http://www.dakotacooks.co...npg-hornz/

[Edited 8/23/14 22:52pm]

2nd show added. This time they are clearing out all the booths and it's going to be general admission, with some reserved seats available on the 2nd level. The only other time they have ever done that is when Prince played there in January 2013. hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Liv has done 2 LA gigs that I know if and P showed up at both of them. At one, he just played a couple of solos, and at the other he did a short set of his own. That's no guarantee of anything of course. But he might show his face.

I got that email this evening too. Sounding pretty promising for a Prince appearance!

hopefully buddy!! Enjoy the show(s)...and bring a full rapport!!

Is anyone planning on buying extra copies of the CD for those who haven't been able to attend a gig?

Ok let me first start and say I went to both shows and both were absolutely amazing.. Liv Warfield and NPG brought the house Down!!

Now my only complaint is this, when tix first went onsale it was one show, so I paid the $70 for the 7pm show, then they added a second standing room only show at 10pm, so again I paid $50 for the second show.. Then after the first show they said anyone with a tix stub from 1st show could get back in free for 2nd show...

So I asked what about the peeps who actually paid for 2 shows and they laughed at my face and said ooops NO refund...

Shame on U Dakota

Don't get me wrong I'm cool with supporting the Funk but that was totally unfair...

inspireof said:

Ok let me first start and say I went to both shows and both were absolutely amazing.. Liv Warfield and NPG brought the house Down!!

Now my only complaint is this, when tix first went onsale it was one show, so I paid the $70 for the 7pm show, then they added a second standing room only show at 10pm, so again I paid $50 for the second show.. Then after the first show they said anyone with a tix stub from 1st show could get back in free for 2nd show...

So I asked what about the peeps who actually paid for 2 shows and they laughed at my face and said ooops NO refund...

Shame on U Dakota

Don't get me wrong I'm cool with supporting the Funk but that was totally unfair...

It does seem like any time a second show is added, someone gets screwed - sorry to hear about that.

Here's my take, maybe not popular opinion (but someone in the 8/30 PPAD thread had a good point about 'how much are we all playing along'): Liv & band were great, but with that many people on stage, the sight lines were pretty nil. The only time I actually saw Liv was when the trombone player fell off the stage into me. But... in all honesty, this is not a $50 + show, and most everyone there was waiting for Prince to show up. From the local press, to immediate cell phone check before entry, to multiple people at the show receiving texts from NPG Hornz dudes or Paisley folks saying 'Prince at 12:30', to Liv and Dakota staff making vague, nervous statements about 'special guests... maybe', it all just felt like a build-up to... well, the Dakota guy coming out and stammering that Liv would like to sign posters for us.

In short - Liv & band came out strong and did 3-4 songs before bringing out Luke James for a 6 song set. First half of Luke's set was good - fantastic voice - but the second half was pretty overindulgent and brought the energy way down, and the show never quite seemed to recover. Liv came back out, but the second half of her set had the tentative, biding-time feeling of 'Had Prince arrived yet'? There were instruments being unpacked backstage, and then they turned on purple lights pointed at the audience, and then... Nothing.

So... Liv is great and all, but this is the second time I've been to see her play where it was implied that Prince would show up (the first time the musician who tweeted that people needed to be there later admitted that he was asked by Prince's camp to do so to boost ticket sales). Both good shows, but it's the wrong way to get people in the door. Couple that with numerous treks out to Paisley Park this year, with all the "we" and "us" and "you never know" nonsense...? Paisley staff admitted to my friend, "We don't know what's going on at all, we just write these things to hopefully make more money", ha.

Basically, I think I'm done for a while, and unfortunately I'm by far the last hold out among the Prince fans I know. Maybe we just gotta let our man be old and mellow, but it would help if he wasn't stringing us along (or so it seems)? I know I know - we aren't promised anything, don't go with expectations, it's amazing of them to do these things... But it used to be so much simpler. Going out to Paisley in the 90's was a joy - you didn't know what was going to happen, but the staff was professional (not a bunch of young volunteers), Prince seemed to be in charge of things, and it didn't come off like a total cash grab.

For now, I think I'm going to start liquidating some of my Prince stuff to recoup the costs of the last couple years of overpriced no-shows. First up, bus shelter sized (5.5' x 3.3' roughly) promo poster for Emancipation. PM me if interested

inspireof said:

Ok let me first start and say I went to both shows and both were absolutely amazing.. Liv Warfield and NPG brought the house Down!!

