from today's issue of the star tribune:

Review: Prince at his best for home crowd

Jon Bream, Star Tribune
June 17, 2004 PCONCERT0617


Prince is back.

OK, he never left. It just seemed like it. For the past decade or so, his tours seemed so hit-and-run. He feuded with the record business and didn't have a radio hit. He didn't land on Jay Leno and the cover of Rolling Stone. He didn't have any momentum.

Now, he's back with an album that has spent two months (and counting) in the Top 10. He's been all over the media. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And his Musicology Tour is arguably the most-talked-about tour of the year.

Prince's performance Wednesday at the Xcel Energy Center was a rocking, roaring, superfunky, career-defining and -refining, musiclicious success. As he asserted in cameo performances at the Grammys and the Rock Hall induction, he is the most complete rock star on the planet. On Wednesday, he had the luxury of more than two hours to prove himself once again to the hometown fans.

Not only did he play more guitar than he has in years (but no piano), and did an overdue solo acoustic guitar set, but he showed more warmth, humor and humanness than ever before. The newly family-friendly, Bible-boosting Prince was not devious, but he was still dangerous, especially as a band leader and entertainer. He also cast himself in the new roles of critic (chiding the fans for their "weak" sing-along), comic (using a Minnesota accent to tell a telemarketer Prince didn't live here anymore) and meteorologist (the skies were "raining purple").

Performing in-the-round on a bare stage shaped like a cross, Prince opened with "Musicology," his new single that salutes "old-school joints," his description for vintage R&B played with instruments, not synthesizers. Then he ventured back to his old-school "Purple Rain" joints. The night's second song, "Let's Go Crazy," brought confetti -- something that usually doesn't happen at other concerts until the finale or encore -- as people partied like it was 1984.

As he tore through four "Rain" songs, it seemed like attention-deficit Prince, teasing but never pleasing. But things turned around as he soared on some Carlos Santana-like guitar on "Shhh" and then cut the band loose on 1982's "D.M.S.R.," the first of several superbad funk workouts.

The highlight was the half-hour acoustic set, with Prince sitting on a swiveling stool with his purple acoustic guitar. With his white pants with fringe, turned up collar, jet-black hair and playful manner, he almost suggested Elvis Presley. He did stripped-down versions of some of his sexiest metaphors, including "Little Red Corvette" and "Cream." He goofed around on an untitled blues number about telemarketers -- a joyous romp that showed his creativity, fearlessness and humor.

Prince surprised with a salute to Ray Charles, starting by singing about Georgia and then doing "What'd I Say," even imitating Charles' voice at one point. Later, after his excellent bandmates rejoined him, Prince tore it up on a reading of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love," during which his effects-heavy guitar work was a whole lot better than his falsetto screams.

It's very clear that Prince is back -- in a whole lotta ways.

Jon Bream is at popmusic@startribune.com

or 612-673-1719.

Jon Bream: why you big "fire-hydrant head"-looking, big seven-eyed, Grover from Sesame Street-looking, you big, why you big ...

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A Whole Lotta Love was probably the weak point, but the concert was AWESOME. I am going to be forced to take back some of the bad things I've said about Prince along the way.

langebleu said:

I was there last night. I have seen Prince only four times here in MPLS, but this time was simply THE BEST! Better tha Livesexy, better than I would have hoped. I took four so-so Prince fans with me last night, and Prince rocked our asses off. All for so-so Prince fans were amazed and all agreed that last night's concert was the best they has ever been to.

Prince joked around alot. In fact, he even joked "don't take my picture, I just might get sued."

Prince, you are and always be THE BEST. There's no one who can even come close to you when you are the way you were last night.....

The only thing I can say that was a little disapointing, wa he only play one song for the encore. Purple Rain.

Sorry P, but I can't wait for the boot to come out.....

I really thought theLed Zeppelin song was tight! The show kicked major butt!


The only regreat I have is that Prince did'nt call me onstage![i]

"He also cast himself in the new roles of critic (chiding the fans for their "weak" sing-along), comic (using a Minnesota accent to tell a telemarketer Prince didn't live here anymore)..."

OMG, I would have loved to have heard that, it must have been hella funny. Sure sounded like a great show, I'm sad that I can't be there too.

"Prince surprised with a salute to Ray Charles, starting by singing about Georgia and then doing "What'd I Say," even imitating Charles' voice at one point."

That is so sweet of Prince to salute Ray Charles. I was wondering if he would do that, since I know that Prince wrote the "You got the right one, baby" jingle for Ray back in the 90's.

He did the same thing in LA- and on June 5 (last show) he did the MN accent thing- and NO ONE was laughinf except my sister and I who are native Minnesotan's with some harsh accents!

I AM SO GLAD THE SHOW GOT GOOD REVIEWS!!!! I agree 100% with this review...


WELCOME BACK PRINCE.... though you never left for most of here on the Org!!!! *smile**wink*

Ok- now someone org note me and tell me all about the show damn it!

PaisleyPrincess said:

That woulda been cool if he did Zeppelin for our show.....but oh well Sounds like it was a good show....wish I lived there, or close by to have gone.

lovemachine said:

It seems like most of P's critics eat humble pie at some time. Obviously he's not perfect and the sheer power of the mans talent can't be denied.

ConsciousContact said:

Hear, Hear !!!

MNlivingCA is right about Prince doing the Minnesota accent and no one laughing at the June 5 Staples Center. We (L.A.) didn't get it. I thought it was kinda cute but I just stopped and listened and I was like "Um....ok."

He's not just doing Led Zepplin's "Whole Lotta Love" in MNPLS. He did it in LA on June 5 at Staples and at the HOB aftershow and it ROCKED!!!!! I'm telling you it was my highlight. I LOVED it!! He kicked ass on the guitar and when I think of the words "wanna give you every inch of my love" and imagine Prince singing them I get kinda dizzy and swoony.

lovemachine said:

Dude!
Whole Lotta Love may have been rock-star-showy, but it had a fat-ass bottom and was hella funky. The best version I've heard him do. Though, he seems to be falling in love with that damn boring Strat... it looks too big on him.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, he sounded totally Minnesotan with that that line. I laughed a lot at the two shows that I attended. The aftershow was great too, especially when he joked about kicking us out if we did not sing. Sorry Prince but we Minnesotans have grown accustomed to getting kicked out of joints at 2 a.m. and despite all of my excitement I was very tired. Next time we will be better!

I thought it was cool that they talked about the concert about every 10 minutes on the morning news out there

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Everybodys got that concert. Blah blah 1987. What year is it now. 2004. Yeah.

Sounds like it was a great set of shows all around.

CalhounSq said:

Dude! We realized sometime friday that we shoulda coordianted some taping of the news, cos NONE of my crew saw any of the coverage....



ah well, we were there, that's what really matters!

endorphin74 said:

We totally should have coordinated a DVR party around it all. I didn't even get to see myself on the news.

i know! its a damn shame...and i think i was wearing those really cute platforms at paisley the day they were filming people feet coming in !!

violett said:

chewymusic said: