BigAudio said:

Neli said:

Agreed - fantastic pic! But I don't recognise the bass - it looks severely beat up...

The bass is Rhonda's. Prince grabbed it from her

No, it's Ida's. Rhonda is not in the band anymore. He grabbed the bass from Ida, did a lil bit of soloing (nothing too flashy) while she stood in her spot and clapped, and then he handed it back.

souleyvegan said:

Wow, I finally get to post! I was sitting in section 113 club on Wed., the side of the stage Prince threw his guitar into the audience and Prince looked apprehensive to throw his guitar in. I noticed the dude who gets paid to catch his guitar was not on point all night. I think Prince wanted to throw it to the roadie, but he wasn't there cuz Prince stalled and did like a one, two, three before he actually released his guitar. The look on his face was like, Fuck it. The VIP section went crazy and we could see from our seats that someone was getting beat down... like WHOAH!

There was another time when Prince had to gesture (moving his head like 'bring my guitar up now') FOUR times before the roadie brought it up on stage.

Dude, that's your only job, follow Prince and catch his guitar! You're getting paid to do that! SHoooot, I'll take his job and I won't let Prince down!

Overall, the show was AMAZING!! I agree the Little Red Corvette was a highlight, GORGEOUS version with beautiful guitar. The red lighting added to the drama, which is why we love Prince.

And, what doesn't need to be said, is COTDAMN PRINCE IS STILL A SEXY MF!!!!!!!!!!!! It's like ridiculous how sexy that man is,even more so in real life. Sheila E is like the luckiest woman to be able to have the relationship she has with Prince. I think she's smart to stick to the music, because that's the only way a woman can really stay in that man's life it seems to me.

Also, I love the LOVE that and RESPECT the Oakland got.....cuz we deserve it yall!!!

Yeah, did you hear him say "Come on, man!" like three times?? I kept looking in the direction he was gesturing and there was NO ONE to be found. When that guy FINALLY climbed the stairs and gave him the guitar, he didn't even get off the stage correctly. He stood up there for a hot second and was right in the view of the cameras. He was trippin that night.

Yeah, did you hear him say "Come on, man!" like three times?? I kept looking in the direction he was gesturing and there was NO ONE to be found. When that guy FINALLY climbed the stairs and gave him the guitar, he didn't even get off the stage correctly. He stood up there for a hot second and was right in the view of the cameras. He was trippin that night.

For REAL!! Prince was being real patient with that man...

souleyvegan said:

Yeah, did you hear him say "Come on, man!" like three times?? I kept looking in the direction he was gesturing and there was NO ONE to be found. When that guy FINALLY climbed the stairs and gave him the guitar, he didn't even get off the stage correctly. He stood up there for a hot second and was right in the view of the cameras. He was trippin that night.

For REAL!! Prince was being real patient with that man...

You know that man is fired now. If not fired, he is in the doghouse. With all the press this is getting? P does not play behind the scenes with people messin' up his game.

Spinlight said:

BigAudio said:

The bass is Rhonda's. Prince grabbed it from her

No, it's Ida's. Rhonda is not in the band anymore. He grabbed the bass from Ida, did a lil bit of soloing (nothing too flashy) while she stood in her spot and clapped, and then he handed it back.

Exactly! correct that person...........

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Spinlight said:

No, it's Ida's. Rhonda is not in the band anymore. He grabbed the bass from Ida, did a lil bit of soloing (nothing too flashy) while she stood in her spot and clapped, and then he handed it back.

Exactly! correct that person...........

Didn't know she was not in the band anymore. She looked the same from my seats.

BigAudio said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Exactly! correct that person...........

Didn't know she was not in the band anymore. She looked the same from my seats.

No problem...

http://www.flickr.com/pho...478249982/

serpan99 said:

http://www.flickr.com/pho...478249982/

This man is the most

Captivating,

Creative,

Gift from God.

serpan99 said:

http://www.flickr.com/pho...478249982/

Those b&w photos are phenomenal - thank you for posting the link!!

Chiquetet said:

serpan99 said:

http://www.flickr.com/pho...478249982/

Those b&w photos are phenomenal - thank you for posting the link!!

