NorthC said:

KingSausage said:

I think it's silly. David Bowie, for one, didn't start performing to get girls. (For a couple of reasons!) Some people already have a partner. Others do it for art and expression. And some don't like women. It's a silly phrase that isn't meant to apply to everyone, I know. But still...

Alright, then you do it to get the boys! Everybody who gets on a stage where people look at and listen to him or her wants to get attention. Most rockers started when they were in their teens. And what do you are you after at that age? Sex, drugs and rock & roll. Let's not fool ourselves here. That's what those rockers want. It goes for Elvis, Bob Dylan, Madonna... And it makes for great music.

What about the girls who make music?

NorthC said:

mikeyaddict said:

Sounds like they were fantastic shows! So happy for those of u that got to go. Did anyone who was there notice if it was being filmed? Would love for him to release as a video or soundboard - but if he doesn't how lucky you folk were - sounds good me like one of those truly magical nights where God was present. Great reviews everyone. Thank you. Buzzin off your positive vibes!

This would make for a great DVD/Bluray.

Yes it was filmed, there was a camera man in the back left side of the room, saw him when I went around the room...

langebleu said:

^ Call me Sherlock, but I suspect it's more likely a comment made as light-hearted, generalised audience banter, rather than a conclusion derived from peer-approved academic research.

Right?!?! Good grief.

rafael said:

just curious...how was black sweat performed? Was it sampler set style??

Nope it was just a funky piano rendition.. hard to explain but it worked perfectly got us all to get up and dance like crazy kids

inspireof said:

rafael said:

just curious...how was black sweat performed? Was it sampler set style??

Nope it was just a funky piano rendition.. hard to explain but it worked perfectly got us all to get up and dance like crazy kids

wow...sounds great...

TrevorAyer said:

Was it a real piano, or a shell with electronics in it like he usually favors?

Real piano. A very real piano. Purple, of course.

what lyrics we sung for Dirty Mind???

Dirty Mind Changed lyrics or is the bad boy comming back. Am so jealous of the peeps who where there to here that full setlist sounds awesome. no jealous emoji.

[Edited 1/22/16 11:27am]

paulludvig said:

I've been fortunate to see Prince perform at Paisley many time over the last 20 years. All great, some greater than others, last night was amazing and one of a kind! (Late Show)

Truthfully, I was getting a little tired of Prince events, the band and the new music I'd seen for a couple of years, sure there are always highlights but it was feeling a little tired for me. (I know, I'm spoiled). I think it was getting a little tired for him too actually.

Last night, like who was that guy? Oh yeah, the eccentric, love/lust induced musical extraordinaire that doesn't even exist anymore in music, performing with skills you witness every 100 years or so. To be a rock and funk man holding a captivating 90 minute show with a piano and his voice, true inspiring talent.

Here I am cozied up on a massive purple couch with only 5 other people in a gigantic warehouse, perched above the standing crowd and overlooking the purple piano onto Prince. The mass warehouse somehow feels crazy intimate with the only reminder it's not, from the slight draft in the corner behind me. With couches and the rug, a pool table in another corner, pillows on the floor, it feels like the basement lounge of a large mansion.

Magically appearing from a cloud of smoke which permeates the space, he on piano wearing what seemed like lounge-wear and no other band members to speak off. Nothing but his piano. When the lights go down, for a moment I forget I'm at PP because Paisley Park has never felt so classy, intimate and almost elegant.

So I'm listening to him sing these love songs you NEVER hear him play, and I'm like ouch that was about Mayte, ouch, that one about Manuella, oh yeah, that one was written during his love affair with Nona Gaye.You can hear the slight pain in his voice, you can imagine this is what he does alone on a frozen January night and you can almost conjure up visuals of the great romances of his life. You can feel the years and romances sliding by him as I think about the years and romances sliding by me and those I've experience the Park with.

Call My Name, The Love We Make, Parts of the Dance and Te AMo Corazon, 1,000 hugs and kisses 95 style. He mentions briefly how music is emotional and eludes to songs bringing back memories and needing to lighten it up a bit. You never really get this raw with Prince and his music in concert on piano. Purple Rain when he belts out " I never wanted to be your weekend lover". The ladder, as someone mentioned the rehearsal video back in the day. Yep, exactly as powerful and soulful. Black Sweat, how do you sing that on piano? He just banged on the base cords rolled his hand across the length of the keys screamed black sweat and told us to scream too.

Often at Paisley the speaker system is awesome along with the thumbing base and screaming guitars, tonight the speakers looked a lot more sparse, actually you didn't ever really see them. This added to just focusing on his very crisp voice and the keys. It was like his voice was a lot more clean, you could almost hear every breath. I also though he used the first 15 to 20 minutes to warm up his voice, as it was more flat or straightforward on songs. At one point I was thinking, can he do falsetto with the sound so clean like this. Well after about 15 minutes he stretched it all over the place, trusting his falsetto, screams and deep base. Yep, guys still sings like he's 30. Either that or it was just tipping into midnight and the hours he prefers to really come alive.

