kok said:

Mamacitas said:

^^great review.

Wonderful Review and I love Prince clarified the Sherri Shepherd response...I knew he wasn't upset...why it got so blown out of the pocket...Dirty Minds... Thank U so much, when U can't get there reports like Urs made me feel apart of everything ...thanks so much...PS I love Sheila, so glad she blessed the night for all of U all...thanks 4 sharing...so so so well!!!

hell i applaud sherri for actually being able to say that too him...as if alot of us girls ain't thinking that. ADMIT IT.

I had a lot of "first time" experiences these past few days. It was my first time to new york, first time putting faces to some of these amazing orgers, first time posting on the org and i had my prince cherry popped on december 18th...

going in with fresh eyes did me some good when i was herded in at 7:15 last night. the stage was amazing and i immediately felt sorry for those sitting in the vip section cause the stage was raised up over their heads. i went to the restroom, changed into my $40 prince t-shirt and sat down to talk to my feet and promise them those new pumps they'd been eyeing if they give me a painless night. shortly after 7:45ish sinbad came on stage and did his comedy bit. i must admit i was wondering how he was gonna work into the show but comics dont stop being funny just because they're not on t.v. anymore. the perfect impromptu ending to his act was when he couldn't find his way off the stage. then mr. graham came on...

(now let me preface this with saying i'm 22 years old and the fact that i have more respect for this musician than some of ya'll veterans is not cool, fact is i got to see the father of the thumpin n' picking wearing a white suit the way only black men over 50 can and watching him drop it like its hot once or twice) graham central station came on from the back of the garden in drum fanfare clad in blue silk and white ensembles. the set opened really strong with a little sag for me when it came to his ballads in the middle. when it was almost over larry walked up into the 40's and played bass for them. the energy was warming up a bit and by the time he brought sly and the family stone back to the future everyone was on their feet because regardless of how folks feel about mr. graham funky is funky and no one could deny it. GCS played down the stairs and back the way they came in playing an okie doke on the crowd while npg (prince included) got on the stage and started up everyday people. gcs came back to the stage and tore it up for that song and higher. prince was wearing that tall asymmetrical black hat pulled low with a cape letting it be known that he was jamming WITH gcs and trying not to take too much of the focus away (although a 5'2 man suddenly appearing in a cape and hat is hard to ignore but hey if u like it prince, i love it). for the remainder of the set i was blitzed with this funkdafied music and mr. graham was working that bass so hard i was getting a stomachache!

finally the moment i've been waiting for

sinbad walks onto the stage and introduces the baddest mo'fo to grace some silk panties while wetting yours PRINCE!!!!! the noise starts to blend together to sound like a child's scream in my ears and my mind is struggling to tell my mouth that if i don't take a breath in between screams i'll be passed out by the sixth bang of the kickdrum but the connection wasn't working. the stage is left completely dark and he starts into welcome 2 america. i thought the socially conscious song was a perfect intro considering the hype around the show and i hope to hear that one on wax. the dark stage made it that much better because you were forced to listen to his voice even though the true motivation was just to find out where the hell he was (he also did a coded shoutout to mj which was bomb). disco heat was up next, the ladies kicked their beautiful harmonies in high gear and the lights showed what that stage could really do. prince came up towards the end of the song and he jumped right into baby i'm a star. the energy shot up immediately, the aisles were filled with dancing people in a heartbeat and i was so intoxicated by the music that even the loudest-no-rythymist-talkinst-shittenist guy there stopped getting of my nerves. the opening for the beautiful ones followed, he hopped up on the piano, i repeat...hopped on the piano, and broke it down for misty copeland who was absolutely wonderful as usual as they went through a small choreographed dance that fit the song perfectly. the next several songs: let's go crazy, delirious, uptown, 1999, shhh, cream, cool and raspberry beret ran through in a blur that i can barely articulate in my own mind so i'll spare you the sporadic "it was the best...!" "i can't even..." "no his little ass didn't!" sentence starters. the next part of the show deserves its own paragraph

sheila e., sheila e., sheila e. i could stop there but its sheila e. just when i was starting to wonder when she would grace us with her drumsticks, npg kicks into u got the look and she rises from the stage (percussions included) and i actually think she got a bigger applause then prince or maybe that was just me. she rocked the stage in a way that made me forget about prince for a minute and i hoped that some little girl was in the audience watching this queen torturing those pour drums while wearing a gorgeous dress. ms. escovedo you are...u just are.

after giving away/throwing about four drumsticks sheila e. leaves the stage and nothing compares to u kicks in. now i've always felt that the best backup singer he's ever had was rosie gaines and shelby j has been creeping up on her recently. after this performance she standing right next to her. the interaction between prince and shelby j was phenomenal and purely music and friendship, a simple but potent combination. the stage lit up purple, tears fell like rain and i was finally going to hear one of the most recognizable songs on the planet live. all i could do was stand there and sway as he added a few extra minutes of the crooning call and response that fit the mood so well. good night everybody!

i don't know who he thought he was kidding when he left the stage after saying that but not a single person moved from their seat knowing he wasn't gonna leave it like that. the guitar lick from kiss came on and jesus christ i thought the roof was gonna pop off msg like burnt toast out the toaster. prince came back on in the now infamous red outfit ready to light all our asses on fire and did not disappoint. towards the end of the song just the bass line from the song was highlighted and prince freezes and starts popping his chest. WTH! is he? naw! what the? he is!!! dancing his butt off! the best description was cuttin a rug, all he needed was the suspenders from lovesexy to hold while he swung his hips around and it would have been complete. everyone froze while he broke it down to the 12" version and all i could think was i need to get him in funky club cause those moves was too fly to end on that stage.

the final encore of love bizarre as been talking about to death so imagine me pressing skip on the cassette player...

cut to: me roaming around msg looking for people dressed in purple to find out about the afterparty leading to a very interesting night...

highlights/setting u straight:

sus: i know prince catalog pretty well meaning i'm not a singles fan and i completely understood why he played all hits because in that one night he would have lost an entire generation had he played the jams we love.

h: when he called out the youngsters for not knowing uptown by the intro

sus: he did expect for each band member he called out in the show to have a spotlight especially hayes during his solo but the techs screwed that up. first he told them to put the light on after they were late, then you can see him yelling at the tech on the side of the stage to hurry then forget it cause the solo was over

h: when shelby j got the drop on him during nothing compares to u, his reaction to that was funny to me

h: the interaction between prince/sheila and prince/shelby j was so cool. between prince and shelby holding hands and breaking out in dance and he and sheila e working the stage so comfortably together it was truly a sight to behold.

sus: ain't nothing wrong with that man's hip the way he was working it last night! he barely sat still

and thank you for that

h: when sheila put some pants on! now down get me wrong she looked beyond great but the dress was constraining her in a way that made me want to cry. it was like patti labelle wearing tennis shoes, i need to see some flying hair, funky moves and legs kicking unrestrained when she comes on!

h: the band. nuff said.

h: watching whoopi and dr. west linked up and grooving down the stage lol

h: putting a face to some of the amazing orgers, roaming around harlem at midnight looking for the aftershow and rolling in 20 deep to someones party for a great time courtesy of banks. muchos kudos to everyone i met last night u truly made an already amazing night unforgettable.

geez writing these things is exhausting. peace.

purplemookiebut said:

kok said:

Wonderful Review and I love Prince clarified the Sherri Shepherd response...I knew he wasn't upset...why it got so blown out of the pocket...Dirty Minds... Thank U so much, when U can't get there reports like Urs made me feel apart of everything ...thanks so much...PS I love Sheila, so glad she blessed the night for all of U all...thanks 4 sharing...so so so well!!!

hell i applaud sherri for actually being able to say that too him...as if alot of us girls ain't thinking that. ADMIT IT.

