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House Of Pancakes Concert Review First off, contrary to popular belief, Prince's concert last night was not at the IHOP at the corner of Sunset and La Brea... :O
Secondly, my ears are still numb...practically deaf, can't even hear my fingers typing on the keyboard...The HOB is most definitely LOUD... Lastly, it was an excellent 3 hour performance, lots of energy, lots of highlights, and (unfortunately) lots of covers (well, a few anyway...)... Before the concert: normal stuff, waiting in line, cold outside, lots of people you'd swear never owned a single Prince album in their entire lives waiting to see the man...spent time imagining that the skinny, mohawk-topped, eyeliner-wearing new-waver back in 1984 somehow turned into the overweight, balding Wells Fargo assistant branch manager I saw standing in front of me...and I swore one 50 year old Phillipino woman brought her mom with her. After moving closer to the entrance, Prince's limo pulled up and the man himself popped out and into the HOB to everyone's clapping and cheering...back towards the rear of the line where I was, Morris Day walked into another entrance as about 3 people clapped and one guy yelled out "Morris!"...I think the limo driver got a bigger response. During the concert: more normal stuff, hanging around waiting impatiently for the concert to start...I stood by the steps, having a perfect view of everything that would follow...a short, flaky and irritating blonde woman named Fiona who works for LA Weekly magazine stood right in front of me, asking me if she could cuz she was "short"...I said sure, and then immediately regretted it...she yakked up a storm as the concert began, and I couldn't make out a single word she said...kept having to lean down and say "Huh??" over and over again...She yammered on about being from Canada, and how the thing that's wrong with Americans is that they never travel to Europe or anywhere outside the country...I kept to myself that I was going to Australia next month, for fear that it would only make her talk even more...One time we almost kissed, for fuck's sake, cuz I had to lean in so damn close to her ear(leaning over her right shoulder to listen), and as I turned my head to the left to respond, she turned hers to her left as well...and our lips were no more than a millimeter apart, tops...I yanked my head back REAL quick, and said "Sorry!!"...she grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze, and said "It's ok!"...all I could think was "Let go of my hand"...Another woman standing next to me on my left, and who looked amazingly like Susannah Hoffs, only sexier, would look over at me, silently shoot her eyes over to Fiona, then give me this look that said "I'm feel sorry for ya, pal.."...I returned to her a look that said "Shoot me..."...Fiona, thankfully, left to go "find the people she arrived with" about 5 minutes after Prince took stage... As for the music, it was more of the same, which is mainly Prince and band tearing thru pretty much everything they decided to play...Started off the show with some jazzy instrumental, with Prince still back stage...Maceo, Greg and Candy held the stage with authority...I think I have a crush on Candy...  ..and I swear one time she looked right at me, smiled, and wink...well, it was more of a blink, really...and she might have been sneezing, not smiling...and she actually was looking at the beer bar, not me...come to think of it, she did look kinda thirsty up there...but still, there was no hiding the sparks flowing between Candy and I...it was a little embarassing.
After Prince strolled onto the stage during the instrumental (again, to thunderous applause) and teasing everyone with his guitar, the song morphed into "Shhh", which was drop-dead perfection!! MG, that song is extraordinary live...Prince's vocals were strong...and his guitar solo at the end??...oh my stinkin' lord...Everything about that song was fantastic...made me wanna play my "Gold Experience" CD right then and there...made me wish he had played more songs from that CD as well. Can't remember the setlist, and I'm sure someone with a head that's not full of mush this morning will provide it promptly...but highights (for me, anyway) were "Sign O' The Times", done with this constant vibrating groove in place of the normal percolating beat, and Maceo soloed during it to jazz it up some..."Let's Work", which I'd never heard live before...gave goosebumps hearing those two intense blasts of synth that kick off the song..."The Beautiful Ones", complete with Prince nailing the emotional agony screams at the end as he literally "begged down on his knees", then begged on his back like he did in "Purple Rain"...Um...shit, I know there's more...I'd glazing over right now, tho..."Kiss" and "U Got The Look" were nice, and "The Question Of U" was close to stunning... Also, Prince did "The Ride" with alternate lyrics that were a crack up, at one point asking his imaginary lover "Don't mean to ask you, baby...but is that your breath, or is that mine??/I had the regular chips/but you had the other kind"...All I could think was 
At one point, Prince was joined on stage about 5 women who were dancing behind him...he picked them out of the audience, and the first one came up on stage while he was at the other end searching for more dancers...she ran up behind him, he turned and saw her, shooed her back over to the center of the stage...everyone laughed...except Candy, who was too busy giving me the eye  ...Then, during this song Prince was suddenly joined onstage by Angie Stone, who proceeded to sing "Funkin' for no reason" over and over again with complete and utter soulfulness...whatta voice! Right after that, a crackhead apparently wandered off the streets and strolled up onstage, which surprised me...come to find out that it was no crackhead at all, but was actually Macy Gray...Angie handed the mic over to her, and she too sang "Funkin' for no reason" over and over, along with "Shakin' for no reason", at which time one of the dancers from the audience began doing just that, turning her back to us all and doing her best Mayte-ass-shakin' imitation...Shortly after that, I think Nikka Costa came on stage as well(looked like her, anyway...if not, someone correct me here)...Macy hugged her and handed her the mic, but either Prince forgot she was up there, or he just changed his mind, because he launched into the rest of the song without giving her a chance to sing...Poor Nikka... 
The concert had 2 or 3 encores...I lost track...and unfortunately the bulk of the encores featured cover tunes, so it lacked the emotional wallop that would have come with hearing our favorite Prince songs, or with hearing something new (like, oh, "Musicology", which he didn't sing...dad gummit...or did he??...)...By the time we left, it was 3am, my ears were deadened and funked into submission...I texted-messaged Sweeny telling her that the concert lasted "3 fuckin' hours", and then walked back to my car surrounded by nothing but empty streets and one solitary bikerider... So, anyway...there ya go...unfortunately, no pancakes were served during the performance. Now...time to go call Candy.  | |
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great and funny review, Byron. you should be the regular Org concert critic. | |
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wow, you people are so lucky!! how I would love to see Prince perform in a small venue like that...sigh
great review byron! sweet and very funny, especially the part when you almost kissed that annoying woman 
thanks god she left soon and didn´t end up ruining the whole concert for you... | |
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Byron said: somehow turned into the overweight, balding Wells Fargo assistant branch manager I saw standing in front of me...
hey, that was J7 from the bumpsquad N U R wrong!! he is no Wells Fargo assistant branch manager!! 
PEACE N B WiLD!!! 4jamiestarr | |
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EXCELLENT encapsulation of the night...
don't forget... Wendy and Bobby Z having a hard time getting past the red carpet security, and Wendy shouting to the waiting fans in line: "Hey, if we can't get in... good luck!" I don't know if they ever made it in but I never saw them inside! And P.Diddy making a show of himself during the encores... his security cleared way so he could sit off to the side of the dancefloor with Naomi Campbell. Naomi got into it and danced, Puffy stood on his chair to applaud and let everyone know he was there in his white suit and bling. Oh yeah, and one of the most Amazing Prince concerts I've ever been to! I can't believe how much he still loves performing, and how much fun he has! Not one to forget! [This message was edited Mon Feb 9 13:33:10 PST 2004 by ProtegeGlow] |
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word Byron - thanks for the review!