One very cool tech thing is that he has a digital device I think implanted on the top of his piano. Something large like Microsoft Surface. As he's singing one song you can see him actually touch and gesture flip through these digital pages looking for the next song he wants to play. In doing so, sometimes he would hold up a song with his vocals to find the next one. Something I think he forgot words or versus but he's so damn talented he just noodles around and you never really know...was that planned. I could be entirely wrong but the way he approached songs and gestured through pages of either notes or lyrics it seemed like he was making the set list up as he went along and where is emotions were taking him at that moment.

It was as if he forgot there were a 1,000 eyes on him and he was singing by himself in his great room, except for the fact early on he says " I can feel you staring" more than a few times. He also played the sing along with a number of songs like Kiss, Raspberry Beret, and others.

The last song of the night "Free urself" I think. And I think it's new, well it shouldn't be new because it sounds a lot like old 80's classic Prince. Melodic and wonderful. If he's cranking out new stuff like this, sign me up again. The new song is an instant classic the whole audience was chanting at the end as he disappeared back into smoke. The chants lasted another 5 minutes until the house lights came on.

Long story short: Captivating and once in a lifetime event and one of the best musical performances I've ever seen. If he brings this show to your town. GO!

augustwinters said:

thankyou for your review. Please Prince, take this worldwide! Then do Guitar and Microphone tour!

robynj said:

friend2001 said:

this may seem like a dumb question. did he walk through the crowd to get to the stage and leaving. i ask because the door he usually uses is way on the other side of the soundstage.........

No, he did not walk through the crowd. He came through the symbol door behind the piano.

robynj said:

TrevorAyer said:

Was it a real piano, or a shell with electronics in it like he usually favors?

Real piano. A very real piano. Purple, of course.

if you seen the pics from earlier in the week, it was his usual keyboard inside the shell

What a unique and amazing show. It was like being in one of those dimly lit piano bars on a cruise ship or something. Totally amazing, mellow night. People sat for the most part and just listened in amazement and sang to themselves except for a few sing-a-longs like Paisley Park, Raspberry Berret and Starfish and Coffee. For all the times we have seen him over the years nothing can compare to this unique experience. Obviously, by and large, I love to see him play with his band, but this was a gratifying change, even if only for a short time. We got to hear so many songs that he has not done in a long time and great variations of some of the songs we do hear often. One had to be present to see everyone singing along to Paisley Park, it turned out to be the song that brought out the most energy of all the sing-a-longs. He even commented that he guesses he has to keep that one in the setlist. What a shock to hear Dirty Mind, The Breakdown was simply amazing and it was great to hear Call my Name. I can go on and on!

Gohi said:

One of the coolest concerts I've ever seen. Felt very personal in a way that I was not expecting at all.

"Peace to David Bowie. I only met him once, but he was really nice to me. Seems like he was that way with everybody. Just wanted to say that."
- Prince

FInnaly, peace of mind for those of you who ere so upset about Prince don't showin up for David Bowie's death, there you got it.

Congratulations to everyone who made it to these historic shows at Paisley Park! Of course, I wish I'd been there, too. Thank you for all of your testimonials and sharing the setlists. This reads like it was a brilliant event, and I hope that Prince has the time and opportunity to take the Piano and a Microphone show on the road.

Everyone really covered all the main parts - it was personal, initimate, and really fun. Prince was relaxed and just seemed to be at ease. The first show (as some have mentioned) was a chronology (of sorts) of his career/life interspersed with personal comments and anecdotes. I call it Prince's version of behind the music The second show was very cool too, but he left out most of the "commentary". Both shows were excellent! Glad he used the piano and mic format and hope he takes it on the road!!

tatocorcu said:

pasquerto said:

I'm here at the airport with my box and the lady asked me about his show. I began telling her all about it and she said 'oh yeah his guitars all came through the airport today'. I said they were coming in or going out? She said they were leaving....any ideas on that one?

Could be the guitars are going to NAMM in LA...

Pink Silk?

Head to Toe?

Photos?

chriss said:

Pink Silk?

Head to Toe?

Photos?

No official photos have been issued to date from last night and:

"Absolutely no cell phone or camera use of any kind will be allowed inside the venue."

Such an amazing and beautiful experience some of you have lived. Wonderful.

[Edited 1/22/16 15:33pm]

So excited about this even though I couldnt go - this is a great new way for Prince to do what he wants in ways that work for him and for fans.

