It's two in the morning and I'm drunk.

I haven't had a drop to drink, other than a nasty little can of Caffeine Free Diet Coke I'm sippin' on as I write this. But I'm still buzzing like a fool.

I just got back from seeing Prince perform at Assembly Hall in Champaign, Illinois.

I just got back from my FRONT ROW SEATS from where I watched Prince perform. Not just any front row seats, mind you, but seats positioned directly in front of the entryway from which Prince entered and exited the stage at the beginning and end of the show. Where the horn section entered and exited throughout the show, and hung out when they weren't needed on stage. Where I shook hands with Mr. Blackwell and wished him a good show beforehand, and from where he gave me and TheOrgerFormerlyKnownAs drumsticks after the show. From where I, probably for the only time in my life, made a blip of eye contact and a smile with the artist whose music has been a huge part of my life for over half the time I've been drawing breath on this planet.

So maybe you'll understand why I'm just a little bit tipsy right now.

I don't know where to start in terms of what I saw. It was very much like the LA simulcast performance, and from what I've been reading about other shows and from what I saw tonight, the structure of the show is indeed pretty rigid and doesn't allow for a lot of surprises. We didn't get The Beautiful Ones tonight, and there mighta been a couple of other songs from the simulcast that we didn't get, but it was pretty much the same gig.

But my jaw did drop a few times. And not just from having Prince blur past me on his way on and off stage.

I wasn't expecting an acoustic performance of "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man". I wasn't expecting him to lay another guitar in to rest in a frenzied act of electric psychodrama (a la the Alladin DVD). As familiar as the show seemed after watching the simulcast and reading folks deconstruct it over and over and over on the discussion forums, Prince and the NPG still managed to make the show fresh and spontaneous. And, ya know, you can see it on a screen and you can talk about it till you're blue in the face, but nothing beats being there and seeing it with your own two eyes, right in front of you.

Now, about this front row thing.

You all know about the whole set-up with buying tix through NPGMC - you don't know where you're gonna be sitting till you pick up your tix the day of the show. I honestly was not counting on having the greatest seats in the world. It's just my karma, it's how it usually goes for me. I'm happy with what I get, and I make do with whatever seats I manage to score. I was in denial for about two hours after I opened up my will call envelope and saw those little number "1"s printed on my tix. TOFKA, meanwhile, burst into tears of joy while I escaped to my freaked-out private little mental happy place.

Twenty years of support and patience and tolerance and crappy-to-so-so seats at his shows over the years, and periods of not really feeling what Prince was all about but buying his music on the day of release anyway, and years of playing devil's advocate about his crazy butt to friends and co-workers and even other fans, and this is what I get in return. I can't help but feel like what I experienced tonight was the culmination of years and years and years of waiting for that one cathartic moment that sums up everything I love about Prince and his music.

I could have crappy-to-so-so seats for every show of his I see for the rest of my life, and that would be okay. I had my moment tonight. That was all I needed.

Pretty much, everything after tonight is gonna be gravy. But that's cool - I love me some gravy.

I just wish I could time-travel to April 1, 1985 and find my 13-year-old self up in the nosebleeds at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana when my mother took me to see the Purple Rain tour, my first ever concert and the night that this whole Prince kick really set in for me as something beyond a kid's rock star obsession of the week. I'd just wanna let mini-Anxiety know that hanging in there for the long haul is gonna have its rewards.

Maybe I was able to make that trip through time, and I don't remember the conversation. I'm not up on all that H.G. Wells jive, don'tcha know. Maybe that's why I'm in the position to type all this now.

I'm a very, very, VERY happy person right now. It's all been worth it, the highs and the lows, the Tony Ms and the silly movies and even enduring Tommy Barbarella flying across the stage on wires, just to experience what I had the honor of seeing and hearing and feeling tonight.

I know other people have better tales to tell, and there are bigger fans who have spent more time and money and invested a lot more in their love of this artist than I have. I know there are many, many, many people who have had a similar experience to the one I've had tonight. But geez...I can't help but think that there's no way to properly share or describe the feeling of coming full circle, of finally feeling that rush of excitement and catharsis of knowing that it just doesn't get a whole lot better than this. I'm grateful just to know what that feels like.

And the drumstick I got from Mr. Blackwell tonight is going to be a gift to my mother, who not only is the person who took me to my first Prince show when I was a kid, but is also a former rock drummer herself. I will give it to her on Monday, April 12, before we go see Prince perform in Indianapolis, almost 20 years after the first time we saw him and the Revolution together.

And I'm already hungry for my gravy...




my edits were FINE back in the day....
[This message was edited Sun Apr 11 1:31:45 2004 by Anxiety]

Cool story, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself!

Shit, you got me with that!

Cool stuff mate!

Bra-fucking-vo. I think you just spoke for more than a few people...and I'm sure there are many others who will soon feel the same way. Of course none of us will be as eloquent.

I kept looking over at you guys, with TOFKA grinning like a cheshire cat the WHOLE TIME, and Anxiety just looking like...well, looking like he was in his own freaked out happy mental place.

Somebody needed to write something special to commemmorate last night, and you did it up right. Have fun in Indy. Make yo mama happy.

Prince is really kicking ass this time around, isn't he?
Honestly, I'm really glad that you has/have such a great time! I'm 20 and a fan since around 5 years but, damn, I can feel what you're writing.
If only it wasn't such a long time until he MIGHT come over to Europe.

I wish I could have been there when it all began.

Yaeh, Anxiety, great story! I must have been just a few (4 or 5) seats away from you, in the front row. I had bought two tickets, and those were second row in a different section, while my friend's ticket was near you in the front. At first, all three of us tried to hang out in the second row seats, but a bunch of people started to sit down before the acoustic set, and so I traded with my friend. There wasn't a bad seat in the house, but it was very cool to wind up so close to where the band exited after the show.

It was an exciting, masterful performance-- Prince is really in command and enjoying himself. I saw him play in the round on the LOVESEXY tour, and while that was great, this is so much better because he seems even more in tune with his audience-- less hiding behind theatrics, and more connection.

The highlight of this show for me was when he was sitting, playing I COULD NEVER TAKE THE PLACE OF YOUR MAN. As he turned in his chair while singing and playing, he looked right at me during one line as I was singing along, and he got a kind of smile, like he was happy people knew his songs. Just a little personal highlight in a night full of many!

The ride up front is better when you've been in the back. And that's a fact.

Yeah, the acoustic "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man" was just fantastic. Sounds like you were sitting really close to where we were - it was definitely a very cool place to be! Didja see Mr. Blackwell handing out his cymbals after the show? Those things ain't cheep to be giving out to fans! I saw him give one to a kid who was a drummer too, and the little guy looked to be in heaven - too cute!


On a completely unrelated note:

Ya know, if I could make a criticism or complaint about the show, it would have nothing to do with the performance or the stage set-up or what not, and more to do with the damn audience.

Basically, the one thing that peeved me during the show was people getting on their damn cell phones and blabbing through the whole thing. If ya wanna make a "ohmygod i can't believe i'm here" call to your loved one or whatever, then fine - the person I went with had to hop on her cell, but she kept it short and respectful to the folks around her. The last thing I wanna do when I see Prince is chat on the phone, but hey - if you're considerate about it, do your thang.

But check this out: when the band starts to perform Purple Rain at the end of the show and you decide, HEY! it's a great time to have a chat with the folks at home on your cell! - KNOW THAT YOU HAVE MADE A BAD DECISION.

That's exactly what the woman on the other side of me did last night, and she was so deep into her blather that I was about to offer her my free Musicology CD to give to her friend on the phone if she'd only get off her cell and SHUT UP. Eventually she did shut up on her own, but then there's my next gripe....

Waving your damn cell in Prince's face? BAD FORM. I'd love it if Prince's security took the same approach to this kind of behavior as they do toward folks with cameras.

Show a little respect folks - put the damn cell phones down and enjoy the show.






how come u don't edit me anymore
[This message was edited Sun Apr 11 8:49:55 2004 by Anxiety]

TheOrgerFormerlyKnownAs said:

You know, that's true on more levels than one, but I'll stay on topic and get my mind outta the gutter and just co-sign with ya...

Thanks for being part of such an amazing memory, TOFKA. I wouldn'ta wanted anyone else standing there with me last night.

Anxiety said:

Thank you for inviting me. I can't even begin to thank you for that. Thank you talking to me on the way home. It kept me awake and safe. I love you, C.

is it obvious that u r a writer? cool report brotha. now, I can remember a post of ur's stating that Prince should marry Cali cuz of all his shows there. r u now cool with ur Prince fix? U no, when it comes 2 seeing Prince several times on a tour, it may b considered exccesive but I still have alot of fun. the music is always great but I like 2 trip on all the activity between songs, with fans and of course watching Prince's every move. He once answered one of my question on his site. my question 2 him was if he ever recognized his diehard fans while performing b 4 a live audience? particularly California. He responed with a yes and said but more so in Chicago and London. the reason I mention this is cuz when me and my wife c him, we always make eye contact with him. several times in a show. HE BETTER RECOGNIZE US!!! I mean, we do dish out the money. but it is money well spent! can't wait read ur next report.
klick2me
[This message was edited Sun Apr 11 9:37:29 2004 by klick2me]
[This message was edited Sun Apr 11 9:38:06 2004 by klick2me]

Thanks klick, and to answer your question - NO! I'll never be cool with my Prince fix and I'm still hating on LA for all the shows you all got!

Seriously - last night was one of those "I can die happy now" events. If something like that ever happens again in my life, I will appreciate it and be just as blissed out, I'm sure. But I'd rather hold on to that memory than try to re-create it, which is why I say everything else is gonna be gravy from now on.

Great story!!! I loved every word of it.
Especialy what U said about Tony M & Barbarella,lol.
Can't wait 4 the european tour.
/peace Manki

There are really no words for me to express how great this concert was. It was my first Prince concert, but it just completly took my breath away. I have not been a huge Prince fan my whole life, but I did listen to his music when I was around 12-13, and then again in high school. After about 1999, I lost sight of what he was doing, being that me attention was turned a million other directions. Then I say his grammy preformance this year, after that the rock and roll hall of fame, and then finally last night. I can proudly say now, that I will never turn away from his music again. I was not on the floor, but I was 4 rows from the floor, and it was a never ending party (except i do agree with Anxiety about people with cell phones ), there was a lady in front of us that was taking pictures/calling people, and it even looked like she was using it to record some of the music as well. Anyway this is getting kind of long so I guess ill wrap this whole thing up just by saying that I will forever be changed by what I saw, and listened to last night.

Also to the haters: You can say anything you want about Prince and his music, but you should go see one of these shows. If after you see it, you still feel the same way, then so be it, that is just the way you feel. If after you see it, you are not moved in some way, then mabye you should take a good look at yourself and figure out what life really means to you, because last night life never felt better, and I hope the ride goes on for a long time.

Anxiety!!

I'm so happy for you!!

Nothinbutjoy said:

Thanks. And I'm still drunk.

Anx, Anx baby,

Excellent review.

Question. While you mentioned your vantage point of the band and THE MAN entering/exiting the stage, you said very litte about your actual view of the stage. I'm guessing "those little number "1"s printed on my tix" would mean you were in Sec 1 Row 1 Seat 1 ? Unobstructed view, not behind Blackwell's drums or Renato's keyboards?

My curiosity is probably like many others who haven't seen the live show yet and are trying to get a fix on what they might expect when they open their will call envelopes. Presently sitting here with my Staples Center Musicology seating chart ready to make notes on the 3 shows i'll be attending. From your show report it appears that It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night.

One last thing.
We all know that great moments of joy are sometimes far and few between in this life. Finding a soulmate, the birth of children, having a real friend, working at what you really love, or even attending a great show (what may seem minor by comparison...but joy is joy). It sounds as if you had one last night and i'm happy for you. (Sappy, but sincere.)

Enjoy Indy with mom.
Tribal Disorder
[This message was edited Sun Apr 11 11:40:30 2004 by theAudience]

UniversalFlux said:

YOU FUCKING SAID IT!!!

I'm glad that everyone who was there seemed to have such a great time. As always, Prince totally fed off the crowd's energy (and y'know, having two hot-ass faggots hootin' and hollerin' in the front row every time he picked up a guitar didn't hurt neither, heh).....and he gave us a show we'll never forget.

I loved reading your post, UniversalFlux....welcome back.

that's a GREAT report! I'm happy you got your front row seats, mister!

anxiety, that is a great description. i don't really have anything to add to it other than letting you know what a great time it was having the chance to hang with you and tofka and theblueangel! and seeing the two of you during the show was too cool!

theAudience said:

We were seated smack dab at the end of the catwalk by Blackwell's drums - we were literally sitting right in front of where Blackwell and the horn section entered and exited the stage, and where Prince made his first entrance and last exit. The only person I didn't really get to see through the night was Renato, and we didn't really get to see much of Rhonda either. We got an eyeful of Chance's butt shakin' in our faces when he and Prince came over and did their little booty bounce schtick, so you can say we had a panoramic view. I know some folks have issues with certain vantage points, and I look forward to sitting a little farther out this week, but as for what I experienced last night, I have absolutely no complaints. A beautiful night indeed.

theblueangel said:

Thanks for that, and I hope all the shows you're seeing this week will be everything you want them to be. You've been very generous and enthusiastic about sharing your appreciation of all this music with me in the past, and it was really fulfilling to see you guys having a good time. Thanks for the nice words.

Anxiety said:

I wanted 2 add my view description as well... my wife and I sat front row rite behind where Chance stands. although we did not c much of his face, we did have a view of renato, rhonda, john b, the horn players and some of mike scott. and well, Prince was all over so it was all good. we attended the Bakersfield show I should say.

Anxiety said:

klick2me said:

Thanks to you both for your comments.

Tribal Disorder