anyone gonna post the setlist? After a 3hr show, I'd guess it would be pretty extensive? | |
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Byron said: First off, contrary to popular belief, Prince's concert last night was not at the IHOP at the corner of Sunset and La Brea... :O
Secondly, my ears are still numb...practically deaf, can't even hear my fingers typing on the keyboard...The HOB is most definitely LOUD... Lastly, it was an excellent 3 hour performance, lots of energy, lots of highlights, and (unfortunately) lots of covers (well, a few anyway...)... Before the concert: normal stuff, waiting in line, cold outside, lots of people you'd swear never owned a single Prince album in their entire lives waiting to see the man...spent time imagining that the skinny, mohawk-topped, eyeliner-wearing new-waver back in 1984 somehow turned into the overweight, balding Wells Fargo assistant branch manager I saw standing in front of me...and I swore one 50 year old Phillipino woman brought her mom with her. After moving closer to the entrance, Prince's limo pulled up and the man himself popped out and into the HOB to everyone's clapping and cheering...back towards the rear of the line where I was, Morris Day walked into another entrance as about 3 people clapped and one guy yelled out "Morris!"...I think the limo driver got a bigger response. During the concert: more normal stuff, hanging around waiting impatiently for the concert to start...I stood by the steps, having a perfect view of everything that would follow...a short, flaky and irritating blonde woman named Fiona who works for LA Weekly magazine stood right in front of me, asking me if she could cuz she was "short"...I said sure, and then immediately regretted it...she yakked up a storm as the concert began, and I couldn't make out a single word she said...kept having to lean down and say "Huh??" over and over again...She yammered on about being from Canada, and how the thing that's wrong with Americans is that they never travel to Europe or anywhere outside the country...I kept to myself that I was going to Australia next month, for fear that it would only make her talk even more...One time we almost kissed, for fuck's sake, cuz I had to lean in so damn close to her ear(leaning over her right shoulder to listen), and as I turned my head to the left to respond, she turned hers to her left as well...and our lips were no more than a millimeter apart, tops...I yanked my head back REAL quick, and said "Sorry!!"...she grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze, and said "It's ok!"...all I could think was "Let go of my hand"...Another woman standing next to me on my left, and who looked amazingly like Susannah Hoffs, only sexier, would look over at me, silently shoot her eyes over to Fiona, then give me this look that said "I'm feel sorry for ya, pal.."...I returned to her a look that said "Shoot me..."...Fiona, thankfully, left to go "find the people she arrived with" about 5 minutes after Prince took stage... As for the music, it was more of the same, which is mainly Prince and band tearing thru pretty much everything they decided to play...Started off the show with some jazzy instrumental, with Prince still back stage...Maceo, Greg and Candy held the stage with authority...I think I have a crush on Candy... ..and I swear one time she looked right at me, smiled, and wink...well, it was more of a blink, really...and she might have been sneezing, not smiling...and she actually was looking at the beer bar, not me...come to think of it, she did look kinda thirsty up there...but still, there was no hiding the sparks flowing between Candy and I...it was a little embarassing.
After Prince strolled onto the stage during the instrumental (again, to thunderous applause) and teasing everyone with his guitar, the song morphed into "Shhh", which was drop-dead perfection!! MG, that song is extraordinary live...Prince's vocals were strong...and his guitar solo at the end??...oh my stinkin' lord...Everything about that song was fantastic...made me wanna play my "Gold Experience" CD right then and there...made me wish he had played more songs from that CD as well. Can't remember the setlist, and I'm sure someone with a head that's not full of mush this morning will provide it promptly...but highights (for me, anyway) were "Sign O' The Times", done with this constant vibrating groove in place of the normal percolating beat, and Maceo soloed during it to jazz it up some..."Let's Work", which I'd never heard live before...gave goosebumps hearing those two intense blasts of synth that kick off the song..."The Beautiful Ones", complete with Prince nailing the emotional agony screams at the end as he literally "begged down on his knees", then begged on his back like he did in "Purple Rain"...Um...shit, I know there's more...I'd glazing over right now, tho..."Kiss" and "U Got The Look" were nice, and "The Question Of U" was close to stunning... Also, Prince did "The Ride" with alternate lyrics that were a crack up, at one point asking his imaginary lover "Don't mean to ask you, baby...but is that your breath, or is that mine??/I had the regular chips/but you had the other kind"...All I could think was
At one point, Prince was joined on stage about 5 women who were dancing behind him...he picked them out of the audience, and the first one came up on stage while he was at the other end searching for more dancers...she ran up behind him, he turned and saw her, shooed her back over to the center of the stage...everyone laughed...except Candy, who was too busy giving me the eye ...Then, during this song Prince was suddenly joined onstage by Angie Stone, who proceeded to sing "Funkin' for no reason" over and over again with complete and utter soulfulness...whatta voice! Right after that, a crackhead apparently wandered off the streets and strolled up onstage, which surprised me...come to find out that it was no crackhead at all, but was actually Macy Gray...Angie handed the mic over to her, and she too sang "Funkin' for no reason" over and over, along with "Shakin' for no reason", at which time one of the dancers from the audience began doing just that, turning her back to us all and doing her best Mayte-ass-shakin' imitation...Shortly after that, I think Nikka Costa came on stage as well(looked like her, anyway...if not, someone correct me here)...Macy hugged her and handed her the mic, but either Prince forgot she was up there, or he just changed his mind, because he launched into the rest of the song without giving her a chance to sing...Poor Nikka...