WAY TO GO PRINCE!

udo said:

Aerogram said:

So much for "Prince never plays anything post 1995". Great set list!

.

It is not about the (few!) exceptions but about the rule here.

Sure but he's always accused of not thinking much of his own new songs, of just cranking them to get some more money.

Eye'm SO proud of ! Eye'm just speechless..

Wrote this for my facebook Prince friends so it goes into some stuff that is already discussed a lot here. Edited a tiny bit but if something doesnt make sense here it may because written for a different audience but.... But WOW! Great night!

OK. I've been resting and getting my thoughts together... Last night was AMAZING, unique, stupendous, I'm at a loss for words. The Rolling Stone story is the best review I've seen so far of the early show. Drove out to the Southwest Transit Center and parked. Easy to find, a little rush hour traffic but so privileged to live a half hour or so from Paisley. At first I was worried because the line to the window where they were giving out wristbands was long and disorganized. I thought "No way am I getting to Paisley by 8:00" but lo and behold! Once they got it moving the line went quick, I showed my ID and got wristbands for both shows, boarded a comfy bus and was whisked off to Paisley. I was in by 7:30. VIP tickets had seats in front and to the sides of the stage, also some VIP risers around the edges of the room with big comfy couches etc. General admission folks stood around the sides of the roped off VIP section. However I had VERY good spots for both shows and am glad I did not pay the big bucks to be a VIP. For the first show I was right behind Prince so I could see him playing the piano but a lot of the time was looking at his back. He did move around and turn enough so that it was a great place to watch him. I won't get too into it but the show was very unique. He started out with lots of weird effects and echo on the vocals and keys (It was a grand piano, purple of course, but tricked out with various effects so it was more than just piano) He talked about being three and never thinking he could play piano as well as his Dad, and his parents getting divorced at seven and he was happy because he could now play piano as much as he wanted... well, read the Rolling Stone article for a great write up on all that. It was just so cool to hear him tell these stories and go through parts of his life, obviously getting emotional at times and giving shout outs to David Bowie and Wendy & Lisa, Joni Mitchell etc.... And what a setlist! So great to hear the song Paisley Park IN Paisley Park and sing along on the chorus (last time I saw him do it was in 2002 at one of the Celebration gigs!)
"Batman Theme"
"Baby"
"I Wanna Be Your Lover"
"Dirty Mind"
"Do Me, Baby"
"Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)"
"Free"
"A Case of You" (Joni Mitchell)
"Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" (Traditional)
"The Beautiful Ones"
"U'r Gonna C Me"
"Condition of the Heart"
"Raspberry Beret"
"Paisley Park"
"Sometimes It Snows In April"
"I Love U, But I Don't Trust U Anymore"
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker"
"Unchain My Heart" (Ray Charles)
"Baltimore"
"Rock and Roll Love Affair"
"Starfish and Coffee"
"The Breakdown"
"Anna Stesia"

WHEW!!! Like I said read the article for better reporting than I can give.

On to the second show. Those of us who had wristbands for both shows were able to just stay in the soundstage area!! Cool. I went around and nabbed a spot on the other side of the stage so I could watch Prince's face from the front for show #2. This show did not have any of the stuff about his Dad and childhood that the first show did. Just started out with the song "Wow" and went through a setlist that was perhaps 25% the same as show #1 but 75% different! And some real unexpected surprises too like "The Ladder" and "Black Sweat" During Purple Rain he got a little choked up and said "Wow, I forgot how emotional music can be. Maybe I should have chosen a different set of songs." Then he proceeded to do a bunch more rather emotional songs until he said "OK, one more sad song and I'll get it out of my system" before doing "How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore?" which he only teased in the first show. I was totally into being surprised and having no real wishes or expectations for the setlists however there were two songs I was hoping he might pull out: "Empty Room" and "Electric Intercourse" (yes he did play the latter song ONCE last year!) Alas those did not pop up. However I could not be more pleased with the songs he did. Setlist for show #2:

Wow
The Love We Make
Look at Me, Look at U
1000 X’s and O’s
Call My Name
U'r Gonna C Me
Purple Rain
The Dance
Te Amo Corazon
A Million Days
Nothing Compares 2 U
How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore?
The Ladder
I Wanna Be Your Lover
Raspberry Beret
Starfish and Coffee
Sometimes it Snows in April
Dear Mr. Man
A Case of You (Joni Mitchell)
Kiss
Black Sweat
Free Urself

I bought a physical copy of the new Hit & Run Phase Two CD at the show (so far not sold anywhere else) and after the second show wrapped up right about 1:00 AM was able to hop a bus back to the shuttle lot and be home at the almost reasonable hour of 2:00 AM after witnessing THREE HOURS of Prince performing entire shows by himself for the first time ever in his career. Wow indeed.