The Funk Returns to Dallas

Greetings all,

Not having seen the April show, I don't have a baseline for comparison. But if that show was remotely similar to the this one, then Dallas has just received a double dose of funk which will not be seen for quite some time. From my hotel overlooking downtown Dallas, here's my take:

The Venue. The American Airlines Center had great acustics for an "in the round" set. Everyone (even those up close) had a clear view of the show. The always versitle NPG gave attention to each corner of the stage. And the few fans who actually sat down did so on plush, comfy seats. Unfortunately, the a/c was not up to par. Even Prince was visibly sweating through his red poka dot blouse. A recurring theme seems to be awful security on this tour. Once again, the "seat police" were pestering fans, kicking them out of the aisles and demanding to see their stubs.

The show. In a word. Fabulous! Perhaps the finest of the tour. If Biloxi was a warm-up, Dallas was the real deal. How about an explosive 15 minute rendition of DMSR. "The ? of U" was unbelievable. "Joy in Repetion" was twisted into a sort of hypnotic, otherworldly acid trip, as Prince toyed with his electric foot pedals. He made his powder blue guitar do things which should be illegal. The conclusion of JIR was comparable to someone bringing his lover to climax, while falling victim to a heart attack. When Prince pulled out a large white silk scarf and gently covered the guitar resting on the stage (still humming from the pedals) you see glimmers of the great Jimmi Hendrix. He changed guitars at least 5 times.

We heard a medley of his classics, as a dozen or so women were brought on stage starting with "You Got the Look." One fellow, in a purple suit and derby, although well dressed, came off more like comic relief than talented dancer. "Is he representin' Dallas?," asked Prince. By now you know the familiar downstroke to "Purple Rain" means the show is nearly done. So you'd better settle in and enjoy the curtain call. He broke our hearts with his purple symbol guitar.

I arrived at 8:45pm, and the show started 10 minutes after that! The lights came up around 11pm. A lucky few (myself included) received autographed sticks from drummer extroadinaire, Mr. Blackwell. When I told him that he was much better than Bobby Z, he replied, "but he's my hero." Most impressive was his gift to a 8 year old girl - an autographed cymbal which he removed, on the spot, from his drumset. What a class act!

The Aftershow. The very pregnant Ms. Badu is the recent owner of an out of the way dive called "Black Forest." The rainbow children were in full effect and wanted their Prince. At 1am folks were still in line paying the $20 cover ($15 with stub). By 2am, the enthusiam began to wane, as we listened to countless glorified gospel numbers, a one man Stevie Wonder cover band, and even Erykah's own sister (who seemed to be channeling the spirits of Metallica). Finally, at 3:15am, Prince hits the stage. We were thrilled to see him, though fatigue was setting in fast. The set list? More like a recap. And, while there's nothing like seeing the man in an intimate setting, hearing the abridged version of the concert left me a bit stale. Still, a party with prince is worth the wait. The set was over by 3:50am, and even Prince seemed ready for some shut-eye.

-Ray