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Reply #60 posted 09/02/16 6:27am

OldFriends4Sal
e

[Edited 9/2/16 7:37am]

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Reply #61 posted 09/02/16 6:39am

OldFriends4Sal
e

http://blog.thecurrent.or...st-avenue/

The Revolution power through the pain at first of three reunion shows

by Andrea Swensson · September 2, 2016

Psychologists say that when we lose someone, there are five common stages of grief that we must endure: denial, anger, depression, bargaining, and acceptance.

With no public memorial to speak of in the months since Prince’s passing, that fifth stage has been hard to find. Sure, we had that insane block party the evening of his death, when the entire city wept with shock and disbelief and thousands of us squished together to hug, sing, and dance. And sure, there have been some truly transcendent tributes over these past few months from the NPG, Beyoncé, Morris Day and the Time, the Dixie Chicks, and Sheila E to help nudge us through the fog.

But how could we possibly accept this ridiculous reality? Surely this must just be a riddle, right? Prince has always been known to fall in and out of the spotlight, re-emerging when you least expect him. Maybe this is all some kind of long con; a joke he’d been planning for years, or a marketing ploy for an album he’s been recording while floating above us in space. At any moment he’s bound to beam down, sue us all for watching all of his videos on YouTube, and bust into a knowing laugh.

These are the feelings I’ve been grappling with for a while now, as the nightmare of Prince’s death swelled up all around us and then faded into a persistent ache.

If there’s one thing that we’ve learned for certain in the many weeks that have slipped by since that awful day, it’s that Prince meant a whole lot to a whole lot of people. And not just his fans, but his friends — he had so many friends — the musicians he surrounded himself with, and the women he loved deeply. As tributes continue to roll out, it’s hard not to feel like it’s a piecemeal effort, and that each homage is only capturing a small part of his essence.

I’m elated to report that the Revolution got it exactly right. Which isn’t to say that their first of three reunion shows at First Avenue got close to approaching perfection. But what they managed to capture over the course of their two hours on stage was something so much greater than musical precision: It was a tribute forged out of passion and respect that was executed in a heightened emotional state, and that helped the audience power through every last feeling imaginable.

...

“I encourage every one of you to take every one of these songs and make them your own,” Wendy Melvoin said dramatically at the top of the show, before the band had played a single note. Later, she nodded in approval at the singing crowd and said it again: “That’s right. Take it back. That’s what he wants.”

...

“I’ve been waiting such a bloody long time / to get this close to you,” André sang,...

“We’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Dez Dickerson said, cuing the band up for “1999.” “This is your party, and we’re just happy to be invited.”

The stage cleared after “1999” and only Wendy and Lisa remained, and Wendy picked up an acoustic guitar and instructed the crowd to quiet down. “This is going to be intense,” she warned, but we had no idea what was ahead: an emotionally wrought duet on “Sometimes it Snows in April” that had the whole damn sold-out Mainroom in tears. It was so frail and evocative that I have no idea how Wendy even got through that song, or how she and Lisa are possibly going to perform it two more times, but it was the obvious standout moment of the night. Cars like that don’t pass you every day.

For the encore, Prince’s Purple Rain co-star Apollonia greeted the audience in a sparkly gold gown and tossed handfuls of gold hoop earrings into the crowd, then shimmied around for “Kiss” and an all-star rendition “Baby I’m a Star” that also featured Wendy’s sister (and member of the Family/fDeluxe) Susannah Melvoin, Bilal, André, and Dez all sharing lead. The band lingered on the outro for “Star” for quite a while, with Wendy appearing to stall and hold the band in an extended groove while Apollonia called more and more people to the stage, including both of Prince’s ex-wives, Mayte Garcia and Manuela Testolini, and his younger brother, Omarr, who was wearing light-up sneakers in tribute. Finally, Wendy relented, the song wrapped, and everyone except the core five members of the Revolution left the stage.

There was only one song left to play, and no one really seemed ready to play it, which made the moment even more tenuous. Wendy got things going on guitar, turning her delay way up so those iconic opening chords bounced all around the room, then stepped up to the microphone with her eyes closed and face strained. Every line grew in emotion like a snowball, and those familiar stanzas seemed to take on a whole new significance as she wailed them out into the room: “Honey, I know, I know things are changing / It’s time we all reach out for something new / That means you too / You say you want a leader / But you can’t seem to make up your mind.” The guitar solo came and went, the oohs and ahhs found their home on our lips, and everyone reached out their hands and swayed from side to side.

That rendition of “Purple Rain” was, in all honesty, pretty stilted and awkward. But it was also unexpectedly healing. As I listened to Wendy falter and fumble around her fret board, and as the rhythmic momentum of the song folded in on itself and plodded, it all hit me: This was acceptance. The Revolution, in all their pained, poignant, imperfect glory, were the ones to finally help me find it.

Prince is really gone. No one will ever play “Purple Rain” that way again, not even the ones who helped record it. No one will ever play guitar that way again. Everyone Prince touched in his life loved him so much, maybe more than he ever knew, and now that he’s gone we’re all just doing our best to love each other, and to find peace in ourselves. Even when it doesn’t feel like it, something tells me that we’re all going to be okay. And if you know what I’m singing about up here, c’mon and raise your hand.

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Reply #62 posted 09/02/16 6:58am

laurarichardso
n

callimnate said:

From what I saw online, the band and the music sounded like the Revolution of old which was just cool .


So good that you sometimes wished Wendy would let the crowd sing instead of herself. And I dont mean that in a bad way.

Prince SHOULD'VE done this show. It pisses me off that he oposed the idea. mad neutral

One complain I always had with P's shows in the past 10 years, is that there were too many medleys and too much razzmatazz.
These Revolution shows are traight up raw, songs from start to finish, and just like they were back in the days.
Thats what makes them so exciting.


Im so angry that P never played one more time with them.


sad


--- He wanted to move forward. The last productions and shows he did were some of his best.
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Reply #63 posted 09/02/16 7:02am

OldFriends4Sal
e

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Reply #64 posted 09/02/16 7:09am

callimnate

avatar

laurarichardson said:

callimnate said:

From what I saw online, the band and the music sounded like the Revolution of old which was just cool .

So good that you sometimes wished Wendy would let the crowd sing instead of herself. And I dont mean that in a bad way.

Prince SHOULD'VE done this show. It pisses me off that he oposed the idea. mad neutral

One complain I always had with P's shows in the past 10 years, is that there were too many medleys and too much razzmatazz.
These Revolution shows are traight up raw, songs from start to finish, and just like they were back in the days.
Thats what makes them so exciting.

Im so angry that P never played one more time with them.

sad

--- He wanted to move forward. The last productions and shows he did were some of his best.


I agree. But there should always be time to revisit old times and friends. Especially when they/it never did him no harm.

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Reply #65 posted 09/02/16 7:47am

StrangeButTrue

avatar

Feelings all over mushy

if it was just a dream, call me a dreamer 2
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Reply #66 posted 09/02/16 8:00am

kaine

OldFriends4Sale said:

The Revolution’s full First Avenue setlist was:

Let’s Go Crazy

Computer Blue

Mountains

Do It All Night

Let’s Work

Partyup

Uptown

Little Red Corvette

1999

Sometimes It Snows in April

Raspberry Beret

The Beautiful Ones

Private Joy

When Doves Cry

Controversy

Kiss

Baby I’m a Star

Purple Rain



You left out AMERICA. I think it was before Mountains.
1980-Present
First album bought: Controversy
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Reply #67 posted 09/02/16 8:04am

OldFriends4Sal
e

kaine said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

The Revolution’s full First Avenue setlist was:

Let’s Go Crazy

Computer Blue

Mountains

Do It All Night

Let’s Work

Partyup

Uptown

Little Red Corvette

1999

Sometimes It Snows in April

Raspberry Beret

The Beautiful Ones

Private Joy

When Doves Cry

Controversy

Kiss

Baby I’m a Star

Purple Rain

You left out AMERICA. I think it was before Mountains.

oh, thanks, will correct

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Reply #68 posted 09/02/16 8:04am

Krystalkisses

avatar

OldFriends4Sale said:

[Edited 9/2/16 7:37am]

I love Apollonia! It is so cool she is there. What a gracious woman to make time for Mpls. She will always be my favorite "Prince" girl! heart

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Reply #69 posted 09/02/16 8:05am

chookalana

avatar

I stream it live. Enjoy:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/89003713361?view=permalink&id=10155129451813362

"So strange that no one stayed at the end of the Parade..." - Wendy & Lisa's "Song About" on their 1987 self-titled album.
uzi RIAA
mac 'nuff said.
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Reply #70 posted 09/02/16 8:09am

OldFriends4Sal
e

The Revolution’s full First Avenue setlist was:

Let’s Go Crazy

Computer Blue

America

Mountains

Do It All Night

Let’s Work

Partyup

Uptown

Little Red Corvette

1999

Sometimes It Snows in April

Raspberry Beret

The Beautiful Ones

Private Joy

When Doves Cry

Controversy

Kiss

Baby I’m a Star

Purple Rain

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Reply #71 posted 09/02/16 8:21am

laurarichardso
n

callimnate said:



laurarichardson said:


callimnate said:

From what I saw online, the band and the music sounded like the Revolution of old which was just cool .


So good that you sometimes wished Wendy would let the crowd sing instead of herself. And I dont mean that in a bad way.

Prince SHOULD'VE done this show. It pisses me off that he oposed the idea. mad neutral

One complain I always had with P's shows in the past 10 years, is that there were too many medleys and too much razzmatazz.
These Revolution shows are traight up raw, songs from start to finish, and just like they were back in the days.
Thats what makes them so exciting.


Im so angry that P never played one more time with them.


sad



--- He wanted to move forward. The last productions and shows he did were some of his best.


I agree. But there should always be time to revisit old times and friends. Especially when they/it never did him no harm.


-/- I don't he was trying to do them any harm. He changed up bands and genre all the time to keep moving forward. As seasoned musicians I think they understood that. Just a few months ago that I listened to an interview with Matt Fink and he would gladly work for Prince anytime so I doubt the feelings were hard. The family was even at this show so now we can put Jill Jones comments aside.
[Edited 9/2/16 8:25am]
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Reply #72 posted 09/02/16 8:29am

OldFriends4Sal
e

Hearing Computer Blue live again headbang

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Reply #73 posted 09/02/16 8:29am

tish9311

I hope tonight's show gets streamed. This could be healing for all. I will be on.

Beautiful, Loved and Blessed

Thank You Prince
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Reply #74 posted 09/02/16 8:30am

JudasLChrist

avatar

There's a lot to say about this show... but I just want to put out that Sometimes it Snows in April was CRAZY beautiful, and Wendy's vocal delivery was grounded, heartfelt, and it gave me goosebumps.

[Edited 9/2/16 8:58am]

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Reply #75 posted 09/02/16 8:31am

OldFriends4Sal
e

tish9311 said:

I hope tonight's show gets streamed. This could be healing for all. I will be on.

check out reply #69

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Reply #76 posted 09/02/16 8:33am

NinaB

avatar

chookalana said:

I stream it live. Enjoy:


https://www.facebook.com/groups/89003713361?view=permalink&id=10155129451813362


Link's not working 4 me confuse
"We just let people talk & say whatever they want 2 say. 9 times out of 10, trust me, what's out there now, I wouldn't give nary one of these folks the time of day. That's why I don't say anything back, because there's so much that's wrong" - P, Dec '15
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Reply #77 posted 09/02/16 8:35am

paulludvig

http://m.startribune.com/revolution-grieves-rather-than-celebrates-prince-in-reunion-concert-at-first-avenue/392118781/

By JON BREAM , STAR TRIBUNE
September 02, 2016 - 6:40 AM

Revolution grieves rather than celebrates Prince in reunion concert at First Avenue

It’s hard. It’s terribly hard. It’s harder than anyone in the Revolution imagined.

