Vindication? I had been having a hard time leading up to last-night’s concert. I did not know what it was, I did not know why I could not get too excited. It was weird. For the first time in years, friends were asking me about the show. For maybe the first time ever, I was not leading the charge amongst my friends to go see the show. And, most strangely, over the past six months, more than one of my friends are now claiming to have always been big Prince fans… I have been confused. I have been befuddled. Where was this interest coming from? 1984? 1994? I digress…

For two-hours and fifteen glorious minutes last night in Indianapolis, Prince brought the Monday night crowd at Conseco Fieldhouse, which had to number well above 10,000 and nary an empty seat, to our feet and kept us there. Just as he has shown throughout this, what will have to be a top, tour of 2004, he has not lost a beat. Not a step. And as described by a friend, has not aged in 20-plus years. This show is something that is not to be missed.

But you all know that…

What was interesting about the Indy show… Candy did not lead off Life O The Party, it is still the weakest song in the show, Prince dropped “Sex and the City” from Kiss and added “Trading Spaces”, Delirious was in the acoustic set and it seems as if the acoustic set is migrating to earlier in the show. It fits really well in the middle. I hope this is a long term –uh- refinement to the show. I am excited to see how this show morphs from opening night to now to Chicago and beyond.

And there was an after-party. (I just deleted the paragraph about it seeming fishy.)

The show is nothing less than spectacular, nearly perfect. Of course there is a but. And I will keep it to this. Life O The Party is a party killer. Otherwise –freakin’ wow! (I have had more negative comments about past tours so, on the whole, FABU!!)

Anyway, what I was talking about at the start of this document had to be a sub-conscious knowledge of what was going to happen at this show. Last night became intensely personal. Now, this is not the first time I have seen Prince or even this show, but last night just kicked my ass. I was moved. Practically to tears. To the point, if I would have been looking at me, I would have thought I was a freak. I did not think that would happen. It has not happened before. I don’t do that. (hell, I don’t write like this either) So, I had to think – why? Why am I so moved? It took a couple of tunes to regain my internal composure but then I think I got it. And I think that Prince feels this more than I ever will, but it’s vindication. Admittedly this feels like a horribly selfish thing on my part but I too, feel a bit vindicated.

Rarely, if ever, have I been able to drag anyone besides my wife to a Prince show but last night, mostly on their own accord, I had dozens of friends there. With dozens of different experiences with me and they were spread out all over the arena. I knew where most of them were… only a few caught my location…I think. But I could see them enjoying the music, music that still triggers memories I have tied to them, some good, some bad. The old memories, the new memories made. I saw them enjoying the musicianship of the Prince and the NPG, something that my wife and I have been enjoying for years. Many of my most life changing people ever in my world were in that room last night and it just hit home. I would not be who or where I am today if it were not for these people, I was moved. I was thrilled for Prince. I was thrilled for me. I was thrilled for all of you long term fans. I was overwhelmed. I can’t imagine being the guy at center stage. Even though, last night, in my skewed little world I kind of was. Wow.

Thank you Prince. Thank you band. Thank you friends. Thanks for the indulgence.

By the way… The Setlist: (as I recall)

Musicology
Let’s Go Crazy
I Would Die 4 U
When Doves Cry
1999 chord progression only
Baby I’m A Star
Shhh!
D.M.S.R.
I Feel For You
Controversy
God

Instrumental
Little Red Corvette
Adore
Bad Breath
On The Couch
Country Riffs
Delirious
Sometimes It Snows In April
I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man
7

Sign Of The Times
The Question Of U
The One
Fallin’
The Question Of U Guitar Solo
Let’s Work
U Got The Look
Life O The Party
Soul Man
Kiss
Take Me With U

Purple Rain

Damn, is he ever gonna play The Beautiful Ones again? That was one of the highlights of the telecast.....bummer.

And please go into detail about the fishiness of the afterparty!! I assume it was the same kind of fishiness that goes on when they choose all girls (and sometimes one token guy) to go up on stage...

theblueangel said:

Nothin' sexy. It would have been very easy to get in. The club was playin great music and the line was not bad. I think everyone that wanted too, got in. We got to the door and figured it was a scam. No list, no NPG staff etc... It just seemed Fishy. Plus, honestly, even with how great the concert was, I was ready to get home. I did not get to my house until after 2am and was writing the above this morning between work calls.