Now my only complaint is this, when tix first went onsale it was one show, so I paid the $70 for the 7pm show, then they added a second standing room only show at 10pm, so again I paid $50 for the second show.. Then after the first show they said anyone with a tix stub from 1st show could get back in free for 2nd show...

So I asked what about the peeps who actually paid for 2 shows and they laughed at my face and said ooops NO refund...

Shame on U Dakota

Don't get me wrong I'm cool with supporting the Funk but that was totally unfair...

I was in the same boat. Kind of not right! I didn't even ask about getting a refund, kind of figured they wouldn't anyway. They should have at least let all the people who actually bought a ticket for the second show get in first. I had a seat for the 2nd show, but wasn't fair for the people standing.

Jestyr said:

Is anyone planning on buying extra copies of the CD for those who haven't been able to attend a gig?

They didn't have any CDs on hand. This will be the 3rd show I've went to without getting her CD. One of the shows at Paisley Park she said she would have them. I checked and they weren't selling them. Apparently later in the evening someone asked her about CDs and they brought some out. I didn't get one, because I didn't realize they had brought some out after I had already checked. I did have her sign a poster though last night. But seriously, they need to hire a marketing person.

This isn't aimed at you, but as far as Prince goes, all the signs pointed to him playing. For whatever reason, it didn't happen. You can't be pissed though, nothing official was said that he would. It's the chance you take, but like Mattyp said, it can get a little costly. NPG horns sounded great last night.

motherfunka said:

Jestyr said:

Is anyone planning on buying extra copies of the CD for those who haven't been able to attend a gig?

They didn't have any CDs on hand. This will be the 3rd show I've went to without getting her CD. One of the shows at Paisley Park she said she would have them. I checked and they weren't selling them. Apparently later in the evening someone asked her about CDs and they brought some out. I didn't get one, because I didn't realize they had brought some out after I had already checked. I did have her sign a poster though last night. But seriously, they need to hire a marketing person.

This isn't aimed at you, but as far as Prince goes, all the signs pointed to him playing. For whatever reason, it didn't happen. You can't be pissed though, nothing official was said that he would. It's the chance you take, but like Mattyp said, it can get a little costly. NPG horns sounded great last night.

Thanks for letting me know there were no CDs for sale, motherfunka! Sorry you were dissappointed by Prince, but I expect some kind of dissappointment from him nowadays.

motherfunka said:

Jestyr said:

Is anyone planning on buying extra copies of the CD for those who haven't been able to attend a gig?

They didn't have any CDs on hand. This will be the 3rd show I've went to without getting her CD. One of the shows at Paisley Park she said she would have them. I checked and they weren't selling them. Apparently later in the evening someone asked her about CDs and they brought some out. I didn't get one, because I didn't realize they had brought some out after I had already checked. I did have her sign a poster though last night. But seriously, they need to hire a marketing person.

This isn't aimed at you, but as far as Prince goes, all the signs pointed to him playing. For whatever reason, it didn't happen. You can't be pissed though, nothing official was said that he would. It's the chance you take, but like Mattyp said, it can get a little costly. NPG horns sounded great last night.

Not to drag this off topic, but I think that a lot of these artists are done a bit of disservice by the 'Prince is coming' implication, as well. It affects the structure of the show (when you can see the artists trying to figure out what's going on) and the temperament of the audience. I know we take our chances, but I think it'd be nice if there was a clearer line drawn between 'This is Prince-endorsed' and 'This is a guest spot'. If we weren't always wrapped up in anticipation, we'd spend more time being present and enjoying the shows. That kind of drummed-up distraction can't be checked like a cell phone.

Horns did sound great, and nice crowd last night, too!

Jestyr said:

motherfunka said:

They didn't have any CDs on hand. This will be the 3rd show I've went to without getting her CD. One of the shows at Paisley Park she said she would have them. I checked and they weren't selling them. Apparently later in the evening someone asked her about CDs and they brought some out. I didn't get one, because I didn't realize they had brought some out after I had already checked. I did have her sign a poster though last night. But seriously, they need to hire a marketing person.

This isn't aimed at you, but as far as Prince goes, all the signs pointed to him playing. For whatever reason, it didn't happen. You can't be pissed though, nothing official was said that he would. It's the chance you take, but like Mattyp said, it can get a little costly. NPG horns sounded great last night.

Thanks for letting me know there were no CDs for sale, motherfunka! Sorry you were dissappointed by Prince, but I expect some kind of dissappointment from him nowadays.