True That!!!!

2elijah said:

L4OATheOriginal said:

Hey you, don't be so quick to worship.. The thing is, no fan is required to go to a show where they constantly complain about the same artist playing some of his hits, they don't want to hear. It's the fans that made those same hits, classics. So always expect you will hear some of those songs played at his shows. Besides, most of the time, many of those classics are not played the same way, when he does perform it.

I don't get some of these fans who complain to no end about the same thing, but next thing you know, they're running out to buy a ticket to his next show. Kind of defeats the seriousness of their (your) complaints when you do that.

That's kind of like someone complaining about a weekly tv show, but will still turn the channel to watch that same show, on a weekly basis and sometimes even taping it, so they won't miss it. Guess we'll see you on the 29th at his next show. I mean you did say you were going to be there in a few posts up on this thread...right? (Just messin' with ya!)

[Edited 12/19/10 16:29pm]

i haven't seen prince live since the musicology show 4 this one reason (and all props 2 estelle 81 while on the phone with her reading this post and i quote what she said) "if i made 2 pitchers of kool aid, one with less sugar and one with more sugar, is it still the same kool aid?" but i have heard almost every concert he's done since i have seen him tho so my musical ears are more open than the visual one. now yes musically a different arrangement can spice a song up or flatten it, but it's still the same song. Classics are not just "hits" there are classic songs like crucial, electric intercourse, still would stand all time, the question of u, and so forth that mean a lot 2 his fans that he doesn't do but instead he will constantly do 1999. the song that really made prince was when doves cry and he hardly does that song. if there are fans that can go 2 every show and never get tired of hearing him do let's go crazy, god bless u, it's just not me. i like 2 have spaghetti every now and then instead of my steak. i understand ur analogy of the tv show and u have a point, but not every episode is a masterpiece tho.

getxxxx said:

L4OATheOriginal said:

damn u really need 2 watch that tape again then cause then u would see that the stage at the superbowl was black and not the color it is now ..lawd u crack me up but that's what fanatics do always talking out their side of the ass ..next time try to take some exlax

dude you really dont know production, thats the same stage...

the stage has flooring that is removeable and changeable it can be black one day, blue the next or whatever color he chooses. why spend money on a new stage show when he can roll out the stage and add new elements to the floor of the stage.

i bet you didnt notice the monitors step up around the stage with the lyrics scrolled on them.

from my seating view i noticed where all the monitors were set up and i was also privy 2 seeing where the production team for the lighting crew was. no one is saying that stage design can't be changed but i just knew that there were modifications that were different from the superbowl 2 now

When Prince sang "The Beautiful Ones," he had Misty Copeland dancing as well (soloist with American Ballet Theater). She's just fabulous.

danigirl06 said:

I had a lot of "first time" experiences these past few days. It was my first time to new york, first time putting faces to some of these amazing orgers, first time posting on the org and i had my prince cherry popped on december 18th...

going in with fresh eyes did me some good when i was herded in at 7:15 last night. the stage was amazing and i immediately felt sorry for those sitting in the vip section cause the stage was raised up over their heads. i went to the restroom, changed into my $40 prince t-shirt and sat down to talk to my feet and promise them those new pumps they'd been eyeing if they give me a painless night. shortly after 7:45ish sinbad came on stage and did his comedy bit. i must admit i was wondering how he was gonna work into the show but comics dont stop being funny just because they're not on t.v. anymore. the perfect impromptu ending to his act was when he couldn't find his way off the stage. then mr. graham came on...

(now let me preface this with saying i'm 22 years old and the fact that i have more respect for this musician than some of ya'll veterans is not cool, fact is i got to see the father of the thumpin n' picking wearing a white suit the way only black men over 50 can and watching him drop it like its hot once or twice) graham central station came on from the back of the garden in drum fanfare clad in blue silk and white ensembles. the set opened really strong with a little sag for me when it came to his ballads in the middle. when it was almost over larry walked up into the 40's and played bass for them. the energy was warming up a bit and by the time he brought sly and the family stone back to the future everyone was on their feet because regardless of how folks feel about mr. graham funky is funky and no one could deny it. GCS played down the stairs and back the way they came in playing an okie doke on the crowd while npg (prince included) got on the stage and started up everyday people. gcs came back to the stage and tore it up for that song and higher. prince was wearing that tall asymmetrical black hat pulled low with a cape letting it be known that he was jamming WITH gcs and trying not to take too much of the focus away (although a 5'2 man suddenly appearing in a cape and hat is hard to ignore but hey if u like it prince, i love it). for the remainder of the set i was blitzed with this funkdafied music and mr. graham was working that bass so hard i was getting a stomachache!

finally the moment i've been waiting for

sinbad walks onto the stage and introduces the baddest mo'fo to grace some silk panties while wetting yours PRINCE!!!!! the noise starts to blend together to sound like a child's scream in my ears and my mind is struggling to tell my mouth that if i don't take a breath in between screams i'll be passed out by the sixth bang of the kickdrum but the connection wasn't working. the stage is left completely dark and he starts into welcome 2 america. i thought the socially conscious song was a perfect intro considering the hype around the show and i hope to hear that one on wax. the dark stage made it that much better because you were forced to listen to his voice even though the true motivation was just to find out where the hell he was (he also did a coded shoutout to mj which was bomb). disco heat was up next, the ladies kicked their beautiful harmonies in high gear and the lights showed what that stage could really do. prince came up towards the end of the song and he jumped right into baby i'm a star. the energy shot up immediately, the aisles were filled with dancing people in a heartbeat and i was so intoxicated by the music that even the loudest-no-rythymist-talkinst-shittenist guy there stopped getting of my nerves. the opening for the beautiful ones followed, he hopped up on the piano, i repeat...hopped on the piano, and broke it down for misty copeland who was absolutely wonderful as usual as they went through a small choreographed dance that fit the song perfectly. the next several songs: let's go crazy, delirious, uptown, 1999, shhh, cream, cool and raspberry beret ran through in a blur that i can barely articulate in my own mind so i'll spare you the sporadic "it was the best...!" "i can't even..." "no his little ass didn't!" sentence starters. the next part of the show deserves its own paragraph

sheila e., sheila e., sheila e. i could stop there but its sheila e. just when i was starting to wonder when she would grace us with her drumsticks, npg kicks into u got the look and she rises from the stage (percussions included) and i actually think she got a bigger applause then prince or maybe that was just me. she rocked the stage in a way that made me forget about prince for a minute and i hoped that some little girl was in the audience watching this queen torturing those pour drums while wearing a gorgeous dress. ms. escovedo you are...u just are.

after giving away/throwing about four drumsticks sheila e. leaves the stage and nothing compares to u kicks in. now i've always felt that the best backup singer he's ever had was rosie gaines and shelby j has been creeping up on her recently. after this performance she standing right next to her. the interaction between prince and shelby j was phenomenal and purely music and friendship, a simple but potent combination. the stage lit up purple, tears fell like rain and i was finally going to hear one of the most recognizable songs on the planet live. all i could do was stand there and sway as he added a few extra minutes of the crooning call and response that fit the mood so well. good night everybody!

i don't know who he thought he was kidding when he left the stage after saying that but not a single person moved from their seat knowing he wasn't gonna leave it like that. the guitar lick from kiss came on and jesus christ i thought the roof was gonna pop off msg like burnt toast out the toaster. prince came back on in the now infamous red outfit ready to light all our asses on fire and did not disappoint. towards the end of the song just the bass line from the song was highlighted and prince freezes and starts popping his chest. WTH! is he? naw! what the? he is!!! dancing his butt off! the best description was cuttin a rug, all he needed was the suspenders from lovesexy to hold while he swung his hips around and it would have been complete. everyone froze while he broke it down to the 12" version and all i could think was i need to get him in funky club cause those moves was too fly to end on that stage.

the final encore of love bizarre as been talking about to death so imagine me pressing skip on the cassette player...

cut to: me roaming around msg looking for people dressed in purple to find out about the afterparty leading to a very interesting night...

highlights/setting u straight:

sus: i know prince catalog pretty well meaning i'm not a singles fan and i completely understood why he played all hits because in that one night he would have lost an entire generation had he played the jams we love.

h: when he called out the youngsters for not knowing uptown by the intro

sus: he did expect for each band member he called out in the show to have a spotlight especially hayes during his solo but the techs screwed that up. first he told them to put the light on after they were late, then you can see him yelling at the tech on the side of the stage to hurry then forget it cause the solo was over

h: when shelby j got the drop on him during nothing compares to u, his reaction to that was funny to me

h: the interaction between prince/sheila and prince/shelby j was so cool. between prince and shelby holding hands and breaking out in dance and he and sheila e working the stage so comfortably together it was truly a sight to behold.

sus: ain't nothing wrong with that man's hip the way he was working it last night! he barely sat still

and thank you for that

h: when sheila put some pants on! now down get me wrong she looked beyond great but the dress was constraining her in a way that made me want to cry. it was like patti labelle wearing tennis shoes, i need to see some flying hair, funky moves and legs kicking unrestrained when she comes on!

h: the band. nuff said.

h: watching whoopi and dr. west linked up and grooving down the stage lol

h: putting a face to some of the amazing orgers, roaming around harlem at midnight looking for the aftershow and rolling in 20 deep to someones party for a great time courtesy of banks. muchos kudos to everyone i met last night u truly made an already amazing night unforgettable.

geez writing these things is exhausting. peace.

that hat and cape were so cool. larry's bass plays blew me away. prince really tore it up last night. what a show.

then bank's friends house party and banks house for the detriot bday party concert dvd....what a great night...

the red outfit

purplemookiebut said:

L4OATheOriginal said:

4 the past couple of years all i have been told was 'oh l4 u weren't there 2 know how it was so i don't know why ur "hating" so much"

WELL

I WAS THERE LAST NIGHT AT THE GARDEN AND I CAN TELL U NOW THAT I WAS DISAPPOINTED IN PRINCE SO MUCH LAST NIGHT!!

now this isn't just a slam or "negative" review cause there were some nice moments

HIGHLIGHTS:

prince has always had a nice lighting system 4 his shows and last night was no exception. THE STAGE IS HOT!!! I LOVE IT!! the lighting design was HOT!!! and from where my seats were in the so called "nosebleeds" i was able 2 see everything happening on that stage prior 2 a lot of folks at the garden, including when during graham central stations set, i saw prince hop up b4 the lights hit his area. and the same when sheila e came out during u got the look, clear as day could see her about 2 pop up.

graham central station and larry's bass playing was HOT!!

hearing the new song Welcome 2 America was HOT!! just wished that the lights weren't out during the song or that prince could have been on stage visible

Shhh ..JOHN BLACKWELL AND FINALLY A song!! John's drumstics were either laser, LED or glow in the dark..HOT!!!

Hearing uptown live finally ..HOT ..tho it sucks that many didn't know that song but wanna scream 4 raspberry beret ...SERIOUSLY?!!!

Prince's energy was very high and it was nice seeing him dance more and have his "billie jean" moment during kiss

Ida looked HOT!! i swear prince must have pulled her 2 the side and said "look ur funky on the bass but the jeans and t shirt thing..AIN'T HAPPENING in my band"

NOT SO HOT MOMENTS:

seriously ur gonna invite just celebs on the stage and not ur true fans? tho seeing alicia keys on stage was a nice treat

seriously ur gonna play disco heat but not dance 4 me or even the dance electric? ur gonna play that shit? wow!!

what happend 2 the days of prince having his band members have a spot light and say their names through the course of the show?

and the rest of the setlist ..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz damn is this the same prince that i grew up with?

BONUS MOMENTS

meeting up with banks ..yo bro 4 blocks down ..u should have said 4 blocks across as well lol

estelle81 ..finally!!!

bbq's!!! damn i want some wings now lol

meeting up at the apollo afterwards seeing pri, newpowersoul

and last but not least ..seeing my girl npggirl77!! Mwah!! get home safe hun!!

what i take from this experinece is the joy of seeing old friends and meeting new ones, but prince seriously ..u need 2 step up ur game again son and go back 2 the prince that belived in the new music and took it by the horses mane and rode it and didn't give a shit what anyone else thinks about it

nosebleeds? that sux! loved hearing all your prince stories

people tend 2 call seats more elevated "nosebleeds" but with the way the stage is, i was able 2 see everything clear as opposed 2 reports i have read of others close and couldn't see or hear things

and there are more stories i have lol

man i missed the dvd?! it figures canada and i would miss something lol

lastdecember said:

2elijah said:

Hey you, don't be so quick to worship.. The thing is, no fan is required to go to a show where they constantly complain about the same artist playing some of his hits, they don't want to hear. It's the fans that made those same hits, classics. So always expect you will hear some of those songs played at his shows. Besides, most of the time, many of those classics are not played the same way, when he does perform it.

I don't get some of these fans who complain to no end about the same thing, but next thing you know, they're running out to buy a ticket to his next show. Kind of defeats the seriousness of their (your) complaints when you do that.

That's kind of like someone complaining about a weekly tv show, but will still turn the channel to watch that same show, on a weekly basis and sometimes even taping it, so they won't miss it. Guess we'll see you on the 29th at his next show. I mean you did say you were going to be there in a few posts up on this thread...right? (Just messin' with ya!)

[Edited 12/19/10 16:29pm]

How is it complaining? i mean i was not saying damn this bullshit i want my money back, im just saying that on top of his great musicianship and way that he does shows, which i pointed out once again, but some only read what they perceive as negative, im saying you got a lot of room to work with and artists dont owe fans certain songs, that goes for any artist. What im saying is that Prince shows that i have seen (yes 76) the man has continued to blow me away as a musician and showman, but there is something lacking in the variety of what he is playing. To say that if you have a complaint then dont go the next time is typical response when people dont read what is being said, i clearly never said i didnt enjoy the show, everything everyone said to glorify the show i do agree with, but to say there was a perfect night and nothing could be done to improve the tour? i mean come on now are we drinking that much kool aid. I mean i think Obama is a good president, but shit i'll be damned if i wont complain on alot of BS he's fucked up on already, that doesnt mean i wont vote for him or respect him, but shit, hes got a lot of room to improve, blind praise leads to false idols

Dude, maintain your cool. No one ever said you didn't enjoy the show nor did anyone stop you from airing your views about the show or Prince's choices of songs. Although my response to L4 was not personally directed to you, it was a "tease' to L4's post, repeat a"tease", and I'm sure he did not take my response as serious as you did. Secondly, just because someone doesn't agree with your views on Prince's past/present choices of songs, does not mean he is being "blindly praised", by those that don't agree with your point of view, as there's always room for criticism and improvement. Nothing wrong with that. So chill and enjoy the rest of your evening. Geez.

[Edited 12/19/10 17:47pm]

purplemookiebut said:

getxxxx said:

maybe you should just stick to your bootlegs... perhaps?

Friday nite included Love Thy Will Be Done, Guitar

grrr...shows vampire fangs at getxxxx

L4OATheOriginal was awesome to meet yesterday. he stayed talking with me for 40 mins at penn station till my train came !

it was my pleasure hun:) gotta meet up again on the 29th

2elijah said:

lastdecember said:

How is it complaining? i mean i was not saying damn this bullshit i want my money back, im just saying that on top of his great musicianship and way that he does shows, which i pointed out once again, but some only read what they perceive as negative, im saying you got a lot of room to work with and artists dont owe fans certain songs, that goes for any artist. What im saying is that Prince shows that i have seen (yes 76) the man has continued to blow me away as a musician and showman, but there is something lacking in the variety of what he is playing. To say that if you have a complaint then dont go the next time is typical response when people dont read what is being said, i clearly never said i didnt enjoy the show, everything everyone said to glorify the show i do agree with, but to say there was a perfect night and nothing could be done to improve the tour? i mean come on now are we drinking that much kool aid. I mean i think Obama is a good president, but shit i'll be damned if i wont complain on alot of BS he's fucked up on already, that doesnt mean i wont vote for him or respect him, but shit, hes got a lot of room to improve, blind praise leads to false idols

Dude, maintain your cool. No one ever said you didn't enjoy the show nor did anyone stop you from airing your views about the show. Although my response to L4 was not personally directed to you, it was a "tease' to his post, repeat a"tease", and I'm sure he did not take my response as serious as you did. Secondly, just because someone doesn't agree with your views on Prince's past/present choices of songs , during his shows/concerts, does not mean he is being "blindly praised" as there's always room for criticism and improvement. Nothing wrong with that. So chill. Geez.

fair enough

L4OATheOriginal said:

2elijah said:

Hey you, don't be so quick to worship.. The thing is, no fan is required to go to a show where they constantly complain about the same artist playing some of his hits, they don't want to hear. It's the fans that made those same hits, classics. So always expect you will hear some of those songs played at his shows. Besides, most of the time, many of those classics are not played the same way, when he does perform it.

I don't get some of these fans who complain to no end about the same thing, but next thing you know, they're running out to buy a ticket to his next show. Kind of defeats the seriousness of their (your) complaints when you do that.

That's kind of like someone complaining about a weekly tv show, but will still turn the channel to watch that same show, on a weekly basis and sometimes even taping it, so they won't miss it. Guess we'll see you on the 29th at his next show. I mean you did say you were going to be there in a few posts up on this thread...right? (Just messin' with ya!)

[Edited 12/19/10 16:29pm]

i haven't seen prince live since the musicology show 4 this one reason (and all props 2 estelle 81 while on the phone with her reading this post and i quote what she said) "if i made 2 pitchers of kool aid, one with less sugar and one with more sugar, is it still the same kool aid?" but i have heard almost every concert he's done since i have seen him tho so my musical ears are more open than the visual one. now yes musically a different arrangement can spice a song up or flatten it, but it's still the same song. Classics are not just "hits" there are classic songs like crucial, electric intercourse, still would stand all time, the question of u, and so forth that mean a lot 2 his fans that he doesn't do but instead he will constantly do 1999. the song that really made prince was when doves cry and he hardly does that song. if there are fans that can go 2 every show and never get tired of hearing him do let's go crazy, god bless u, it's just not me. i like 2 have spaghetti every now and then instead of my steak. i understand ur analogy of the tv show and u have a point, but not every episode is a masterpiece tho.

ever heard that live? i could play that every day.

lastdecember said:

2elijah said:

Hey you, don't be so quick to worship.. The thing is, no fan is required to go to a show where they constantly complain about the same artist playing some of his hits, they don't want to hear. It's the fans that made those same hits, classics. So always expect you will hear some of those songs played at his shows. Besides, most of the time, many of those classics are not played the same way, when he does perform it.

I don't get some of these fans who complain to no end about the same thing, but next thing you know, they're running out to buy a ticket to his next show. Kind of defeats the seriousness of their (your) complaints when you do that.

That's kind of like someone complaining about a weekly tv show, but will still turn the channel to watch that same show, on a weekly basis and sometimes even taping it, so they won't miss it. Guess we'll see you on the 29th at his next show. I mean you did say you were going to be there in a few posts up on this thread...right? (Just messin' with ya!)

[Edited 12/19/10 16:29pm]

How is it complaining? i mean i was not saying damn this bullshit i want my money back, im just saying that on top of his great musicianship and way that he does shows, which i pointed out once again, but some only read what they perceive as negative, im saying you got a lot of room to work with and artists dont owe fans certain songs, that goes for any artist. What im saying is that Prince shows that i have seen (yes 76) the man has continued to blow me away as a musician and showman, but there is something lacking in the variety of what he is playing. To say that if you have a complaint then dont go the next time is typical response when people dont read what is being said, i clearly never said i didnt enjoy the show, everything everyone said to glorify the show i do agree with, but to say there was a perfect night and nothing could be done to improve the tour? i mean come on now are we drinking that much kool aid. I mean i think Obama is a good president, but shit i'll be damned if i wont complain on alot of BS he's fucked up on already, that doesnt mean i wont vote for him or respect him, but shit, hes got a lot of room to improve, blind praise leads to false idols

in 1986 it was said that prince had 320 songs in the vault alone

1995 "welcome 2 the dawn there are over 500 experiences 2 choose from .." yet we're stuck with the same experiences over and over. i see what ur saying and ur post was very well sad as u look at the musician side of him which i do as well but it gets twisted cause ur not praising everything he does like he invented the wheel or pc by some

I am glad to hear the majority of you had a great time, especially all you virgins. I go to alot of concerts but there is nothing like a Prince show. Hope you are feeling better purplemookiebut.

purplemookiebut said:

danigirl06 said:

I had a lot of "first time" experiences these past few days. It was my first time to new york, first time putting faces to some of these amazing orgers, first time posting on the org and i had my prince cherry popped on december 18th...

going in with fresh eyes did me some good when i was herded in at 7:15 last night. the stage was amazing and i immediately felt sorry for those sitting in the vip section cause the stage was raised up over their heads. i went to the restroom, changed into my $40 prince t-shirt and sat down to talk to my feet and promise them those new pumps they'd been eyeing if they give me a painless night. shortly after 7:45ish sinbad came on stage and did his comedy bit. i must admit i was wondering how he was gonna work into the show but comics dont stop being funny just because they're not on t.v. anymore. the perfect impromptu ending to his act was when he couldn't find his way off the stage. then mr. graham came on...

(now let me preface this with saying i'm 22 years old and the fact that i have more respect for this musician than some of ya'll veterans is not cool, fact is i got to see the father of the thumpin n' picking wearing a white suit the way only black men over 50 can and watching him drop it like its hot once or twice) graham central station came on from the back of the garden in drum fanfare clad in blue silk and white ensembles. the set opened really strong with a little sag for me when it came to his ballads in the middle. when it was almost over larry walked up into the 40's and played bass for them. the energy was warming up a bit and by the time he brought sly and the family stone back to the future everyone was on their feet because regardless of how folks feel about mr. graham funky is funky and no one could deny it. GCS played down the stairs and back the way they came in playing an okie doke on the crowd while npg (prince included) got on the stage and started up everyday people. gcs came back to the stage and tore it up for that song and higher. prince was wearing that tall asymmetrical black hat pulled low with a cape letting it be known that he was jamming WITH gcs and trying not to take too much of the focus away (although a 5'2 man suddenly appearing in a cape and hat is hard to ignore but hey if u like it prince, i love it). for the remainder of the set i was blitzed with this funkdafied music and mr. graham was working that bass so hard i was getting a stomachache!

finally the moment i've been waiting for

sinbad walks onto the stage and introduces the baddest mo'fo to grace some silk panties while wetting yours PRINCE!!!!! the noise starts to blend together to sound like a child's scream in my ears and my mind is struggling to tell my mouth that if i don't take a breath in between screams i'll be passed out by the sixth bang of the kickdrum but the connection wasn't working. the stage is left completely dark and he starts into welcome 2 america. i thought the socially conscious song was a perfect intro considering the hype around the show and i hope to hear that one on wax. the dark stage made it that much better because you were forced to listen to his voice even though the true motivation was just to find out where the hell he was (he also did a coded shoutout to mj which was bomb). disco heat was up next, the ladies kicked their beautiful harmonies in high gear and the lights showed what that stage could really do. prince came up towards the end of the song and he jumped right into baby i'm a star. the energy shot up immediately, the aisles were filled with dancing people in a heartbeat and i was so intoxicated by the music that even the loudest-no-rythymist-talkinst-shittenist guy there stopped getting of my nerves. the opening for the beautiful ones followed, he hopped up on the piano, i repeat...hopped on the piano, and broke it down for misty copeland who was absolutely wonderful as usual as they went through a small choreographed dance that fit the song perfectly. the next several songs: let's go crazy, delirious, uptown, 1999, shhh, cream, cool and raspberry beret ran through in a blur that i can barely articulate in my own mind so i'll spare you the sporadic "it was the best...!" "i can't even..." "no his little ass didn't!" sentence starters. the next part of the show deserves its own paragraph

sheila e., sheila e., sheila e. i could stop there but its sheila e. just when i was starting to wonder when she would grace us with her drumsticks, npg kicks into u got the look and she rises from the stage (percussions included) and i actually think she got a bigger applause then prince or maybe that was just me. she rocked the stage in a way that made me forget about prince for a minute and i hoped that some little girl was in the audience watching this queen torturing those pour drums while wearing a gorgeous dress. ms. escovedo you are...u just are.

after giving away/throwing about four drumsticks sheila e. leaves the stage and nothing compares to u kicks in. now i've always felt that the best backup singer he's ever had was rosie gaines and shelby j has been creeping up on her recently. after this performance she standing right next to her. the interaction between prince and shelby j was phenomenal and purely music and friendship, a simple but potent combination. the stage lit up purple, tears fell like rain and i was finally going to hear one of the most recognizable songs on the planet live. all i could do was stand there and sway as he added a few extra minutes of the crooning call and response that fit the mood so well. good night everybody!

i don't know who he thought he was kidding when he left the stage after saying that but not a single person moved from their seat knowing he wasn't gonna leave it like that. the guitar lick from kiss came on and jesus christ i thought the roof was gonna pop off msg like burnt toast out the toaster. prince came back on in the now infamous red outfit ready to light all our asses on fire and did not disappoint. towards the end of the song just the bass line from the song was highlighted and prince freezes and starts popping his chest. WTH! is he? naw! what the? he is!!! dancing his butt off! the best description was cuttin a rug, all he needed was the suspenders from lovesexy to hold while he swung his hips around and it would have been complete. everyone froze while he broke it down to the 12" version and all i could think was i need to get him in funky club cause those moves was too fly to end on that stage.

the final encore of love bizarre as been talking about to death so imagine me pressing skip on the cassette player...

cut to: me roaming around msg looking for people dressed in purple to find out about the afterparty leading to a very interesting night...

highlights/setting u straight:

sus: i know prince catalog pretty well meaning i'm not a singles fan and i completely understood why he played all hits because in that one night he would have lost an entire generation had he played the jams we love.

h: when he called out the youngsters for not knowing uptown by the intro

sus: he did expect for each band member he called out in the show to have a spotlight especially hayes during his solo but the techs screwed that up. first he told them to put the light on after they were late, then you can see him yelling at the tech on the side of the stage to hurry then forget it cause the solo was over

h: when shelby j got the drop on him during nothing compares to u, his reaction to that was funny to me

h: the interaction between prince/sheila and prince/shelby j was so cool. between prince and shelby holding hands and breaking out in dance and he and sheila e working the stage so comfortably together it was truly a sight to behold.

sus: ain't nothing wrong with that man's hip the way he was working it last night! he barely sat still

and thank you for that

h: when sheila put some pants on! now down get me wrong she looked beyond great but the dress was constraining her in a way that made me want to cry. it was like patti labelle wearing tennis shoes, i need to see some flying hair, funky moves and legs kicking unrestrained when she comes on!

h: the band. nuff said.

h: watching whoopi and dr. west linked up and grooving down the stage lol

h: putting a face to some of the amazing orgers, roaming around harlem at midnight looking for the aftershow and rolling in 20 deep to someones party for a great time courtesy of banks. muchos kudos to everyone i met last night u truly made an already amazing night unforgettable.

geez writing these things is exhausting. peace.

that hat and cape were so cool. larry's bass plays blew me away. prince really tore it up last night. what a show.

then bank's friends house party and banks house for the detriot bday party concert dvd....what a great night...

the red outfit

and i loved ur reaction 2 the detroit show ..spank bank material

2elijah said:

lastdecember said:

How is it complaining? i mean i was not saying damn this bullshit i want my money back, im just saying that on top of his great musicianship and way that he does shows, which i pointed out once again, but some only read what they perceive as negative, im saying you got a lot of room to work with and artists dont owe fans certain songs, that goes for any artist. What im saying is that Prince shows that i have seen (yes 76) the man has continued to blow me away as a musician and showman, but there is something lacking in the variety of what he is playing. To say that if you have a complaint then dont go the next time is typical response when people dont read what is being said, i clearly never said i didnt enjoy the show, everything everyone said to glorify the show i do agree with, but to say there was a perfect night and nothing could be done to improve the tour? i mean come on now are we drinking that much kool aid. I mean i think Obama is a good president, but shit i'll be damned if i wont complain on alot of BS he's fucked up on already, that doesnt mean i wont vote for him or respect him, but shit, hes got a lot of room to improve, blind praise leads to false idols

Dude, maintain your cool. No one ever said you didn't enjoy the show nor did anyone stop you from airing your views about the show or Prince's choices of songs. Although my response to L4 was not personally directed to you, it was a "tease' to L4's post, repeat a"tease", and I'm sure he did not take my response as serious as you did. Secondly, just because someone doesn't agree with your views on Prince's past/present choices of songs, does not mean he is being "blindly praised", by those that don't agree with your point of view, as there's always room for criticism and improvement. Nothing wrong with that. So chill and enjoy the rest of your evening. Geez.

[Edited 12/19/10 17:47pm]

u hurt my feelings ..so 2 make it 2 me ur gonna have 2 recite the whole GB movie 2 me naw i never take this personal cause at the end of the day some will choose 2 listen 2 purple rain or watch that movie and i'll be the one listening 2 la la la he he hee and watching utcm

purplemookiebut said:

L4OATheOriginal said:

i haven't seen prince live since the musicology show 4 this one reason (and all props 2 estelle 81 while on the phone with her reading this post and i quote what she said) "if i made 2 pitchers of kool aid, one with less sugar and one with more sugar, is it still the same kool aid?" but i have heard almost every concert he's done since i have seen him tho so my musical ears are more open than the visual one. now yes musically a different arrangement can spice a song up or flatten it, but it's still the same song. Classics are not just "hits" there are classic songs like crucial, electric intercourse, still would stand all time, the question of u, and so forth that mean a lot 2 his fans that he doesn't do but instead he will constantly do 1999. the song that really made prince was when doves cry and he hardly does that song. if there are fans that can go 2 every show and never get tired of hearing him do let's go crazy, god bless u, it's just not me. i like 2 have spaghetti every now and then instead of my steak. i understand ur analogy of the tv show and u have a point, but not every episode is a masterpiece tho.

ever heard that live? i could play that every day.

only the versions that others have heard

L4OATheOriginal said:

lastdecember said:

Thing is there is no rule when it comes to shows and what an artist has to play, its that simple. I dont buy into the notion that he HAS TO DO hits, no artist has to do anything but show up to the venue, whether you paid 15 dollars or 1500 it doesnt mean U get a certain show, so i have never understood that whole "well they have to play hits to satisfy" the people already paid, u can go out there and sing the phonebook backwards and tough S*** to everyone. So my only complaints on this run of shows has been the "set list" i realize his time is reduced due too guests, thats fair, i just feel that he was someone that championed "not treading water" and he always has been doing that in new ways. So im not hatin, im just saying that with all the music hes got, to limit himself to certain ones over and over, for a few tours now, its getting a little played. Musicology was the supposed retirement of the same songs he has been pulling out at every show since that tour, so what gives?

x two.