It just did not feel right... I was wrong. Bravo to those of you that stayed!

Longer post later, but from what I experienced last night, it's clear that Prince loves Indianapolis....SOMEONE'S GOTTA!!! (kidding, heh...)

Wow, what can I say...fresh off the rush that was the Champaign show, and my ass is thoroughly kicked again. Acoustic versions of Adore and Delirious? Dang. As rigidly structured as this tour is, he keeps finding a way to make every show completely different. My afterglow is still on overdrive. Nice.

Gotta go de-escalate now....

I agree with the above. I too wasn't very excited to see the show until I read other concert reviews on the org and learned that he had been playing the entire song not just little snippets like ONA.

One thing I noticed about the audience was that it was 50-50 black and white. Prince is truly a crossover artist. I also felt old seeing all the hot chicks in there skimpy outfits and how some of them are starting to look old and maybe shouldn't be wearing so little.


The highlite of the night was to hear the Question of U guitar solo. I've always liked that and have never seen it performed live. Secondly, the acoustic set really showed off his amazing talent and voice.

The only drawback to the night was the horrible acoustics at Conseco. I had heard that it was bad there and that was certainly my experience. I was afraid it was going to be bad when the Alicia Keys intro was not very clear. Way too much reverb. I could understand the songs because I knew them but could understand very little of what he said. I was in club level, section 118. I'd be interested to see what everyone else thought.

All in all a good show. I hope it comes out on CD because the musicology disc they give you sucks. Does he put any effort into his releases anymore?

Great review...I can't wait to see him on June 20th in the Motor City.
I hope he takes 'Delirious' and 'Life of the Party' off the setlist by then.


Did I read that right...he sung "Adore" during the acoustic set.....

PurpleCharm said:

AH-cool-stick, man it was like getting hit in the head with a black frying pan in a dark room. You just did not see it coming. Most of the crowd went right along with it.. the junkies that kinda knew what was supposed to be coming stood with mouths agape.

It was amazing.

Delirious was fun- LOTP... I wish I liked it

Ten things about my experience at the Indy show:

1. Indianapolis people are insane. I was born and raised in Indy. Ergo...

2. When I took my mother to this show last night, the point of it was to enjoy it for the first time vicarously through her. I'd already seen the show twice in the past month, and she hadn't been under the same roof with Prince for almost twenty years. I was kinda vibing off her vibe until the acoustic set, when he launched into Delirious and Adore, and the vibe was all about me again. I don't know if it's his plan to give each show a little something unique, or if he just loves Indy, but I walked in expecting him to phone it in and walked out with my booty smarting yet again.

3. I am shocked to say that they're selling some WAY COOL t-shirts on this tour. Overpriced, of course, but cool. I completely overlooked the merch table last weekend at Champaign because I didn't wanna brave the throngs for ugly-ass NPGMC.com retail crap...but woo hoo, my assumptions were dead damn wrong! I was powerless against the purple 1999 shirt and the Raspberry Beret shirt. And if my stupid ass woulda had more money, I'da sprung for the black SOTT shirt with the peace sign on the back. (ummm...okay, I bought that one too ...but it was for my ma) Actual non-hideously-embarrasingly-ugly Prince t-shirts? WHO'DA THUNK?!?

4. There was a little added extra something to the up-tempo jams last night...Prince and the band seemed way more all up into the funk last night than they did when I saw 'em in Champaign. Not that the energy wasn't extraterrestrial at Saturday's show, but last night was out there in some other damn dimension or somethin'.

5. John Blackwell is The Deal. Before the show, he was out throwin' enough drumsticks to fans to deplete the damn Redwood Forest, and during the show I couldn't help but notice that his drumming is giving Prince's guitar acrobatics a run for their money. The man can play. And play. And PLAY.

6. When Prince brought up that chick to dance on stage at the beginning of the show, they seemed to be squabbling about something while they were dancing together - like, the chick seemed like she wanted to give Prince her handbag, but he wasn't havin' it. What was the story on all that mess?