They know no one can ever replace Prince. He was singular. In so many ways. There was no one like him in the history of rock ’n’ roll.

The Revolution — his 1980s heyday band — couldn’t get past their grief for much of Thursday’s reunion concert at First Avenue, the first of three soldout shows scheduled this weekend. Their leader was gone. He died April 21 at age 57. There was a void in so many ways — spiritually, musically, dynamically and even visually. There was a massive hole in the center of the stage.

Guitarist Wendy Melvoin tried to serve as the de facto leader or at least the spokesperson and principal lead singer.

“Take every one of these songs and make them your own,” Melvoin, 52, urged the packed club where “Purple Rain,” the movie that launched Prince into international stardom, was filmed.

...

Then she and the Revolution tore into the opening “Let’s Go Crazy,” the “Purple Rain” hit. There was lots of stage fog and purple lights and sadness. Palpable sadness.

Try as she might to buoy her spirits and those of the 1,500 First Avenue-goers, Melvoin seemed spent, dispirited and even musically flat at times. The first few songs — including “Computer Blue,” “America” and ‘‘Mountains” — seemed too low, too bottom heavy, too Prince-less.

...

Then Melvoin introduced Andre Cymone and Dez Dickerson, members of Prince’s pre-Revolution band.

“If Prince saw this right now, he’d be in tears,” Melvoin declared, grasping at a way of defining the moment and the mood.

If nothing else, Cymone and Dickerson brought energy and a sense of how a frontman should command the stage. They knew how to seize the moment even if they knew it wasn’t their stage.

During “Let’s Work,” Cymone thumped his bass the way Prince did — Larry Graham style. Cymone had a higher voice than Melvoin, which helped elevate “Uptown” and “Little Red Corvette,” two early ’80s Prince tunes.

After all these effervescent numbers, Melvoin tried to dial it down with “Sometimes It Snows in April,” an acoustic guitar selection that was too quiet and too poignant for the room. She seemed to be on the verge of tears as her voice choked up while she sang Prince’s words, “Always cry from love, never cry from pain.”

Then after she crooned the final lines — “Sometimes I wish that life was never ending/ But all good things, they say, never last” — she played a long and lovely outro on her acoustic guitar and looked skyward.

If that soft-spoken ballad was heartbreaking, the ensuing performances by guest singer Bilal, a 37-year-old soul man from Philadelphia, reminded the crowd and the Revolution how much Prince is missed. With a striking falsetto, Bilal delivered a beautiful rendition of “The Beautiful Ones” and a delicious reading of “Kiss” (though he’s no Princely dancer). On the latter number, Melvoin finally found her comfort zone on her signature guitar passage.

Now in the right frame of mind, she invited Prince’s extended family onstage — his ex-wives Mayte Garcia and Manuela Testolini, brother Omarr Baker, “Purple Rain” costar Apollonia and ex-fiancee Susannah Melvoin (Wendy’s twin sister) — for a festive “Baby, I’m a Star.”

Then, using Prince’s Telecaster with the leopard-pattern pick guard, Wendy Melvoin unleashed “Purple Rain” in the same club where she made her debut with Prince in 1983 playing that same song. It was quite moving, though not as goosebump-inducingly magical as Prince.

At song’s end she introduced the Revolution members — Mark Brown, Dr. Fink, Bobby Z, Lisa Coleman, herself. She then paused and said “and Prince.”

After two hours, it seemed like the grieving was over. Now the next two nights at First Avenue can be about celebrating.

[Edited 9/2/16 8:36am]

The wooh is on the one!
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Reply #78 posted 09/02/16 8:38am

Dauphin

avatar
Any info in merchandise?

Wondering how much cash to bring, and where to stash it while I dance and bawl
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Still it's nice to know, when our bodies wear out, we can get another

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Reply #79 posted 09/02/16 8:52am

1Sasha

I am so grateful they are doing this. If they were to ever tour - small venues, etc. - I would love to see them.