Ur welcome...here's another nice set:

http://www.flickr.com/pho...477871395/

serpan99 said:

http://www.flickr.com/pho...478249982/

Prince is very photogenic . He can have another career as a high fashion runway model...

serpan99 said:

http://www.flickr.com/pho...478249982/

Wow! Love your pictures!! Do you mind if I share this link around?

Not to be rude but you must be blind and deaf.

Rhonda was hotter and a groove miester.

BigAudio said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Exactly! correct that person...........

Didn't know she was not in the band anymore. She looked the same from my seats.

DJLOS said:

Not to be rude but you must be blind and deaf.

Rhonda was hotter and a groove miester.

BigAudio said:

Didn't know she was not in the band anymore. She looked the same from my seats.

Well i was in the last row up top and the sound was crap up there. Also the last time i saw Rhonda was in 97. The new bassist lookes similar to me. Not to be rude but fuck you.

serpan99 said:

Chiquetet said:

Those b&w photos are phenomenal - thank you for posting the link!!

Ur welcome...here's another nice set:

http://www.flickr.com/pho...477871395/

Serpan99 thanks for those awesome shots!! What kind of camera did you use? (Cuz if those are from an iPhone that's friggin' unreal!!)

RenHoek said:

serpan99 said:

Ur welcome...here's another nice set:

http://www.flickr.com/pho...477871395/

Serpan99 thanks for those awesome shots!! What kind of camera did you use? (Cuz if those are from an iPhone that's friggin' unreal!!)

The black and white pics with a Panasonic DMC-ZS3 and the other set is with a Nikon D3100. I didn't take these pics myself though

serpan99 said:

RenHoek said:

Serpan99 thanks for those awesome shots!! What kind of camera did you use? (Cuz if those are from an iPhone that's friggin' unreal!!)

The black and white pics with a Panasonic DMC-ZS3 and the other set is with a Nikon D3100. I didn't take these pics myself though

Did U attend these shows & why do U make spotty appearances here now?????????????????????

BigAudio said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Exactly! correct that person...........

Didn't know she was not in the band anymore. She looked the same from my seats.

Seriously??? Rhonda and Ida look nothing alike....RS is short and a lil' curvy; darker in skin tone; Ida is tall, thin, and lighter.

serpan99 said:

RenHoek said:

Serpan99 thanks for those awesome shots!! What kind of camera did you use? (Cuz if those are from an iPhone that's friggin' unreal!!)

The black and white pics with a Panasonic DMC-ZS3 and the other set is with a Nikon D3100. I didn't take these pics myself though

Ah... I see, but seriously, thanks for sharing!!

RenHoek said:

STOP TWEETING & BE HERE!

Does anyone have any audio from this show?

I was just thinking about how happy Prince seemed at these shows, like he's in a good place right now...his energy was light and playful. Comparing this with some live footage from Purple Rain tours, which were super intense and heavy.....

"From Sheila E and Me....Thank You Oakland!!!"

souleyvegan said:

Does anyone have any audio from this show?

I was just thinking about how happy Prince seemed at these shows, like he's in a good place right now...his energy was light and playful. Comparing this with some live footage from Purple Rain tours, which were super intense and heavy.....

"From Sheila E and Me....Thank You Oakland!!!"

That's what I want to know as well.

Like someone else said, I finally can post on here...

I have been lurking here for awhile, taking it all in. It is funny to me reading the reviews and comments in here, as I have been a long time fan of Prince, I first saw him live at Sam's in March 1981 and have seen him live at least 50 times (not counting rehearsals, sound checks and noodling around at some long forgotten party), though only twice since 1990 (Aug. 5. 1997 and Feb 23, 2011).

I have had two great musical loves in my life, Prince and the Grateful Dead, having seen the Dead 100's of times. I always argued about the spiritual connection between Prince's music+crowd and the Dead's. Well, the thing I found so amusing in these posts here is the similarity between them and what I use to hear and hate to admit, say myself, after GD concerts. You people are as whiny, bitchy and complaining as any Deadheads I have known. I say that with a smile. The funny thing is, every single Deadhead I know, who ever came out of a show complaining about an average set list or even worse, the one's who would just look at a set list and brush a show off, would give anything to be able to go see Jerry and the boys play that same average set list just one more time. Keep in mind that one day, one of these shows will be Prince's last and the book closes.

