciated, it was like he honestly understood how badly we wanted to be up front. I mean we know all the words to everything, we appreciate Rhonda’s subtle coolness, JB’s wild energy, all the experience in the horn section, Renado’s mad skills and well…him.

He chatted with us for a spell in that glorious speaking voice that is so lovely and distinct that it defies accurate description. And he listened to us for a while, unprecedented for a star of his calabur. He played skin tight, and he let a fam play The Christ, and he played Everlasting Now, we were bumping that on the drive up. When the time came in our voices that were already sprung from screaming we yelled “Accurate knowledge of Christ and the Father will bring the Everlasting Now/Join the party, make a sound. Share the truth, preach the good news
Don't let nobody bring you down The Everlasting Now!”

The NPG gave us an overdose of pure unadulterated energy, and we could hardly stand it. They got to that extra crispy stanktified funk level again. It was like a riptide that snatches at your..well. You know the feeling when your breath gets caught between inhale and exhale and your mind and body don’t know how to respond? That’s where we were when Prince looked down and said something along the lines of I wish you two were sitting there. Love really is too weak to describe what we feel for him. The butterflies we had went straight to our hearts chasing speed with Red Bull. You just feel light and floaty when he is near but when he’s speaking to you…our feet were rapping like Thumper from Bambi. It’s ludicrous what he does to us, but we wouldn’t trade it for the world. I mean standing before him you can close your eyes and imagine a beauty (inner and outer) so heightened and complete that you wouldn’t change a single thing; then open your eyes and see it realized in him. No exaggeration, I mean it, quit playing, alright then.

Wanna hear about the shows? The som mo ma biscuit eaters acted the smuck up. They owned us and they knew it too. We surrendered to their grove with reckless abandoned. Breath came in spastic short gasps. It was a glorious magical experience, in the back of our minds we knew we would be talking about this night when we were old and gray. They tickled, tantalized, transformed and astounded us. We felt refreshed, and revitalized as our emotions bloomed in his presence.

It would take a lifetime to detail the magic of each moment but here’s one. Prince was standing behind his keyboard as the indistinct spotlight’s blue glow flowed gently over his shoulders, neck and back. He let his head fall back and illumination playfully trickled down his perfect features just as I was lost in that image trying desperately to burn it into my mind forever he began to tease us with the first notes of the father’s song, his face was immaculate his body language screamed I’m bout to be in you and then…. (oooohhhh had to walk away for a minute)…and then those delicate strong fingers committed to the father’s song and he began to play, we were throbbing the sound system was pounding through us when he transitioned flawlessly into purple rain. I thought that was a child of his that had been silenced for a while, yet here he was in all his glory. It was simply mystifying.

Another treasured moment that we will cherish for a lifetime came at the after show. Uh Renado showed us why he has that job that night. The man was flowing from the purest of zones. What he did snapped our necks and spirits to full attention. Prince even turned around and watched him fly across the keys like an inspired soul. Then JB leant his power, speed and rhythm. Rhonda was on point and so was the horn section. Then Prince grabbed his stringed mate did that confident stride, landed in a powerful wide-legged rock star stance and ripped into us with a passion and vigor that will forever be unmatched. He was unchained, pumping voltage through us until we were trembling, hoarse from joyfully crying out and holding on to each other so we wouldn’t collapse. Just when we thought they were going to allow us a splash of oxygen JB kicks in with one last solo aahahahh it was off the hiz-ook. Santana probably woke up in a chilled sweat after what they did to his song, they funktified the nucleus out of that jam.

Prince’s ability to bring out the best in the artists around him is incredible. Unlike some people he does not fear being out shined by another (probably because it is impossible). Prince’s choice to surround himself with inexpressibly talented musicians and allow them time to thrill us is a testament to his greatness and his commitment to excellence. John Blackwell is the greatest drummer ever and he is only getting better by being so close to Prince. That’s a non-negotiable fact if you ask me. The NPG really is the tightest band in the land and we are so thrilled they are touring and sharing their gifts. Never doubt our joy or our sincerity when we say that. We have nothing to gain by dishonesty so you might as well believe us when we tell you how wonderful you make us feel.
We love you more than we can contemplate, we can’t thank you enough for touring when you could be at home hanging with Uncle Larry, we will never get out enough thank you’s for the wonderful relaxed sound checks, or for the fact that you are willing to flash your stark raving beauty at after shows and parties. We wish you love happiness and good times always, you deserve it all.

Much Love!
April and Ree-Ree
(the girls in the jackets from Chicago)

Love 2 read reports, thank u !

April & Ree-Ree, great report! Thanks!

Just don't look in his eye's ,U looked in his eye's didn't U, well Ok maybe for 2 minutes...LOL , U must really Love this guy, I mean U express with such detail Ms. Him that's my name for U right now, U know they trying to make me go to Pittsburg instead of DC I ain't gonna say no names ( Peggy-Rose-Connie) I would Love to be there with U guys too tho', What's a man to do, What is this man gonna do?.....The Review was Beautiful, Thanks Baby

You guys might flame me for this, but sorry: this report scares me. I respect your admiration for the musician Pirnce, but there's so littel we all know about the human behind the mask... this post is full of blind admiration which I wouldnt consider okay any more. I used to be obsessed with P when I was a teenager, but this is beyond anything I would have ever gone. Reading this, I felt like I was fanatic methodists talking about their encounter with god!! and besides, its very said that the incredible musicians prince surrounds himself with are not receiving any sort of inspiration for the beautiful and important job they do.... as prince said before: lots of his inspiration comes from his bandmembers. sad to see that to a lot of obsessed fans those musicians only are important for the role they play serving Prince, or saying it in your language: "breathing his air, touching the door-knobs that he has touched before".
again, with all due resepct for your admiration: do take your medicine. go get a life.

mind my spelling mistakes, I was writing in a rush...

Hi Soul Power I don't hit the org often so I just read your post and I'm pretty sure this thread is long dead for you . But you made me laugh today Your right I do need to get a life. I am and always have been totally unconditionally in love with the way Prince's music makes me feel, with the way the sight of Prince makes me feel and I love being around people like RiccotheArtist who are feeling him too. Thanks for your caomments! Cheers!

eye love the way U make me feel, telling me about the way he makes U feel...AprilReigns.....cause eye no da FEELIN'!!!!!