I was there last night in Section 21. I'm sorry, but that show was not worth the $200 price tag. Before the 'You're a hater' and 'You're not a fan' nonsense talk starts, I'm going to say my peace. I am a fan, such a dedicated fan that when I couldn't get my floor tickets from Ticketmaster, I went on eBay and paid an extra $60 for those floor seats. I had to be on the floor but after what I saw, I wish I had just gotten cheaper tickets in the higher up section. Everything that lastdecember just said is spot on and the damn truth and a REAL Prince fan would understand this point of view and agree with it. I'm critical of this man because I KNOW he's a real musician and soo much better than what he handed us last night. I also KNOW how powerful and fantastic his catalog is. It's extremely disappointing to see him reduce himself to the role of an aging rockstar who just plays the hits that fair-weather fans like just to stay relevant and popular with the general public.

A true Prince fan should want to hear the unexpected jams that only a true fan would know just as much as they want to hear the hits that made him famous. I can walk up to any random person on the street and ask them to name one Prince song and I'm pretty sure PR or RB are going to be the first ones mentioned. Having to constantly hear the hits starts to take away their magic (well, not RB's because I've always hated that song JMHPO). I used to love PR but now I'm over it. I know it's his signature song; but, come on, surprise us once and not play it and people probably wouldn't be all that pissed it wasn't there in the long run.

It just saddens me to see him not play more songs from his amazing body of work that aren't the pop hits that everybody knows. It cheapens his legacy to me and that's heartbreaking because he's soo much better than just PR. Last night, he had the amazing opportunity to share with thousands of new and old fans what he's been doing since the "Musicology" Tour. From '04 to now, he's released 5 albums of solid material. I find it hard to believe that he couldn't do a show with a sprinkling of old material and a healthy helping of songs from these 5 albums to give to us last night. I don't have to insult him because he insulted himself with that setlist. He once said that his songs are like his children. Well, I guess he has a lot of red-headed, bastard step kids that he likes to keep locked in the basement because he definitely isn't respecting his songs equally by choosing to play the same songs over and over again and that's soo sad to me.

Plus, by playing songs from his newer albums, he had a chance to re-introduce himself to those who think that he stopped making new music after TGE album. There are hundreds of copies of 'LotusFlower' just sitting on the shelves at Target with a $4.95 price sticker on them and he could have helped himself by playing a few songs from that album and potentially increasing that album's sales, but for some reason, he just didn't look at that as being important last night. If he wants to keep sharing his money with WB by selling the hits to his new and old fans, more power to him. We all know the hits and respect them, but just because there is respect for them doesn't mean you have to love them when they get played over and over and over again.

I loved his energy and seeing him dancing and having a good time was awesome. He played the songs wonderfully. The only problems I had with the show was the setlist and him not allowing all VIPs onto the stage because I know for a fact that all the people sitting at those VIP tables were not just celebrities. If those were the people he was trying to impress the most than good for them and they need to invest in his newer material and make him play more of it next time. Everything else was great. Beautiful stage, nice outfits, Sheila brought it, Prince did his thing, Shelby worked it out and John Blackwell.... I think I was almost more excited to see him than Prince for a while there. Loved 'Shh', 'Nothing Compares 2 U', and 'Uptown' the most.

Honestly if I hadn't gotten the honor of having a pre-show meetup with such amazing Prince fans and then going to an awesome aftershow house party with them, I would be super pissed for having spent that $260 but the night as a whole made it money well spent. I'll remember the beginning and end more than the middle which is sad, but Prince made the beginning and the end possible so I'm not mad at him. All just my

The stage is breathtaking!!!!!! Thx ?questlove.....Prince should get best stage design...

[Edited 12/19/10 18:27pm]

Seems to me that if he is shortening his performance time due to these multiple opening acts, here is an idea, CUT THOSE BACK! Or start earlier and maybe on time. From previous posts, there are people out there who are excited to see some of these folks that he is promoting or whatever, but most of the folks come to see a Prince concert so if the fact that Lala whover and Maceo are having opening sets which are taking up too much time then cut it to one per night and give the folks who and what they really came and paid for.

As far as fatigue about the setlist, congrats to him for doing full versions but I think most folks understand the staples that need to be played but some of the other choices of secondary hits could be adjusted. As dramatic as SHHH is, why is that a concert standard now over even say The Beautiful Ones of some other powerful ballad. I don't believe the casual fan knows SHHH so if that is the case and this kind of song is for the hard core folks then mix it up, play Empty Room or something, you have full creative license if you are playing this for us "freaks". Maybe take some time to introduce a couple of songs from 2010 and play those, but verbally introduce the new songs to the crowd and they may adjust their ability to hear something new and it may spark some interest but don't just blindly play brand new stuff as folks won't even know what it is of where it came from. There are very easy ways for him to make this tour and any tour maximally enjoyable for the hard core folks as well as the casual "Purple Rain" fans. Also, I thinks shows in NYC, LA are always tough on us fans cuz I always feel like he goes out of his way to impress and cater to celebrities who many are there just to be seen.

For those who completly enjoyed this show, I could not be happier for you and the time you had but it just seems that some of the concerns voiced were valid. Hope he is listening, haha and tweaks the show and prepares to take it across the country!!!

danigirl06 said:

I had a lot of "first time" experiences these past few days. It was my first time to new york, first time putting faces to some of these amazing orgers, first time posting on the org and i had my prince cherry popped on december 18th...

going in with fresh eyes did me some good when i was herded in at 7:15 last night. the stage was amazing and i immediately felt sorry for those sitting in the vip section cause the stage was raised up over their heads. i went to the restroom, changed into my $40 prince t-shirt and sat down to talk to my feet and promise them those new pumps they'd been eyeing if they give me a painless night. shortly after 7:45ish sinbad came on stage and did his comedy bit. i must admit i was wondering how he was gonna work into the show but comics dont stop being funny just because they're not on t.v. anymore. the perfect impromptu ending to his act was when he couldn't find his way off the stage. then mr. graham came on...

(now let me preface this with saying i'm 22 years old and the fact that i have more respect for this musician than some of ya'll veterans is not cool, fact is i got to see the father of the thumpin n' picking wearing a white suit the way only black men over 50 can and watching him drop it like its hot once or twice) graham central station came on from the back of the garden in drum fanfare clad in blue silk and white ensembles. the set opened really strong with a little sag for me when it came to his ballads in the middle. when it was almost over larry walked up into the 40's and played bass for them. the energy was warming up a bit and by the time he brought sly and the family stone back to the future everyone was on their feet because regardless of how folks feel about mr. graham funky is funky and no one could deny it. GCS played down the stairs and back the way they came in playing an okie doke on the crowd while npg (prince included) got on the stage and started up everyday people. gcs came back to the stage and tore it up for that song and higher. prince was wearing that tall asymmetrical black hat pulled low with a cape letting it be known that he was jamming WITH gcs and trying not to take too much of the focus away (although a 5'2 man suddenly appearing in a cape and hat is hard to ignore but hey if u like it prince, i love it). for the remainder of the set i was blitzed with this funkdafied music and mr. graham was working that bass so hard i was getting a stomachache!