I enjoyed the the show on the 23rd very much. I had what I thought were great seats, Sec. 109, tucked in the corner in front of the point on the side where he threw the guitar. I danced like it was going to be the last time. I cherished every moment of seeing him again.

I have a long history and unique shared memories with Prince. I wondered to myself when he started playing Purple Rain, was there anyone else in the building besides Prince and myself who were there the first time he played it live at the now famous Benefit Concert in Aug. 1983? I had a couple of tears well up, remembering the day we (and I was lucky enough to have gotten a small character extra role, not because of talent, or being cool or anything having to do with me, just because I was friends with someone in his band back then who was a really great person) filmed Purple Rain and the real tears on people's faces in the crowd who had never heard it before. And that's the thing, really, so many of us have so many memories that involve his music and our lives. I was lucky to be in what I think was the right place, at the right time and be the right age and be just ridiculous enough to think I was cool enough to belong there, all those years ago.

But the show to me was not an evening with the "Beach Boys" surfing down memory lane. There was freshness in the old songs. There was a sense of enthusiasm in every note he played. He was Billy Pilgrim from Slaughter House Five, tripping through time.

I think I enjoyed seeing Prince and Sheila, the genuine affection, musical respect and appreciation they have for each other the most.

I have seen Prince play in dozens of cities and I can easily say that no place I have ever seen him play had as much energy as Oakland did that night. What a fantastic crowd. He was loving every minute of it. A crowd so in tune with him.

OK, Larry Graham, what an ego. His sound is shit, because I am sure his instructions are that his bass be 3 or 4 marks louder than anyone else in the band. His act is dated, like watching an old Joe Namath panyhose commercial. It was wayyyy toooo long. He could be good, cut to the good stuff, give us 25 minutes of funk and get off the stage. Also, get some new stage wardrobe. The hat, come on man. And while I know the horn players are from Family Stone and are great, one of them looked like she was ready to do some knitting after the set. Not a comment on age, no control of getting old, but you can at least dress like you are opening for Prince and not headed off to Applebees to take advantage of a 2 for 1 happenings coupon.

I would have loved to have come back for Thursday's show, but I live in Big Sur, some 135 miles and 3 hours away.

Last comment, who ever thought it was a good idea to sell tambourines BEFORE THE SHOW should be forced to sit with the same megalomaniacal slightly drunk, couldn't find the beat if I were hitting with her bat, woman who was two rows behind me. No amount of stares, from myself and others, could loosen her demonic clawed grip upon that damn tambourine. We ended moving seats.

Cheers,

Scott

By the way, if you want to see me in Purple Rain, go to the scene where Prince comes up behind Apolonia at the bar. The shot goes Apolonia, me in the background and Prince. When she turns to look at him, just me, chain smoking, because they made us, at the bar.

Not a comment on age, no control of getting old, but you can at least dress like you are opening for Prince and not headed off to Applebees to take advantage of a 2 for 1 happenings coupon.

Hilarious! I was also taken aback by her..but then thought how rad it was that she got up off the sofa to come rock a Prince gig!!! It seemed like she had on a horrible blonde wig that had been left out in the rain. I actually danced pretty hard to Grahm Central because I a bass head, and I'm not talking about crack...

I agree that Prince presented his old material is such a fresh, new way that I LOVED (especially Little Red Corvette), it was an Epic show...I'm sure they were all epic shows at the Oracle last week.

Thanks for sharing such a magnificent account. I can't claim to have been following Prince like that, but I definitley felt the unique magic in the air that night. The crowd made it. Thursday felt like one long goodbye, starting off with the somber The Love We Make and strecthing out over a 35+ song set. Completely unforgettable.

One of my favorite parts of going to these shows is meeting all sorts of fans, the likes of which have been going since the Purple Rain tour and before. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for you next time I pop in Purple Rain. How fucking cool. Not many people can say they have such intimate memories with such artists. As for me, I cherish the ones I do have, and all ya'll should as well. Here's hoping for many more to come.

souleyvegan said:

Does anyone have any audio from this show?

