The show tonight in Nashville was cool. Typical setlist, but I was a little disappointed with the acoustic set.The one in LA was better, so I'm glad I got to see/hear it.

I had excellent seats which made me happy! During what would turn into a strange version of "Life Of The Party" Prince let some people get on stage and dance and one of them was George Clinton! Prince gave him a microphone during the performance, but thank God George didn't sing!

Right now Prince is over at Rocket Town, a cool little club owned by Christian music artist Michael W. Smith. I liked this club a lot when my friends did a show there, but I couldn't stay tonight for Prince I'm po'! Hopefully someone on the org is there now and will give a report later.

There was also a meet and greet that I couldn't attend, but I hope everyone that met up had a great time.

Good night, y'all...

Damn, my ears are ringing!

My Nashville review and setlist as best as I can remember:

Setlist:

Musicology
Let's Go Crazy
I Would Die 4 U
When Doves Cry
Baby I'm a Star
Shhh
D.M.S.R./Beyonce song/I Like the Way You Move
I Feel For U
Controversy
? Instrumental by keyboardist
- Acoustic set
Little Red Corvette
Cream
When You Were Mine
Long blues song with many funny lines (title?)
Alphabet Street
Sometimes It Snows In April
Raspberry Beret
7
- Full band (from middle of 7 as well)
Sign O' the Times
Let's Work
U Got the Look
Question of U/The One/Falling
Life O' the Party (George Clinton joins the dancers on stage to dance until the end of Take Me With U)
Soul Man
Kiss
Take Me With U
- Encore
The Beautiful Ones
Nothing Compares To You
Purple Rain

I am actually a little hazy on some of the songs and order because 1) I didn’t write it down, and 2) I’m not familiar with every Prince song. I am not at that level of fandom. There was an instrumental with just the keyboard and saxophone, but I don’t remember when or what it was.

Also, towards the end of the show each horn player did snipets of famous melodies, such as Candy doing the Sanford and Son theme.

During Kiss when he was getting folks to sing, I never could hear them. One sang and Prince seemed to approve, but I couldn't hear it. Another didn’t even try to sing. She just kept looking at Prince like, “I’m sorry, but I don’t know the words, so please get that mic away from me.” One of the dancers was an old black woman, which was great. She was getting down!

The crowd was good, but not great. They always participated and gave good applause, and really screamed loud before the encore, but they weren’t really whipped into a total frenzy the way they were in Detroit in 1988 on the Lovesexy Tour. I can’t imagine a crowd being more into it than that. But the crowd was mostly dancing the whole show (except for the acoustic set, where most sat down). The crowd was about 80% white, I would guess, which helps explain the tendency to hold back a little on getting freaky at a concert (I’m white and that’s just how most white people are).


Afterparty:

The official afterparty was announced as being at Rocketown, which is a christian club just behind the arena. During the announcement, the guy said that Prince would PERFORM at the afterparty, so I was excited to go. My wife and I went right over and were about 50th in line. Eventually the line grew to several hundred people. We waited about 20 minutes and the line began to move in. When we got close to the door they were announcing “$20, cash only, no cameras, no bags.” I only had $37 cash on me so we had to split. I was bummed because it might have been an amazing experience. On the other hand maybe Prince would have done very little. Nevertheless I wish I could have gone!

Wardrobe:

Prince did the first 2/3 of the show in an all-white suit thing, with frilly strings on it here and there. It looked good. He did some of the show in the same white pants, but a white top with tiny red dots on it. He did the encore in a red suit.

Sound:

The mix wasn’t great, but it seemed to improve as the concert went on. Early on, the vocals were hard to hear, and the guitar was buzzy and noisy and too fat sounding, such that it mushed into the bass and drums and wasn’t clear enough. It got better later. The bass was mixed WAY too hot. The thump of the bass or drums almost drowned out the rest of the sound. It also thumped on my chest pretty good. They would have been better off with less bass and a more balanced sound. Still, it wasn’t horrible (the mix I mean).

His strat sounded much better to me than his first guitar (the natural wood color one).

The band were all steller. What else can I say.

The piano and sax thing you refer to was the instrumental of "God", the love song in Purple Rain movie.

I just remembered that at one point the band went into "A Love Bizarre" and then "The Glamourous Life" but the snippets were very short.

what did you say. i can't hear you. (((((ringing)))))

bo11 said:

I know how you feel. Damn you, Prince!

Short version of "Elephants and Flowers" in the acoustic set almost made up for him not playing "On The Couch".























No, I don't think so.

When You Were Mine

I was there, 12 rows from the floor, and it was an amazing show. George came out, and the brothers I was with went crazy. I actually saw a lovely young adore on stage tnat I know. She got on stage for the last concert in Nashville, too. Four years ago. Coincidence? I think not. But I digress.

The highlights of the show were the renditions of Controversy (that groove tonite was NASTY), I Feel For You, The Question of U/Fallin', Life O' The Party, Sometimes It Snows In April, The Beautiful Ones, the acoustic medley (he dusted off Elephants and Flowers!), Sign O' The Times (never heard it live), and Purple Rain, of course. This is my sixth Prince concert, and it lags only behind DC '88 and Atlanta '93 for my money.

I can't wait for live show No. 7 -- MADISON SQUARE GARDEN (ya herbs!!! )

Anxiety said:

There's a backstory to that. When he first played Nashville on the Dirty Mind tour at Municipal Auditorium, they shut it down at midpoint. Apparently his bikini draws and eyeliner offendeed Metro Police. He played that song his first time back (on the the Emancipation tour '97). It is a subtle reminder of the old days . . .

Just got back to the room. The AFTERSHOW WAS GREAT !! Larry Graham was there and Victor Wooten came out and played also. I would tell you more but it is 2:45 and I am takin my tired ass to bed. Sorry to be such a tease with the details

Front row section 4
In the house !

namepeace said:

The Emancipation tour was not his first time back, but thanks for the story. I wish I had known you were gonna be there. I would have loved to have met you. Drop me an orgnote and we'll hang sometime!

Adisa said:

When was his first time back? Did he come here for Purple Rain? He didn't come for Lovesexy or Symbol. I don't recall any other times he was here. Inquirin' minds wanna know!

I'll drop you an OrgNote, BTW. You probably heard me, I was the fool who kept screaming, "best musician on the planet!!!"
[This message was edited Fri May 7 8:12:07 2004 by namepeace]

namepeace said:

1999 tour (for sure) and I think the Controversy tour.

i was at 1999 tour . municipal aut. vanity 6 , the time and prince. with the big bed coming up from the back on inter. lvr. 82 or 83 dec. 13 or 16. not that i've been keeping up.

bo11 said:

Shows what I know! But that was before my Prince fandom, so I guess I tuned it out . . .

I couldn't go to aftershow. Did prince perform? And what time was it over?

I went to the aftershow. It was amazing. Larry Graham was there and performed, of course the rest of the band too. Prince stayed on the stage the whole time except for going backstage a few times, perhaps to get a drink or something. He sang Dr Mr Man, I believe, and Higher with Larry, mostly it was just all of them jammin' together, it was very cool. I was lucky enough to be in the very front, and got to shake Maceo's hand, Touch Larry's guitar and hand, Michael's hand, and last but surely not the least, Prince touched my hand. A night to remember is all I can say! It was well worth the $20 cash a piece to go. It was also very "layed back". I don't know about yall', but my ears are still ringing!! That was the loudest concert that I've ever been too! Prince2004ever!