Hi guys. My first Prince concert was the Nokia Theater show from a few years back. All I remember was how he kept complaining about the sound. It wasn't what I hoped from a Prince concert. Remembering this, I took off the first night of his stay at the Forum while they got the sound right.

BIG MISTAKE

I've gone to 10 of the the forum shows. Everyone says nothing compares to the first one. What was it? Did he dance more? Smile more? Sing harder? Feel up Sheila E? No but seriously, was it the enthusiasm? What was it?

Can you give me specific examples of how it was different than last night? (or another night).

Thanks

1ststatestereo said:

Hi guys. My first Prince concert was the Nokia Theater show from a few years back. All I remember was how he kept complaining about the sound. It wasn't what I hoped from a Prince concert. Remembering this, I took off the first night of his stay at the Forum while they got the sound right.

BIG MISTAKE

I've gone to 10 of the the forum shows. Everyone says nothing compares to the first one. What was it? Did he dance more? Smile more? Sing harder? Feel up Sheila E? No but seriously, was it the enthusiasm? What was it?

Can you give me specific examples of how it was different than last night? (or another night).

Thanks

I know it's kinda messed up, but it was one of those: you-had-to-be-there type experiences, because it's somewhat hard to explain. The main differences for me were: 1. He played each song in a manner which made you feel like it was the first time he was playing it for you. 2. The energy between Prince and the crowd was high, intense, and surreal all at the same time. 3. He took his time with his material, as if he was presenting his heart to you. Per the Forum shows, it was the only time I felt Prince was REALLY trying to impress me (us) and not just rely on talent and skill. 4. It was also the only Forum show in which he took us on an emotional rollercoaster, like a great movie. Because he opened his heart, we laughed, cried, danced, wondered, anticipated while being captured in every moment. Again, I can only speak for myself, but it FELT like he had this magnetic power that made you so focused on him, you couldn't turn away. It's very difficult to keep peoples' attention for three hours and none of these other Forum shows do I feel he's had the crowd "locked in" for the duration. A good variable I use for the 21 Night Stand experience is when he asks the crowd to hold up their cell phones. You pretty much get the idea then what portion of the audience has been captivated. On April 14, it was a LIGHT SHOW of its own when he made the request. Now, that in itself, doesn't necessarily make the show better, but it DOES give an indication of the affect he's having on the audience.

I wasn't at that show, but there have been other "moments" and "flashes of brillance" on other nights that might have been comparable, but they were just moments, while 4/14 sounds like every moment was that kind of moment.

The 2 best forum shows I saw in terms of Prince's energy and engagement (again, I didn't see 4/14) were 4/23 and 5/13. On 5/13, towards the end, Prince thanked the audience "from the bottom of my heart," and you could feel he really meant it.

that 3 night show was fun to be at .. minus the sound issue .. the congo room n club show were good .. he did say if they fix the sound hed b there every night ..

alfbo said:

I wasn't at that show, but there have been other "moments" and "flashes of brillance" on other nights that might have been comparable, but they were just moments, while 4/14 sounds like every moment was that kind of moment.

The 2 best forum shows I saw in terms of Prince's energy and engagement (again, I didn't see 4/14) were 4/23 and 5/13. On 5/13, towards the end, Prince thanked the audience "from the bottom of my heart," and you could feel he really meant it.

5/13 was a great, great show and was the closest, in terms of effect to 4/14. I think the people that attended either 4/14 or 5/13 got to witness the two Forum shows that really stick out. By the way, 4/21 was also a fabulous performance; I wish more people went to that show. Would you agree that 4/23 was when he got into party mode?

Realtor said:

alfbo said:

I wasn't at that show, but there have been other "moments" and "flashes of brillance" on other nights that might have been comparable, but they were just moments, while 4/14 sounds like every moment was that kind of moment.

The 2 best forum shows I saw in terms of Prince's energy and engagement (again, I didn't see 4/14) were 4/23 and 5/13. On 5/13, towards the end, Prince thanked the audience "from the bottom of my heart," and you could feel he really meant it.

5/13 was a great, great show and was the closest, in terms of effect to 4/14. I think the people that attended either 4/14 or 5/13 got to witness the two Forum shows that really stick out. By the way, 4/21 was also a fabulous performance; I wish more people went to that show. Would you agree that 4/23 was when he got into party mode?

Yes. My first show was 4/22. That show was more Prince showing off his rock guitar skills and playing songs, like Future Soul Song. Some folks were disappointed because he "only" played 90 minutes, but I was happy because of the song selection (I love She's Always In My Hair) and guitar playing. On 4/23, that was the first night of the Prince Purple Party/dance fest. What made that night special was seeing Chaka Khan, and when Larry Graham joined Prince on stage, you could just tell that Prince was having a ball up on stage, and it was infectious. I think that energy carried through the rest of the show and inspired Prince.

alfbo said:

I wasn't at that show, but there have been other "moments" and "flashes of brillance" on other nights that might have been comparable, but they were just moments, while 4/14 sounds like every moment was that kind of moment.

this is pretty spot on.

for me, it was my first prince show as well, so of course i thought my feelings were a bit biased. was happy to see/read that even for long time vets of prince, the show was special.

I went to the 4/14 and the 4/22 show. Im so in love with the 4/14show that i felt alittle disappointed when i left the 4/22 show, It felt like it was being rushed thur.

I'm still glad i had the chance to see him and can say nothing compares to 4/14 to me yet, but will support my purple friend time and time again

[Edited 5/15/11 13:28pm]

[Edited 5/15/11 13:29pm]

My first Prince show was at the Nokia as well. It was a bit slapdash and half-hearted (maybe because of the sound issues). But it was my first time seeing Prince, and that helped make up for it. I didn't see 4/14, but I did see 4/23 with Chaka Khan and Larry Graham and 5/13 with Janelle Monae and Stevie Wonder. In both cases, I think the guest musicians inspired Prince. He definitely found his fire on those nights. Coincidentally, the setlists are pretty similar.

I'd also like to note that 4/29 may not have been the greatest show on this tour, but it may have contained the greatest single moment: a soulful, 20-minute rendition of Beggin' Woman Blues/Gingerbread Man that included a near-shirtless slither down the stage.

Priceless!

Seems to me that P has complained a lot about sound over the past couple of years...maybe if he got a bit more professional and organized tours a bit better this wouldn't happen.

Guy needs a manager....

i saw opening night & May 7. The things that made 4/14 stand out for me, not just from 5/7 but every other time I've seen him:

- Part of it has to do with being the first night. For me, everything worked out... got great seats, got my buddies in, it wasn't super crowded so we all got into the good section without bothering anyone.

- They just kept going and going... to have our patience rewarded with all those extra encores was kind of magical.

- The three and a half hour length means by default, a LOT of songs I really wanted to hear. if there were a few I could have lived without, they only took up a few minutes. And lots of things I didn't expect - Uptown, Dreamer, Always in My Hair, Endorphimachine etc.

- It was as everyone says, a HOT performance. I think he knew the word of mouth was going to stem largely from that one show and he wanted to blow everyone away.

Hey you pays your money and you takes your chance... every night has the potential to be the best, not all of them are.

1ststatestereo said:

I've gone to 10 of the the forum shows. Everyone says nothing compares to the first one. What was it? Did he dance more? Smile more? Sing harder? Feel up Sheila E? No but seriously, was it the enthusiasm? What was it?

That made me laugh out loud...thanks, needed that.

With the 4/14 show he was setting a precedent.
He's probably thinking, "I've gotta fill this big ass joint up X number of nights, i'd better give the people that showed up something to talk about."

And that they did with the inspired performance and encore after encore.
I'll admit that I got got after what I think was the 2nd encore.
Took off only to find out, It ain't over. (props to Guy)

Music for adventurous listeners


tA

I believe he was performing some kind of spiritual ceremony and it keeps some people from leaving.

Every show I've been too a good number stay. The infamously "short" 90 min. bicycle show on 4/22 where fans stayed 45 mins. and besides clapping, cheering, and chanting did the wave about 20 times.

There's a "wall of fame" that to my surprise doesn't include him especially since he did do, I think, 5 Purple Rain concerts there.

No matter, the whole Forum is now his shrine... that's the Magic of 4/14.

I'd like to state again, just in case the message has been lost in all of the love for opening night...it is NOT that opening night was the "good" one and every other show has fallen short. It is more that as great as the other eleven shows have been, and some have been truly awesome shows with magical, memorable moments all their own...opening night was just that much more for all of the aforementioned reasons. And something to consider...I didn't know anyone from this site when I attended the show, came home and shared my review and thoughts. Several other people shared their experiences as well and it was evident that we all felt similarly about what we had seen, even if we used different words or terms...our thoughts and feelings were synonomous even though we were strangers.

I don't know if that makes anyone feel better as I'm reading it back...LOL

1ststatestereo said:

Hi guys. My first Prince concert was the Nokia Theater show from a few years back. All I remember was how he kept complaining about the sound. It wasn't what I hoped from a Prince concert. Remembering this, I took off the first night of his stay at the Forum while they got the sound right.

BIG MISTAKE

I've gone to 10 of the the forum shows. Everyone says nothing compares to the first one. What was it? Did he dance more? Smile more? Sing harder? Feel up Sheila E? No but seriously, was it the enthusiasm? What was it?

Can you give me specific examples of how it was different than last night? (or another night).

Thanks

If you have been to 10 of these shows I think you must have a pretty good idea of what happened on the night that you missed.

Probably just more of the same as what you saw, with perhaps a better energy throughout. But making it into some legend where "you will never understand" seems a bit much.

I saw Prince after he sprained his ankle and the show was only about an hour, which was disappointing, but it was still great in it's own way.

NDRU said:

If you have been to 10 of these shows I think you must have a pretty good idea of what happened on the night that you missed.

Probably just more of the same as what you saw, with perhaps a better energy throughout. But making it into some legend where "you will never understand" seems a bit much.

I saw Prince after he sprained his ankle and the show was only about an hour, which was disappointing, but it was still great in it's own way.

Uhmmm, no. Were you there?

From the statement "Probably just more of the same as what you saw..." I would say no.

In any event, without belaboring the point I disagree with you. It was a legendary performance. And words fall short of describing the emotional impact that it had upon so many people including many who have seen Prince perform donzens of times over many years.

But it's cool. Had I missed it I would probably try to minimize what it was all about for those who were there as well.

GDB said:

NDRU said:

If you have been to 10 of these shows I think you must have a pretty good idea of what happened on the night that you missed.

Probably just more of the same as what you saw, with perhaps a better energy throughout. But making it into some legend where "you will never understand" seems a bit much.

I saw Prince after he sprained his ankle and the show was only about an hour, which was disappointing, but it was still great in it's own way.

Uhmmm, no. Were you there?

From the statement "Probably just more of the same as what you saw..." I would say no.

In any event, without belaboring the point I disagree with you. It was a legendary performance. And words fall short of describing the emotional impact that it had upon so many people including many who have seen Prince perform donzens of times over many years.

But it's cool. Had I missed it I would probably try to minimize what it was all about for those who were there as well.

Jesus I am not trying to minimize it for you, I am happy for you.

I was not there, no, but I was at the Oakland show where people were saying the same thing. We were all watching, thinking we were seeing something very special. Some people almost certainly have felt that at almost every Prince show

This first one at the Forum might have been his greatest show ever (one of them has to be) I am not saying it wasn't. I am saying this person seems to have some anxiety over what he missed and I think what he missed was a great concert by the same guy playing the same songs, and that during the course of ten shows he most certainly saw moments that were worthy of 4/14

[Edited 5/15/11 21:19pm]

NDRU said:

GDB said:

Uhmmm, no. Were you there?

From the statement "Probably just more of the same as what you saw..." I would say no.

In any event, without belaboring the point I disagree with you. It was a legendary performance. And words fall short of describing the emotional impact that it had upon so many people including many who have seen Prince perform donzens of times over many years.

But it's cool. Had I missed it I would probably try to minimize what it was all about for those who were there as well.

Jesus I am not trying to minimize it for you, I am happy for you.