The concert had 2 or 3 encores...I lost track...and unfortunately the bulk of the encores featured cover tunes, so it lacked the emotional wallop that would have come with hearing our favorite Prince songs, or with hearing something new (like, oh, "Musicology", which he didn't sing...dad gummit...or did he??...)...By the time we left, it was 3am, my ears were deadened and funked into submission...I texted-messaged Sweeny telling her that the concert lasted "3 fuckin' hours", and then walked back to my car surrounded by nothing but empty streets and one solitary bikerider... So, anyway...there ya go...unfortunately, no pancakes were served during the performance. Now...time to go call Candy. --- Kick ass review much better than the other HOB review on this board. You guys must have gone to different shows. | |
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ProtegeGlow said: EXCELLENT encapsulation of the night...
don't forget... Wendy and Bobby Z having a hard time getting past the red carpet security, and Wendy shouting to the waiting fans in line: "Hey, if we can't get in... good luck!" I don't know if they ever made it in but I never saw them inside! And P.Diddy making a show of himself during the encores... his security cleared way so he could sit off to the side of the dancefloor with Naomi Campbell. Naomi got into it and danced, Puffy stood on his chair to applaud and let everyone know he was there in his white suit and bling. Oh yeah, and one of the most Amazing Prince concerts I've ever been to! I can't believe how much he still loves performing, and how much fun he has! Not one to forget! Is THAT what was going on??...Everyone was looking up and pointing, but I couldn't tell at what...as for Bobby Z and Wendy, I couldn't tell what was going on there, either..lol...Thanks for clearing that up. | |
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Excelent report! 2 funny! klick | |
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Did you get Sweeny's money back?   Proud member of Prince's cult for 20 years! | |
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Great review!! 
Thanks Byron. 
Too funny!  When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading. | |
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LittlePill said: Did you get Sweeny's money back?
D'oh! | |
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Milty said: great and funny review, Byron. you should be the regular Org concert critic.
Only if it gets me free tickets...  | |
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What the hell kinda chips is he talking about? What's "the other kind"?? I'm L7 baby, clue me in
Glad you got to go WB, you lucky LA bastards
. [This message was edited Tue Feb 10 2:50:56 PST 2004 by CalhounSq]  I never met you, but I LOVE you & I will forever!! Thank you for being YOU - my little Princey, the best to EVER do it | |
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What no PANCAKES!!  
Shit, I'd demand a refund. Glad you had fun Hon   In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular. |
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ProtegeGlow said:[quote]EXCELLENT encapsulation of the night...
don't forget... Wendy and Bobby Z having a hard time getting past the red carpet security, and Wendy shouting to the waiting fans in line: "Hey, if we can't get in... good luck!" I don't know if they ever made it in but I never saw them inside! What? Wendy was at the HOB gig??? I'd better scan the org for those inevitable Revolution reunion threads...! | |
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Milty said: great and funny review, Byron. you should be the regular Org concert critic.
co-sign! In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular. |
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