Well, let me say that last night was a complete joy for me and my Fiancé who saw Prince for the first time. I on the other hand has seen him many times here in St. