Here is a review I wrote for my blog/web space = BasslineSpin.com

Prince – 3121 at the Rio – Las Vegas, NV. November 11, 2006 - …The first Saturday show in Prince’s new 3121 venture brought my wife and me to Las Vegas for a quick trip. The show was very good as Prince always seems to be. Highlights for me in the 1 hour 45 minute (estimated) live performance included a funk-face version of Around the World in a Day, the ‘screwed and chopped’ Get on the Boat (encore), and IF I was Your Girlfriend – where Prince said “This is my jam” as the Linn drum kicked in.

The energy at the beginning of the show was excellent with Prince saying “I’ll tear this place down!” …I did not keep notes during the show but I did write down what I remembered him playing (on a napkin – at the Rio coffee shop - BELOW).

…The room is nicely adorned with 3121 logos and globe style lamp fixtures. The circular venue has huge video screens lining the sidewalls. Images of anything from Grandmaster Flash to Napoleon Dynamite flashes during the time from the doors opening until Prince hits the stage. As (former?) members of the NPG Music Club – we were allowed in the spot before the general public was.

Some somewhat critical thoughts: Nice touches included DJ Rashida playing ‘one last slow jam’ before the show started (Adore), and a quickly produced slide show of images of fans, (staff?), and others that were displayed on the screen before the purple curtain opened. …DJ Rashida as the ‘warm-up’ worked for me. It was my first time to see her spin live. Using what looked like Serato Final Scratch (although I couldn’t see her computer screen) she eased through some great tunes with many nice harmonic blends. She made eye contact with the club goers, and smiled. She is BEAUTIFUL. Her mixes were mostly good with a couple of rough edges. She was great at ‘getting out’ early on Nasty Girl, Let’s Pretend We’re Married, and Lady Cab Driver. I assume P didn’t want the raunchy lyrics to be played. I didn’t understand why she played Cream when that song had appeared on Prince’s set list from the previous night. He played it later too which just seemed odd to me.

…Prince is the best performer I’ve ever seen, and that said, I only compare him to him. The worst Prince show is better than 90% of anything else I see. Saturday night Prince was in peak condition but the band may have been a step behind. During the encore, at the end of a fantastically funky, slowed down version of Get on the Boat, Prince ripped into the guitar part that opens Love Rollercoaster. He was ready to take us higher but the band didn’t follow. P yelled ‘just the drums’ as the keys were playing something else. He then asked Josh (bass) to fall in but Josh didn’t ‘jump on the coaster’, and the show ended shortly thereafter. It reminded me of basketball when the ally-oop dunk is ALMOST pulled off but the dunker bobbles the ball and turns it over instead. It is more than possible I read something into nothing but that’s the conclusion I came to. …Sax-man Mike Phillips was mostly great but also had a flat moment during one solo. …The Twinz – Prince’s twin sister dancers, and back ground singers, were energetic and sexy in a classy way. They lightened the stage.

Prince – as stated previously here many times – is so gifted on guitar it is jaw-dropping. He stood out on Shhh!, and Joy in Repetition. …Before launching into Kiss – Prince said ‘so many hits – so little time’. …Instead of Dynasty – he said “U don’t have to watch Desperate Housewives to have an attitude”. …He smilingly chided some in the audience for not knowing Heaven Must Be Like This by the Ohio Players. …He said two or three times to the audience, “You’re not ready for me”. …During Cream he changed the lyric from Look up in the air - it’s your guitar, to Look up in the air – it’s MY guitar. …Sexuality was changed to Spirituality.

As a Prince enthusiast for years – I was happy to see a poster of Prince right as I walked into the Rio. …I thought those at the sold out show were having a good time. Many in the crowd seemed like relative newbie’s to Prince judging by lack of lyric knowledge during Rashida’s set. The crowd was multi-ethnic and dominated by those in their 30’s and 40’s. Wifey and I met new folks from Oklahoma, and Los Angeles at the show. We recognized the famous super-fan “Bobby from the Bay” as well. He seemed as energetic as ever!

Overall – our experience was positive. For the record - it cost us a total of $1,084. It is no small task for us to fly to Vegas, rent a car, eat, and buy show tickets. We were blessed to be able to do so on this occasion. Luckily we were able to stay at a cousin’s house in nearby Summerlin on Saturday night as Vegas rooms were going for about $250 a night for a three-star hotel. The majority of our cost was in the plane ride ($524 total air - roundtrip for two - Southwest Airlines - Sacramento to Vegas). The show tickets were $282 for two tickets (with the tax and service charge). …$64 for rental car. …The rest was in dinner, drinks, and gasoline for rental car, and airport parking in Sac.

[Edited 11/14/06 1:34am]

That says... Spirituality, Johhny B Goode, Lolita, Musicology, Around the World, Shhh!, Kiss, Black Sweat, Cream, Joy in Repetition, 7, AnotherLoverHoleNYoHead, Pink Cashmere, U got the Look, If I was Your Girlfriend, Heaven Must Be Like This (portion), and Get on the Boat.
[Edited 11/14/06 1:37am]

bobsteezy said:

Why so expensive for your flight? I am planning on going in early January and I can get a flight/hotel package (on the strip) for $630 for 2 people.....????? I am flying from Sacramento as well
[Edited 11/14/06 6:14am]