I can't really say that I was disappointed. Liv put on 2 good shows, although $75 was a litte steep for the first show.

motherfunka said:

Jestyr said:

Thanks for letting me know there were no CDs for sale, motherfunka! Sorry you were dissappointed by Prince, but I expect some kind of dissappointment from him nowadays.

I can't really say that I was disappointed. Liv put on 2 good shows, although $75 was a litte steep for the first show.

Yes I agree also I thought that it was advertised as Luke James opening for Liv and in fact he cut out the middle of her show to sing 5-6 songs and it was weird.. I could have really done without that part it just didn't fit in...

I'm going to say what needs to be said, in the event anyone reading these posts actually listens to real jazz, and not this lukewarm nonsense.

The Dakota Jazz Club is THE lamest place in Los Angeles!

It's a total overpriced bourgeois place for coked out L.A. producers who reek of icky cologne that make "jazz" drummers play along to a click track in the studio. The so-called "jazz" music played here is so damned smooth it makes Kenny G. and Michael Bolton seem like Oscar Peterson and Billy Eckstine. The musicians this place books, makes Branford Marsalis seem like Albert Ayler by comparison. It's not a place for "common folk" either.

It's too bad L.A. doesn't have any venues like the Village Vanguard, the Stone or (the now-defunct) Tonic like in N.Y. The Los Angeles neighborhood Boyle Heights is the childhood home of Charles Mingus, for crying out loud! Chico Hamilton and Charlie Haden were from Los Angeles. This city deserves better jazz venues than the Dakota!

There used to be a place in Culver City where more adventurous, improvisational jazz musicians like Nels Cline would play, but the name of the venue escapes me.

I love Prince's music. I wouldn't be here reading these postings and seeing him live when I can afford to. But at this point in his musical dabblings, it's unfortunate to see a true musician of his caliber, play it safe with lukewarm double-albums that feature mediocre artwork - only for his booking people have him and/or his protegé acts engage in associations with such lame ass venues as the Dakota.

I'm of the opinion, that he's at his best when he has musicians of his caliber playing with him, where he can do some serious improvisational music, or be a band leader in the vein of Duke Ellington or Miles Davis and direct the musicians accordingly. There are plenty of these musical examples on those late night, small club recordings he doesn't want anyone to hear.

3rdEyeGirl are an okay rock band at best. I neither love them, nor dislike them. They have a vibe, but they are not without their musical limitations. The NPG Hornz, however, are STELLAR - as witnessed several months ago at the Palladium with them playing an amazing version of "Days Of Wild".

Hey Mr. Nelson, if your handlers are reading this, may I politely suggest you take some musical cues from living contemporaries such as Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings (whom you've jammed with before), Brad Meldhau, Pat Martino, Mary Halvorson, Henry Grimes/Chad Taylor/Marc Ribot, or the recently-departed Charlie Haden. I strongly urge you, to jam as a duo with drummer Susie Ibarra - you on grand piano and her on drums & percussion. Book some secret shows with the Ars Nova Workshop Foundation in Philadelphia. Sit in with Marshall Allen and the Sun Ra Arkestra sometime at 5626 Morton Street. They would love for you to visit and discuss both musical and spiritual matters. It takes a very special musician to visit the house of Sun Ra, and you certainly qualify.

Many of us love it when you stretch out musically and disregard the hits and set lists. Please embrace your inner-weird a little more often!

Very sincerely yours,

Electrodyne

P.S. - No offense meant to anyone who actually likes this venue, or disagrees with my opinions. We can all agree to disagree sometimes and still respect one another in the morning. We're all here cause we love Prince's music and may have some strong, if not occasionally differing views on what he does and how he does it. Thanks for listening.

P.P.S. - Go check out Chico Hamilton's late 1960s album The Dealer to hear some other kinds of jazz.

[Edited 8/30/14 1:35am]

electrodyne said:

The Dakota Jazz Club is THE lamest place in Los Angeles!

That may very well be, but the Dakota Jazz Club being discussed here is in Minneapolis.

[Edited 8/30/14 13:20pm]

motherfunka said:

electrodyne said:

The Dakota Jazz Club is THE lamest place in Los Angeles!

That may very well be, but the Dakota Jazz Club being discussed here is in Minneapolis.

[Edited 8/30/14 13:20pm]

motherfunka said:

Oh wow!

With egg on my face - maybe a whole dozen eggs, in this instance - I stand corrected!

There's a Dakota Jazz Club in L.A. too. When Prince and Liv were here back in April, there were some very overpriced shows there. And generally speaking, it's not a good place (IMHO). I wonder if they are a chain - kinda like the Applebees of jazz clubs.

My apologies for the confusion regarding the location.