I was not there, no, but I was at the Oakland show where people were saying the same thing. We were all watching, thinking we were seeing something very special. Some people almost certainly have felt that at almost every Prince show

This first one at the Forum might have been his greatest show ever (one of them has to be) I am not saying it wasn't. I am saying this person seems to have some anxiety over what he missed and I think what he missed was a great concert by the same guy playing the same songs, and that during the course of ten shows he most certainly saw moments that were worthy of 4/14

[Edited 5/15/11 21:19pm]

I'm not mad, no reason to invoke Jesus' name.

And to your point about catching special moments during the shows the OP did see, I said more or less the same thing. Quoting myself:

"...as great as the other eleven shows have been, and some have been truly awesome shows with magical, memorable moments all their own...opening night was just that much more for all of the aforementioned reasons."

I agree with all the other posters about each show having their moments, but it's hard not to compare certain special moments from 4/14 with other shows. For example, Purple Rain was drawn out, about 15 minutes long, which definitely set an ethereal mood. Sometimes it Snows in April was very heartfelt, where compared to other nights it seemed rushed. With three hours to fill in, there were more songs and more time to set a mood. And it was great to see Sheila E perform a few songs (couldn't predict she would practically become a part of the band the other nights). So basically, what made it so great compared to other nights was the mood, the amount of songs, the unpredictable encores, and getting to experience Prince and NPG on opening night of their Welcome 2 America tour in LA. Maybe what also added to the excitement and satisfaction of the show was that the whole thing was a surprise... from the Lopez Tonight appearance, ticket sale date, and the affordable $25 cost.

One of my favorite parts of the night were the encores. obviously a lot of people didn't expect them to keep going and going so long, so a majority of the audience made their way to the parking lot...and those who stayed around and waited patiently for more, got more! It was so cool to move down to the very front after everyone else left, it almost seemed like a special after show treat. to experience that in a big arena that was practically empty felt very unusual and very MAGICAL at the same time.

Hope that enlightened you! btw, this is my first time posting here

~Astro

there was no opening act but I can only assume that was an accident

so he tried to make up for it by playing longer

someone should just tell him to ditch all opening acts in the future, and give us a real 3 hour show

because that is what we came to see

then he could raise ticket prices, get rid of some dancers & back-up singers and make some real money

Prince is magic. Just like he's pulling a out of a hat he delivers the goods. Sounds like a beautiful nite

LayDownMisty said:

there was no opening act but I can only assume that was an accident

so he tried to make up for it by playing longer

someone should just tell him to ditch all opening acts in the future, and give us a real 3 hour show

because that is what we came to see

then he could raise ticket prices, get rid of some dancers & back-up singers and make some real money

The third show in Oakland also had no opening act. I was pleased, I had no real desire to see Larry G again, but mostly it was just like you said, the main event was longer.

My guess is it's too tiring to do it every night, so he only does it once in a while

NDRU said:

GDB said:

Uhmmm, no. Were you there?

From the statement "Probably just more of the same as what you saw..." I would say no.

In any event, without belaboring the point I disagree with you. It was a legendary performance. And words fall short of describing the emotional impact that it had upon so many people including many who have seen Prince perform donzens of times over many years.

But it's cool. Had I missed it I would probably try to minimize what it was all about for those who were there as well.

Jesus I am not trying to minimize it for you, I am happy for you.

I was not there, no, but I was at the Oakland show where people were saying the same thing. We were all watching, thinking we were seeing something very special. Some people almost certainly have felt that at almost every Prince show

This first one at the Forum might have been his greatest show ever (one of them has to be) I am not saying it wasn't. I am saying this person seems to have some anxiety over what he missed and I think what he missed was a great concert by the same guy playing the same songs, and that during the course of ten shows he most certainly saw moments that were worthy of 4/14

[Edited 5/15/11 21:19pm]

NDRU, you're missing the point and that's why, in my opinion, you should probably at least ATTEMPT to respect the perspectives from people who were actually there, instead of offering an opinion about a performance that you did not attend. So let ME digress. I went to the Feb 24 show in Oakland, as well; I went for my birthday. I had a great, great time. But first of all, the Oakland shows should not be placed in the same category of the L.A. shows, different feel. But more importantly, "these people" that are allegedly boasting about 4/14 ALL have been back to the Forum! So, it's not like we're TRYING to hold onto some "myth" or "tale." Uh....it's the opposite....we all WANT TO SEE IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's why we keep going back. That's why we've committed to going to 10, 15, 20 shows. We know what he CAN do. I was fortunate; I got to see him do it again...but it wasn't at any of the other 10 Forum shows that I went to, it wasn't at the 8pm show at the Troubadour that many of my friends went to....NO....it was at the midnight...and only the midnight.......show at the Troubadour. Do you realize that many of us on the org will be seeing Prince about 5 MORE times in the next few weeks? So...when we see something out of the ordinary....when we experience something TRULY magical that we will remember for the rest of our lives.............guess what? We're going to talk about it. Carry on.

astrodolly said:

I agree with all the other posters about each show having their moments, but it's hard not to compare certain special moments from 4/14 with other shows. For example, Purple Rain was drawn out, about 15 minutes long, which definitely set an ethereal mood. Sometimes it Snows in April was very heartfelt, where compared to other nights it seemed rushed. With three hours to fill in, there were more songs and more time to set a mood. And it was great to see Sheila E perform a few songs (couldn't predict she would practically become a part of the band the other nights). So basically, what made it so great compared to other nights was the mood, the amount of songs, the unpredictable encores, and getting to experience Prince and NPG on opening night of their Welcome 2 America tour in LA. Maybe what also added to the excitement and satisfaction of the show was that the whole thing was a surprise... from the Lopez Tonight appearance, ticket sale date, and the affordable $25 cost.

One of my favorite parts of the night were the encores. obviously a lot of people didn't expect them to keep going and going so long, so a majority of the audience made their way to the parking lot...and those who stayed around and waited patiently for more, got more! It was so cool to move down to the very front after everyone else left, it almost seemed like a special after show treat. to experience that in a big arena that was practically empty felt very unusual and very MAGICAL at the same time.

Hope that enlightened you! btw, this is my first time posting here

~Astro

I think this really sums up my feelings about it. I HAVEN'T been back (want to, though!), partly because I have been a bit concerned no show will live up to 4/14 which might be the best concert I've ever seen in my life. I think the surprise had a lot to do with it-- I didn't even know Prince was doing shows in LA until the weekend before, had 2 days' notice on tickets, had to scramble on one of my busiest days at work to get to the Forum, and then got treated to over 3 hours of Prince playing at (arguably) his best ever. Keep in mind a lot of the things that have become almost taken for granted since 4/14 were all new-- the extended wait for encores, Sheila E. playing, people being pulled up on stage, etc.

Concerts/tours today have become so formulaic. At least for me, I go to a lot of shows and a lot of the excitement is a bit different than it was when concerts were a big treat. I went into 4/14 knowing Prince put on an amazing show (it was my 3rd Prince concert), and had high expectations and WAS excited, but I was bowled over by what I saw. It went way beyond any expectations I had of the show. (which now, people DO have hopes for 3 hour shows, 6 encores, etc-- and when they don't happen, people might leave disappointed, instead of us having to figure out when we HAD to leave [due to real life obligations] figuring Prince was going to play all night!) Just the feeling that Prince was so high on the show-- that he was off in another world and was going to play for 2, 3, 6, 10 hours... you really FELT that.

I'm sure some shows since 4/14 have been fantastic. Who knows, I possibly would've liked the setlist more for some of the other shows better. I'm bummed I missed 5/13. But I think Prince went into that show on a high, and everyone there felt it. Honestly, for the first 10-15 minutes of that show I thought it was great, but not necessarily a "special" show.. but by the time of the 15 minute Purple Rain (which I honestly did not believe it was that long until I saw it posted online the next day-- I thought it was 5-6 minutes, it just held everyone in a trance) you knew it was something much beyond a normal Prince show.

Basically, 4/14 got the best of all worlds-- lots of hits, lots of obscure tracks (getting more obscure as the encores went on, lending it to feel like one of the legendary aftershows), guests on stage, and (as I said in my first post on the org back after the show) Prince playing ALL of the songs, old and new, like they were all new material-- he put a TON of passion into it. You could totally feel it.

I don't post this trying to make someone feel bad they missed 4/14. But I DO think it was a pretty special show. It's sort of a "you had to be there" moment-- I felt like I saw him at the absolute top of his game, fired up, ready to just PLAY. He wasn't there to impress the crowd, or impress LA, or whatever-- he was just fired up and gave 120% to that performance.

[Edited 5/16/11 14:42pm]

[Edited 5/16/11 14:49pm]

I think I get it. I've seen Paul McCartney (my favorite artist) 9 times. When he played Coachella, he stated that it was 11 years to the day that his wife died. Since the show was in the desert, and she loved the desert, he said he wanted to play on that day. Forget show, it was the best 3 hours of my life. It wasn't the songs, it was the feeling, the energy. There were several moments that he almost burst into tears. I'll never forget that night.

By the way, I had an amazing Jan 31 show in NYC. I loved it.....It almost made me think I should not go to the Feb 7 show in case I was disappointed. I went to the Feb 7 and enjoyed it completely. I have fav moments from each show...

It is natural to want to 'compare' but you will still be happy that you went..So waht if one show was not as 'good' as another...They are still excellent shows...

Again..you guys have them there willing to do 21 shows...Go as many times as you can afford to go!

Justin42 said:

astrodolly said:

I agree with all the other posters about each show having their moments, but it's hard not to compare certain special moments from 4/14 with other shows. For example, Purple Rain was drawn out, about 15 minutes long, which definitely set an ethereal mood. Sometimes it Snows in April was very heartfelt, where compared to other nights it seemed rushed. With three hours to fill in, there were more songs and more time to set a mood. And it was great to see Sheila E perform a few songs (couldn't predict she would practically become a part of the band the other nights). So basically, what made it so great compared to other nights was the mood, the amount of songs, the unpredictable encores, and getting to experience Prince and NPG on opening night of their Welcome 2 America tour in LA. Maybe what also added to the excitement and satisfaction of the show was that the whole thing was a surprise... from the Lopez Tonight appearance, ticket sale date, and the affordable $25 cost.

One of my favorite parts of the night were the encores. obviously a lot of people didn't expect them to keep going and going so long, so a majority of the audience made their way to the parking lot...and those who stayed around and waited patiently for more, got more! It was so cool to move down to the very front after everyone else left, it almost seemed like a special after show treat. to experience that in a big arena that was practically empty felt very unusual and very MAGICAL at the same time.

Hope that enlightened you! btw, this is my first time posting here

~Astro

I think this really sums up my feelings about it. I HAVEN'T been back (want to, though!), partly because I have been a bit concerned no show will live up to 4/14 which might be the best concert I've ever seen in my life. I think the surprise had a lot to do with it-- I didn't even know Prince was doing shows in LA until the weekend before, had 2 days' notice on tickets, had to scramble on one of my busiest days at work to get to the Forum, and then got treated to over 3 hours of Prince playing at (arguably) his best ever. Keep in mind a lot of the things that have become almost taken for granted since 4/14 were all new-- the extended wait for encores, Sheila E. playing, people being pulled up on stage, etc.

Concerts/tours today have become so formulaic. At least for me, I go to a lot of shows and a lot of the excitement is a bit different than it was when concerts were a big treat. I went into 4/14 knowing Prince put on an amazing show (it was my 3rd Prince concert), and had high expectations and WAS excited, but I was bowled over by what I saw. It went way beyond any expectations I had of the show. (which now, people DO have hopes for 3 hour shows, 6 encores, etc-- and when they don't happen, people might leave disappointed, instead of us having to figure out when we HAD to leave [due to real life obligations] figuring Prince was going to play all night!) Just the feeling that Prince was so high on the show-- that he was off in another world and was going to play for 2, 3, 6, 10 hours... you really FELT that.