finally the moment i've been waiting for

sinbad walks onto the stage and introduces the baddest mo'fo to grace some silk panties while wetting yours PRINCE!!!!! the noise starts to blend together to sound like a child's scream in my ears and my mind is struggling to tell my mouth that if i don't take a breath in between screams i'll be passed out by the sixth bang of the kickdrum but the connection wasn't working. the stage is left completely dark and he starts into welcome 2 america. i thought the socially conscious song was a perfect intro considering the hype around the show and i hope to hear that one on wax. the dark stage made it that much better because you were forced to listen to his voice even though the true motivation was just to find out where the hell he was (he also did a coded shoutout to mj which was bomb). disco heat was up next, the ladies kicked their beautiful harmonies in high gear and the lights showed what that stage could really do. prince came up towards the end of the song and he jumped right into baby i'm a star. the energy shot up immediately, the aisles were filled with dancing people in a heartbeat and i was so intoxicated by the music that even the loudest-no-rythymist-talkinst-shittenist guy there stopped getting of my nerves. the opening for the beautiful ones followed, he hopped up on the piano, i repeat...hopped on the piano, and broke it down for misty copeland who was absolutely wonderful as usual as they went through a small choreographed dance that fit the song perfectly. the next several songs: let's go crazy, delirious, uptown, 1999, shhh, cream, cool and raspberry beret ran through in a blur that i can barely articulate in my own mind so i'll spare you the sporadic "it was the best...!" "i can't even..." "no his little ass didn't!" sentence starters. the next part of the show deserves its own paragraph

sheila e., sheila e., sheila e. i could stop there but its sheila e. just when i was starting to wonder when she would grace us with her drumsticks, npg kicks into u got the look and she rises from the stage (percussions included) and i actually think she got a bigger applause then prince or maybe that was just me. she rocked the stage in a way that made me forget about prince for a minute and i hoped that some little girl was in the audience watching this queen torturing those pour drums while wearing a gorgeous dress. ms. escovedo you are...u just are.

after giving away/throwing about four drumsticks sheila e. leaves the stage and nothing compares to u kicks in. now i've always felt that the best backup singer he's ever had was rosie gaines and shelby j has been creeping up on her recently. after this performance she standing right next to her. the interaction between prince and shelby j was phenomenal and purely music and friendship, a simple but potent combination. the stage lit up purple, tears fell like rain and i was finally going to hear one of the most recognizable songs on the planet live. all i could do was stand there and sway as he added a few extra minutes of the crooning call and response that fit the mood so well. good night everybody!

i don't know who he thought he was kidding when he left the stage after saying that but not a single person moved from their seat knowing he wasn't gonna leave it like that. the guitar lick from kiss came on and jesus christ i thought the roof was gonna pop off msg like burnt toast out the toaster. prince came back on in the now infamous red outfit ready to light all our asses on fire and did not disappoint. towards the end of the song just the bass line from the song was highlighted and prince freezes and starts popping his chest. WTH! is he? naw! what the? he is!!! dancing his butt off! the best description was cuttin a rug, all he needed was the suspenders from lovesexy to hold while he swung his hips around and it would have been complete. everyone froze while he broke it down to the 12" version and all i could think was i need to get him in funky club cause those moves was too fly to end on that stage.

the final encore of love bizarre as been talking about to death so imagine me pressing skip on the cassette player...

cut to: me roaming around msg looking for people dressed in purple to find out about the afterparty leading to a very interesting night...

highlights/setting u straight:

sus: i know prince catalog pretty well meaning i'm not a singles fan and i completely understood why he played all hits because in that one night he would have lost an entire generation had he played the jams we love.

h: when he called out the youngsters for not knowing uptown by the intro

sus: he did expect for each band member he called out in the show to have a spotlight especially hayes during his solo but the techs screwed that up. first he told them to put the light on after they were late, then you can see him yelling at the tech on the side of the stage to hurry then forget it cause the solo was over

h: when shelby j got the drop on him during nothing compares to u, his reaction to that was funny to me

h: the interaction between prince/sheila and prince/shelby j was so cool. between prince and shelby holding hands and breaking out in dance and he and sheila e working the stage so comfortably together it was truly a sight to behold.

sus: ain't nothing wrong with that man's hip the way he was working it last night! he barely sat still

and thank you for that

h: when sheila put some pants on! now down get me wrong she looked beyond great but the dress was constraining her in a way that made me want to cry. it was like patti labelle wearing tennis shoes, i need to see some flying hair, funky moves and legs kicking unrestrained when she comes on!

h: the band. nuff said.

h: watching whoopi and dr. west linked up and grooving down the stage lol

h: putting a face to some of the amazing orgers, roaming around harlem at midnight looking for the aftershow and rolling in 20 deep to someones party for a great time courtesy of banks. muchos kudos to everyone i met last night u truly made an already amazing night unforgettable.

geez writing these things is exhausting. peace.

Hey girl! I didn't get your number last night after the house party. Orgnote me when you get a chance.

danigirl06 said:

I had a lot of "first time" experiences these past few days. It was my first time to new york, first time putting faces to some of these amazing orgers, first time posting on the org and i had my prince cherry popped on december 18th...

going in with fresh eyes did me some good when i was herded in at 7:15 last night. the stage was amazing and i immediately felt sorry for those sitting in the vip section cause the stage was raised up over their heads. i went to the restroom, changed into my $40 prince t-shirt and sat down to talk to my feet and promise them those new pumps they'd been eyeing if they give me a painless night. shortly after 7:45ish sinbad came on stage and did his comedy bit. i must admit i was wondering how he was gonna work into the show but comics dont stop being funny just because they're not on t.v. anymore. the perfect impromptu ending to his act was when he couldn't find his way off the stage. then mr. graham came on...

(now let me preface this with saying i'm 22 years old and the fact that i have more respect for this musician than some of ya'll veterans is not cool, fact is i got to see the father of the thumpin n' picking wearing a white suit the way only black men over 50 can and watching him drop it like its hot once or twice) graham central station came on from the back of the garden in drum fanfare clad in blue silk and white ensembles. the set opened really strong with a little sag for me when it came to his ballads in the middle. when it was almost over larry walked up into the 40's and played bass for them. the energy was warming up a bit and by the time he brought sly and the family stone back to the future everyone was on their feet because regardless of how folks feel about mr. graham funky is funky and no one could deny it. GCS played down the stairs and back the way they came in playing an okie doke on the crowd while npg (prince included) got on the stage and started up everyday people. gcs came back to the stage and tore it up for that song and higher. prince was wearing that tall asymmetrical black hat pulled low with a cape letting it be known that he was jamming WITH gcs and trying not to take too much of the focus away (although a 5'2 man suddenly appearing in a cape and hat is hard to ignore but hey if u like it prince, i love it). for the remainder of the set i was blitzed with this funkdafied music and mr. graham was working that bass so hard i was getting a stomachache!