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Reply #80 posted 09/02/16 9:01am

OldFriends4Sal
e

NinaB said:

chookalana said:

I stream it live. Enjoy:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/89003713361?view=permalink&id=10155129451813362

Link's not working 4 me confuse

Are you a member of that FB group? I wonder if that is why... I'm watching it live now

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Reply #81 posted 09/02/16 9:03am

TrivialPursuit

avatar

OldFriends4Sale said:


That's the shot right there, isn't it? Looks so much like the opening of Purple Rain when "Let's Go Crazy" kicked in, and the camera pans into the room.

Sorry, it's the Hodgkin's talking.
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Reply #82 posted 09/02/16 9:03am

NinaB

avatar

OldFriends4Sale said:



NinaB said:


chookalana said:

I stream it live. Enjoy:


https://www.facebook.com/groups/89003713361?view=permalink&id=10155129451813362



Link's not working 4 me confuse


Are you a member of that FB group? I wonder if that is why... I'm watching it live now


I don't know the name of the group, I'm a member of quite a few groups
"We just let people talk & say whatever they want 2 say. 9 times out of 10, trust me, what's out there now, I wouldn't give nary one of these folks the time of day. That's why I don't say anything back, because there's so much that's wrong" - P, Dec '15
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Reply #83 posted 09/02/16 9:07am

JoeyCococo

I thought this would not be good but I think is miscalculated...to have so many former band mates/friends in a small club would have been perfect to complete this grieving process.

Damn.

So far, only Bilal's version of The Beautiful Ones at BET is the only one that blew my mind. I loved everything at BET ...and the more I watch Janelle's performance, the more I realize it was the most incredible.

I wonder if Bilal could go on tour with this line up and play it off convincingly.

Long live Prince's memory. The greatest.

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Reply #84 posted 09/02/16 9:12am

OldFriends4Sal
e

NinaB said:

OldFriends4Sale said:

Are you a member of that FB group? I wonder if that is why... I'm watching it live now

I don't know the name of the group, I'm a member of quite a few groups


NPG Music Club [Rebirth]

U copied the link and pasted it?

Just listening 2 Sometimes It Snows In April

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Reply #85 posted 09/02/16 9:15am

OldFriends4Sal
e

TrivialPursuit said:

OldFriends4Sale said:


That's the shot right there, isn't it? Looks so much like the opening of Purple Rain when "Let's Go Crazy" kicked in, and the camera pans into the room.

YES!! I'm going to find that image

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Reply #86 posted 09/02/16 9:30am

NinaB

avatar

OldFriends4Sale said:



NinaB said:


OldFriends4Sale said:



Are you a member of that FB group? I wonder if that is why... I'm watching it live now



I don't know the name of the group, I'm a member of quite a few groups


NPG Music Club [Rebirth]



U copied the link and pasted it?



Just listening 2 Sometimes It Snows In April


Thanks, found it.
"We just let people talk & say whatever they want 2 say. 9 times out of 10, trust me, what's out there now, I wouldn't give nary one of these folks the time of day. That's why I don't say anything back, because there's so much that's wrong" - P, Dec '15
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Reply #87 posted 09/02/16 9:38am

malbena

OldFriends4Sale said:

[Edited 9/2/16 7:37am]

Stunning!!!!!!!!!!!! sexy sexy

This is my normal life. These marital standards cannot be recreated with money.
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Reply #88 posted 09/02/16 9:39am

TrivialPursuit

avatar

OldFriends4Sale said:

[Edited 9/2/16 7:36am]


Who was ol' boy on the right, in the top hat? I heard Wendy introduce him, and was to the site of the stage near Lisa a lot of the time.

Sorry, it's the Hodgkin's talking.
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Reply #89 posted 09/02/16 9:40am

TrivialPursuit

avatar

So wait - did anyone see Jill Jones outside protest with a bullhorn? Or no? lol lol

Sorry, it's the Hodgkin's talking.
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