I'm sure some shows since 4/14 have been fantastic. Who knows, I possibly would've liked the setlist more for some of the other shows better. I'm bummed I missed 5/13. But I think Prince went into that show on a high, and everyone there felt it. Honestly, for the first 10-15 minutes of that show I thought it was great, but not necessarily a "special" show.. but by the time of the 15 minute Purple Rain (which I honestly did not believe it was that long until I saw it posted online the next day-- I thought it was 5-6 minutes, it just held everyone in a trance) you knew it was something much beyond a normal Prince show.

Basically, 4/14 got the best of all worlds-- lots of hits, lots of obscure tracks (getting more obscure as the encores went on, lending it to feel like one of the legendary aftershows), guests on stage, and (as I said in my first post on the org back after the show) Prince playing ALL of the songs, old and new, like they were all new material-- he put a TON of passion into it. You could totally feel it.

I don't post this trying to make someone feel bad they missed 4/14. But I DO think it was a pretty special show. It's sort of a "you had to be there" moment-- I felt like I saw him at the absolute top of his game, fired up, ready to just PLAY. He wasn't there to impress the crowd, or impress LA, or whatever-- he was just fired up and gave 120% to that performance.

[Edited 5/16/11 14:42pm]

[Edited 5/16/11 14:49pm]

Justin42 said:

astrodolly said:

I agree with all the other posters about each show having their moments, but it's hard not to compare certain special moments from 4/14 with other shows. For example, Purple Rain was drawn out, about 15 minutes long, which definitely set an ethereal mood. Sometimes it Snows in April was very heartfelt, where compared to other nights it seemed rushed. With three hours to fill in, there were more songs and more time to set a mood. And it was great to see Sheila E perform a few songs (couldn't predict she would practically become a part of the band the other nights). So basically, what made it so great compared to other nights was the mood, the amount of songs, the unpredictable encores, and getting to experience Prince and NPG on opening night of their Welcome 2 America tour in LA. Maybe what also added to the excitement and satisfaction of the show was that the whole thing was a surprise... from the Lopez Tonight appearance, ticket sale date, and the affordable $25 cost.

One of my favorite parts of the night were the encores. obviously a lot of people didn't expect them to keep going and going so long, so a majority of the audience made their way to the parking lot...and those who stayed around and waited patiently for more, got more! It was so cool to move down to the very front after everyone else left, it almost seemed like a special after show treat. to experience that in a big arena that was practically empty felt very unusual and very MAGICAL at the same time.

Hope that enlightened you! btw, this is my first time posting here

~Astro

I think this really sums up my feelings about it. I HAVEN'T been back (want to, though!), partly because I have been a bit concerned no show will live up to 4/14 which might be the best concert I've ever seen in my life. I think the surprise had a lot to do with it-- I didn't even know Prince was doing shows in LA until the weekend before, had 2 days' notice on tickets, had to scramble on one of my busiest days at work to get to the Forum, and then got treated to over 3 hours of Prince playing at (arguably) his best ever. Keep in mind a lot of the things that have become almost taken for granted since 4/14 were all new-- the extended wait for encores, Sheila E. playing, people being pulled up on stage, etc.

Concerts/tours today have become so formulaic. At least for me, I go to a lot of shows and a lot of the excitement is a bit different than it was when concerts were a big treat. I went into 4/14 knowing Prince put on an amazing show (it was my 3rd Prince concert), and had high expectations and WAS excited, but I was bowled over by what I saw. It went way beyond any expectations I had of the show. (which now, people DO have hopes for 3 hour shows, 6 encores, etc-- and when they don't happen, people might leave disappointed, instead of us having to figure out when we HAD to leave [due to real life obligations] figuring Prince was going to play all night!) Just the feeling that Prince was so high on the show-- that he was off in another world and was going to play for 2, 3, 6, 10 hours... you really FELT that.

I'm sure some shows since 4/14 have been fantastic. Who knows, I possibly would've liked the setlist more for some of the other shows better. I'm bummed I missed 5/13. But I think Prince went into that show on a high, and everyone there felt it. Honestly, for the first 10-15 minutes of that show I thought it was great, but not necessarily a "special" show.. but by the time of the 15 minute Purple Rain (which I honestly did not believe it was that long until I saw it posted online the next day-- I thought it was 5-6 minutes, it just held everyone in a trance) you knew it was something much beyond a normal Prince show.

