NY Times review of Prince show at the Hotel Gansevoort

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Thread started 10/12/08 10:01pm

funkteer

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NY Times review of Prince show at the Hotel Gansevoort

http://www.nytimes.com/20...html?_r=1&

October 13, 2008
Music Review | Prince
Rocking and Acknowledging Signs o’ the Times
By JON CARAMANICA

On Friday the stock market concluded a brutal week, its worst in history, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average having lost almost 1,900 points, just under a fifth of its value. But were you still feeling flush, or maybe a bit oblivious, a familiar if rare indulgence was available in the rooftop loft at the Hotel Gansevoort in the meatpacking district: a concert by Prince. A hundred or so tickets for the almost claustrophobically small concert were, depending on how you looked at it, something of a steal — just $1,000.

It was for charity of course: Love 4 One Another Charities and Urban Farming, both with roots in Prince’s hometown, Minneapolis. And it doubled as a release party for “21 Nights” (Atria), a collection of glamour shots and photos of his 21-night stand at the O2 Arena in London last year. Depending on that state of your 401(k) there was also the option of a late-night jam session — a bargain, comparatively, at $300.

Not that Prince was deaf to the times. Moments into the early set he joked about the tough day, then he tweaked the lyrics of “1999” to reference the financial crisis: once an apocalyptist, always an apocalyptist. But he didn’t dwell. Over four virtuosic hours split between the two shows — attended by a sprinkling of celebrities (Dave Chappelle, Howard Stern, Spike Lee), a few rabid Prince fans and several dozen disposers of disposable income — he was by turns sensual, exuberant, raw and, in far rarer moments, indulgent and cautious. Prince may no longer surprise, but he still has the capacity to astonish.

The shows’ impact was intensified by its scale: Prince, three band members (not counting the harmonica player Frédéric Yonnet, who popped in and out), and two singers were crammed on a tiny elevated stage, playing in a room the size of a four-car garage. For the dour Prince of the late ’90s this might have been a suffocating setup, but in recent years — from 2004’s flexible “Musicology” to his sly performance at the 2007 Super Bowl — he has rediscovered some electricity and vigor of his early years.

In both sets he played “Purple Rain” — early in the night it was jagged and howling, but a few hours later, in a far looser rendition, it was languorous and breathy. Other repeats — “Cream” (better version: first set; firm and funky) and “U Got the Look” (better version: second set; unexpectedly greasy, with dashes of 1950s rock) — highlighted his effortless facility and that of his band. The drummer Cora Coleman-Dunham in particular was ferocious and had an easy rapport with the bass player Joshua Dunham, her husband. On keyboards Morris Hayes did yeoman’s work, becoming a virtual one-man horn section when needed.

If the group faltered at all, it was during the second show, which was filled with covers tied together by elongated jamming; the onstage comfort at times felt too insular. But overwhelmingly they were crisp, especially on the Rolling Stones’ “Miss You” and on a pair of extended-Prince-family Minneapolis gems: Janet Jackson’s “What Have You Done For Me Lately” (produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis) and a mayhem-inducing version of the Time’s “Jungle Love.” That Prince was confident in his crew was evident by just how much of the time he removed himself from the spotlight — feigning exhaustion as Mr. Yonnet played any of several exemplary solos; working a shaker while his backup vocalists, Marva King and Shelby Johnson, took over. Sometimes he wasn’t doing anything but watching, happy to be catching a good show.

“I’m just moaning like an old hound dog,” Prince joked during “Satisfied” early in the night. And blues do seem to be heavier on his mind now than at any time in his career. He followed that song with the hilarious “Beggin’ Woman Blues,” which borrows from two decades-old numbers, “Beggin Woman” and “Three Handed Woman.” (A zippier version of “Beggin’ Woman Blues” is included on “Indigo Blues,” a CD packaged with “21 Nights.”) Humor has never been a strong suit of Prince’s, so hearing him sing “She begged my Aunt Gertrude/She even begged my Uncle Jake/She even tried to beg the sweetness out of my grandma’s lemon cake” was a pleasant shock.

Midway through the late show Mr. Chappelle, the comedian, took over the stage for an impromptu set. And like everyone else he was giddy. “I played tambourine tonight at a Prince show — that’s the good news,” he said before settling down to reality: “The bad news is, I flew coach.”

(text added by anx)

"It's hard 4 me 2 say what's right when all I want to do is wrong..."

gyro34	Thank you Funkteer for the wonderful news! I am so happy for Princey, the Sweetest of Honey-Bunnies and Kittie-Cats...
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manray10	This is actually one of the most positive reviews that I have seen for a Prince concert in the New York Times. I remember some horrible reviews for Prince's Avery Fisher Hall show on April 10, 2002 as well a a clueless take on Prince, Chaka And Larry Graham at Irving Plaza in April 1998.
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ficktyt	I agree, pretty good review given that one can't know what to expect from people reviewing bands that they know little about!
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