7. Speaking of the nightly fangirl stampede, I was all about the blonde chick in the black leather Emma Peel get-up. If you post on here, girl....DAMN! You just made Indianoplace a little mo' sexy in my estimation. Now quit upstaging Prince.

8. I took a flight from Chicago to Indy yesterday morning to make the concert. I shared my flight with a troupe of WWF wrestlers and their blinged-out girlfriends. A&E's airport reality show was filming. I had only been awake like 45 minutes and I had to deal with reality television and some crazy-ass "step into a slim jim!" smackdown steroid muthafukkin' craziness. See, I have to go through these things to get my fix. Just wanted to share that.

9. After seeing the show all close-up and personal last weekend, it was nice to see the show from a different perspective, a bit farther out in the house. We still had good tix - 19th row, via TicketBastard - but it was cool to dig on the jumboscreens and watch those insane lighting people in their little swivelly pods up in the rig over the stage. AND it was nice to have a full view of the stage. For alla you who are going to several shows, try to check out at least one from a little farther out. We all want to have our moment catching the assorted hats, drumsticks, towels, broken heels, etc. - but the difference in perspective when yer sitting a lil' farther out is very cool.

10. In lieu of a good 10th observation, I will make a shameless plea: If anyone has an extra ticket for the June 26 Chicago show and would like a little Anxiety in their life that night, GIMME A SHOUT NOW!!!!

Anxiety said:
3. I am shocked to say that they're selling some WAY COOL t-shirts on this tour. Overpriced, of course, but cool. I completely overlooked the merch table last weekend at Champaign because I didn't wanna brave the throngs for ugly-ass NPGMC.com retail crap...but woo hoo, my assumptions were dead damn wrong! I was powerless against the purple 1999 shirt and the Raspberry Beret shirt. And if my stupid ass woulda had more money, I'da sprung for the black SOTT shirt with the peace sign on the back. (ummm...okay, I bought that one too ...but it was for my ma) Actual non-hideously-embarrasingly-ugly Prince t-shirts? WHO'DA THUNK?!?

And i thought:
-hmmm, completely forgot about merchandise

Anxiety said:
6. When Prince brought up that chick to dance on stage at the beginning of the show, they seemed to be squabbling about something while they were dancing together - like, the chick seemed like she wanted to give Prince her handbag, but he wasn't havin' it. What was the story on all that mess?

And I remembered:
- I saw what my lovely bride said was that very same girl in the parking lot down the yaw from Lotus saying that she would not pay the $20 to get in... I thought she was a roadie!

Anxiety said:
7. Speaking of the nightly fangirl stampede, I was all about the blonde chick in the black leather Emma Peel get-up. If you post on here, girl....DAMN! You just made Indianoplace a little mo' sexy in my estimation. Now quit upstaging Prince.

And I agree! WOW.

Also, that was my first time to see Candy D. That was the side of the stage I was on and OMG! She Rocks!!!!

Is it June Yet?

tyme said:

OKAY???

She had me all hot and bothered...and I'm gay!

Great stuff!!

Anxiety said:

You win.

Hey Anxiety:

Could you give a description of the best of the t-shirts you saw at the show? I want to buy a good Prince t-shirt but, frankly, have never seen one worth purchasing. I am feeling better about the merchadise talk on this tour though. Describe that 1999, Rasberry Beret and SOTT tshirt. Anything from Parade era? Give us the run down as you saw it. Thanks in advance.

parade86 said:

The "1999" shirt is purple with the "Prince" part of the 1999 album cover logo spelled out in a yellow outline, and "Musicology 2004ever" written on the back in the fonts used on the lyric sheet in 1999.

The "Raspberry Beret" shirt is white with a kind of psychadelic thought balloon that has a collage from the ATWIAD album in it, with the Raspberry Beret chick displayed most prominently. It also has a big purple paisley shaped "Prince & the Revolution" at the top. Nothing on the back.

The SOTT shirt is black w/ Prince's name in the SOTT font on the front and a big peace sign on the back w/ what I think are a bunch of tour dates. It was my least favorite of the three, but it's still pretty cool.

No Parade-era t-shirts, sorry to say.