finally the moment i've been waiting for

sinbad walks onto the stage and introduces the baddest mo'fo to grace some silk panties while wetting yours PRINCE!!!!! the noise starts to blend together to sound like a child's scream in my ears and my mind is struggling to tell my mouth that if i don't take a breath in between screams i'll be passed out by the sixth bang of the kickdrum but the connection wasn't working. the stage is left completely dark and he starts into welcome 2 america. i thought the socially conscious song was a perfect intro considering the hype around the show and i hope to hear that one on wax. the dark stage made it that much better because you were forced to listen to his voice even though the true motivation was just to find out where the hell he was (he also did a coded shoutout to mj which was bomb). disco heat was up next, the ladies kicked their beautiful harmonies in high gear and the lights showed what that stage could really do. prince came up towards the end of the song and he jumped right into baby i'm a star. the energy shot up immediately, the aisles were filled with dancing people in a heartbeat and i was so intoxicated by the music that even the loudest-no-rythymist-talkinst-shittenist guy there stopped getting of my nerves. the opening for the beautiful ones followed, he hopped up on the piano, i repeat...hopped on the piano, and broke it down for misty copeland who was absolutely wonderful as usual as they went through a small choreographed dance that fit the song perfectly. the next several songs: let's go crazy, delirious, uptown, 1999, shhh, cream, cool and raspberry beret ran through in a blur that i can barely articulate in my own mind so i'll spare you the sporadic "it was the best...!" "i can't even..." "no his little ass didn't!" sentence starters. the next part of the show deserves its own paragraph

sheila e., sheila e., sheila e. i could stop there but its sheila e. just when i was starting to wonder when she would grace us with her drumsticks, npg kicks into u got the look and she rises from the stage (percussions included) and i actually think she got a bigger applause then prince or maybe that was just me. she rocked the stage in a way that made me forget about prince for a minute and i hoped that some little girl was in the audience watching this queen torturing those pour drums while wearing a gorgeous dress. ms. escovedo you are...u just are.

after giving away/throwing about four drumsticks sheila e. leaves the stage and nothing compares to u kicks in. now i've always felt that the best backup singer he's ever had was rosie gaines and shelby j has been creeping up on her recently. after this performance she standing right next to her. the interaction between prince and shelby j was phenomenal and purely music and friendship, a simple but potent combination. the stage lit up purple, tears fell like rain and i was finally going to hear one of the most recognizable songs on the planet live. all i could do was stand there and sway as he added a few extra minutes of the crooning call and response that fit the mood so well. good night everybody!

i don't know who he thought he was kidding when he left the stage after saying that but not a single person moved from their seat knowing he wasn't gonna leave it like that. the guitar lick from kiss came on and jesus christ i thought the roof was gonna pop off msg like burnt toast out the toaster. prince came back on in the now infamous red outfit ready to light all our asses on fire and did not disappoint. towards the end of the song just the bass line from the song was highlighted and prince freezes and starts popping his chest. WTH! is he? naw! what the? he is!!! dancing his butt off! the best description was cuttin a rug, all he needed was the suspenders from lovesexy to hold while he swung his hips around and it would have been complete. everyone froze while he broke it down to the 12" version and all i could think was i need to get him in funky club cause those moves was too fly to end on that stage.

the final encore of love bizarre as been talking about to death so imagine me pressing skip on the cassette player...

cut to: me roaming around msg looking for people dressed in purple to find out about the afterparty leading to a very interesting night...

highlights/setting u straight:

sus: i know prince catalog pretty well meaning i'm not a singles fan and i completely understood why he played all hits because in that one night he would have lost an entire generation had he played the jams we love.

h: when he called out the youngsters for not knowing uptown by the intro

sus: he did expect for each band member he called out in the show to have a spotlight especially hayes during his solo but the techs screwed that up. first he told them to put the light on after they were late, then you can see him yelling at the tech on the side of the stage to hurry then forget it cause the solo was over

h: when shelby j got the drop on him during nothing compares to u, his reaction to that was funny to me

h: the interaction between prince/sheila and prince/shelby j was so cool. between prince and shelby holding hands and breaking out in dance and he and sheila e working the stage so comfortably together it was truly a sight to behold.

sus: ain't nothing wrong with that man's hip the way he was working it last night! he barely sat still

and thank you for that

h: when sheila put some pants on! now down get me wrong she looked beyond great but the dress was constraining her in a way that made me want to cry. it was like patti labelle wearing tennis shoes, i need to see some flying hair, funky moves and legs kicking unrestrained when she comes on!

h: the band. nuff said.

h: watching whoopi and dr. west linked up and grooving down the stage lol

h: putting a face to some of the amazing orgers, roaming around harlem at midnight looking for the aftershow and rolling in 20 deep to someones party for a great time courtesy of banks. muchos kudos to everyone i met last night u truly made an already amazing night unforgettable.

geez writing these things is exhausting. peace.

I.Love.It...thank u soooo much for sharing!

rmartin70 said:

I am glad to hear the majority of you had a great time, especially all you virgins. I go to alot of concerts but there is nothing like a Prince show. Hope you are feeling better purplemookiebut.

yes i am thanks. hopefully i can finally eat normal again after 4 days of barely anything. hoping the ulcer isn't flared up for the 2 upcoming shows. i'd really like to ACTUALLY EAT at a resturant meetup instead of just sitting there talking to all of you like i have been. this isn't like me normally.

damn ulcer

L4OATheOriginal said:

purplemookiebut said:

that hat and cape were so cool. larry's bass plays blew me away. prince really tore it up last night. what a show.

then bank's friends house party and banks house for the detriot bday party concert dvd....what a great night...

the red outfit

and i loved ur reaction 2 the detroit show ..spank bank material

thats a line from one of my fave movies 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. i'm a big heath ledger fan. the one character in the movie was commenting about a hot girl he was crushing on high school and his friend was saying oh she's untouchable and not on your level. so just put the image in your spank bank for later use...

L4OATheOriginal said:

purplemookiebut said:

grrr...shows vampire fangs at getxxxx

L4OATheOriginal was awesome to meet yesterday. he stayed talking with me for 40 mins at penn station till my train came !

it was my pleasure hun:) gotta meet up again on the 29th

for sure!

purplemookiebut said:

L4OATheOriginal said:

and i loved ur reaction 2 the detroit show ..spank bank material

thats a line from one of my fave movies 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. i'm a big heath ledger fan. the one character in the movie was commenting about a hot girl he was crushing on high school and his friend was saying oh she's untouchable and not on your level. so just put the image in your spank bank for later use...

Omg..that's too funny.... just had to say I loved that line too purplemookiebut...used it while I was a teen.. alot..

4everyours said:

Seems to me that if he is shortening his performance time due to these multiple opening acts, here is an idea, CUT THOSE BACK! Or start earlier and maybe on time. From previous posts, there are people out there who are excited to see some of these folks that he is promoting or whatever, but most of the folks come to see a Prince concert so if the fact that Lala whover and Maceo are having opening sets which are taking up too much time then cut it to one per night and give the folks who and what they really came and paid for.

As far as fatigue about the setlist, congrats to him for doing full versions but I think most folks understand the staples that need to be played but some of the other choices of secondary hits could be adjusted. As dramatic as SHHH is, why is that a concert standard now over even say The Beautiful Ones of some other powerful ballad. I don't believe the casual fan knows SHHH so if that is the case and this kind of song is for the hard core folks then mix it up, play Empty Room or something, you have full creative license if you are playing this for us "freaks". Maybe take some time to introduce a couple of songs from 2010 and play those, but verbally introduce the new songs to the crowd and they may adjust their ability to hear something new and it may spark some interest but don't just blindly play brand new stuff as folks won't even know what it is of where it came from. There are very easy ways for him to make this tour and any tour maximally enjoyable for the hard core folks as well as the casual "Purple Rain" fans. Also, I thinks shows in NYC, LA are always tough on us fans cuz I always feel like he goes out of his way to impress and cater to celebrities who many are there just to be seen.

For those who completly enjoyed this show, I could not be happier for you and the time you had but it just seems that some of the concerns voiced were valid. Hope he is listening, haha and tweaks the show and prepares to take it across the country!!!

well he did open with a great new song called welcome2america

lavender1983 said:

purplemookiebut said:

thats a line from one of my fave movies 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU. i'm a big heath ledger fan. the one character in the movie was commenting about a hot girl he was crushing on high school and his friend was saying oh she's untouchable and not on your level. so just put the image in your spank bank for later use...

Omg..that's too funny.... just had to say I loved that line too purplemookiebut...used it while I was a teen.. alot..

yes its certainly a much nicer way to say it then saying think of that next time you masturbate