Basically, 4/14 got the best of all worlds-- lots of hits, lots of obscure tracks (getting more obscure as the encores went on, lending it to feel like one of the legendary aftershows), guests on stage, and (as I said in my first post on the org back after the show) Prince playing ALL of the songs, old and new, like they were all new material-- he put a TON of passion into it. You could totally feel it.

I don't post this trying to make someone feel bad they missed 4/14. But I DO think it was a pretty special show. It's sort of a "you had to be there" moment-- I felt like I saw him at the absolute top of his game, fired up, ready to just PLAY. He wasn't there to impress the crowd, or impress LA, or whatever-- he was just fired up and gave 120% to that performance.

[Edited 5/16/11 14:42pm]

[Edited 5/16/11 14:49pm]

And there it is. Thanks for sharing your experience...I totally relate to it.

I was thinking about this topic again, revisiting in my mind's eye how I felt that night and this came to me as a means of explaining it...because I DO understand how it must feel to those who missed it, to hear us continue talking about it.

I've never FELT an artist's performance impact me emotionally as Prince's performance did that night. Wasn't expecting it, wasn't looking for it, wasn't trying to make the show more than just a concert. It didn't begin that way. As Justin42 described so well, it began as just a really good Prince show. Excellent, even. A great time. But it evolved into something much more than that by its conclusion that left me dazed and affected well into the next day.

Most concise way I can describe the "magic" of 4/14 is that Prince played that show like it was the last one he would ever do and held nothing back in reserve. It felt like it was as much of a catharsis for him as it was a performance for us...like we were witnesses to something he had to do for himself...a personal statement that went beyond just a show.

Realtor said:

NDRU said:

Jesus I am not trying to minimize it for you, I am happy for you.

I was not there, no, but I was at the Oakland show where people were saying the same thing. We were all watching, thinking we were seeing something very special. Some people almost certainly have felt that at almost every Prince show

This first one at the Forum might have been his greatest show ever (one of them has to be) I am not saying it wasn't. I am saying this person seems to have some anxiety over what he missed and I think what he missed was a great concert by the same guy playing the same songs, and that during the course of ten shows he most certainly saw moments that were worthy of 4/14

[Edited 5/15/11 21:19pm]

NDRU, you're missing the point and that's why, in my opinion, you should probably at least ATTEMPT to respect the perspectives from people who were actually there, instead of offering an opinion about a performance that you did not attend. So let ME digress. I went to the Feb 24 show in Oakland, as well; I went for my birthday. I had a great, great time. But first of all, the Oakland shows should not be placed in the same category of the L.A. shows, different feel. But more importantly, "these people" that are allegedly boasting about 4/14 ALL have been back to the Forum! So, it's not like we're TRYING to hold onto some "myth" or "tale." Uh....it's the opposite....we all WANT TO SEE IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's why we keep going back. That's why we've committed to going to 10, 15, 20 shows. We know what he CAN do. I was fortunate; I got to see him do it again...but it wasn't at any of the other 10 Forum shows that I went to, it wasn't at the 8pm show at the Troubadour that many of my friends went to....NO....it was at the midnight...and only the midnight.......show at the Troubadour. Do you realize that many of us on the org will be seeing Prince about 5 MORE times in the next few weeks? So...when we see something out of the ordinary....when we experience something TRULY magical that we will remember for the rest of our lives.............guess what? We're going to talk about it. Carry on.

c'mon, now!

I never said the show was not magical, that it was not the best of his career, or not the best by any performer in the history of performance, or that you should stop talking about how it changed your life. I never suggested that I did not respect peoples' opinions of the show or that they were wrong. I never said anything to take away from it, and I don't want to take away from it.

I shared an opinon about a performer, not a performance

I said if you've seen ten shows by the same performer doing the same songs in the same place, you have a good idea of what that performer is capable of, and you should not feel bad about having missed one special one.

Not everyone saw Jordan score 67 against the Celtics, but if you watched him a lot you know what he can do, even on a bad night.

oy!