I was just thinking about how happy Prince seemed at these shows, like he's in a good place right now...his energy was light and playful.

Huh? All of the vidz I've watched he looked bored and uninspired. Gigs sounded like that too. He clearly looked like "ah just another gig earning me some much needed $ let's get through this quickly".

BigSurScott said:

The funny thing is, every single Deadhead I know, who ever came out of a show complaining about an average set list or even worse, the one's who would just look at a set list and brush a show off, would give anything to be able to go see Jerry and the boys play that same average set list just one more time. Keep in mind that one day, one of these shows will be Prince's last and the book closes.

And I feel his legacy should be a long and fruitful career, instead of "great decade - downward slope due to him getting commercial - short burst of inspiration (1994-95) - completely lost the clue and never got it back". Prince could and should be doing MAGICKS right now, instead of doing these "I can't be arsed but I has cash flow problems" lame-ass gigs where songs have been replaced by chants and interminable jamz.

To justify this crap by saying "ooh once he's dead you'd pine for gigs like these" is too dumb for words. Once he's dead people will point out "awesome artist in the 1980s, completely lost it afterwards". What did people say about Johnny Cash after he'd died: "awesome artist, kinda lost it in the 1980s, but then returned with some of the best albums of his career with his American Recordings". Cash was a legend, but it's those "American Recordings" that really got him noticed. If he hadn't done those, his legacy would have been the prison shows.

Prince should be doing incredible things now -- instead he's flushing his legacy down the toilet. Seriously, whenever I see people talk about Prince they're talking about the dude from the 1980s, and they always dismiss his work from the past decades as "forget about that it's rubbish" -- and rightfully so.

Peopel will not be pining for the mediocre crap he's pushing out now. They will be pining for the insanely talented artist who re-invented himself with every album and every tour in the 1980s, who rocked and shocked their teenage selves, who gained commercial success despite releasing some seriously odd singles.

Hell, look at what you wrote next: he started playing Purple rain, and you started remeniscing about the first time he played that song. If I'm at a gig and my thoughts wander to a previous gig, one from NEARLY THIRTY YEARS AGO, I wouldn't come out thinking "this was an awesome show that I'll remember for the rest of my life".

Wanna know what people will say once Prince dies, or stops doing these gigs? "It's sad that he wasted so many years doing such average shit when he should have been doing amazing stuff."

Prince's great years were 1983-1988. Those were the years that he made his mark on the general public. 1989-1993 were the years he sold out. 1994-1995 saw a short return of kick-ass Prince, but it was overshadowed by all this ridiculous Slave-nonsense. 1996-now saw him loose the plot completely. Let's face it: to the major public, Prince has been irrelevant for a really long time, and he's been putting out irrelevant music for a vastly longer period than he's been a star.

I enjoyed the the show on the 23rd very much. I had what I thought were great seats, Sec. 109, tucked in the corner in front of the point on the side where he threw the guitar.

It was such a great show the highlight for you were the SEATS? If I come out of a show and the first thing to cross my mind is how great my seats were, I'd stop going to shows. Seriously, when I saw Prince in 1995, I didn't came out thinking "man I had a pretty sweet spot", but I had my mind blown and I couldn't stop thinking "he played I Love U In Me" and "Days Of Wild is amazing on record, but live it just killed me" and so on.

I think I enjoyed seeing Prince and Sheila, the genuine affection, musical respect and appreciation they have for each other the most.

Yeah, massive amounts of affection. So much that he kicked her off his European tour just like that. She has to beg her Twitter followers for pics and videos while promising not to rat them out.

Hey, let's ask Sheila how she feels about Prince holding her back catalogue hostage. Not that she'd give you an honest answer, mind you.

Huh? All of the vidz I've watched he looked bored and uninspired. Gigs sounded like that too. He clearly looked like "ah just another gig earning me some much needed $ let's get through this quickly.

Nope, it wasn't like that at all....It would be hard to tell through a computer screen though so I can see why you're misunderstanding...

[Edited 3/6/11 12:41pm]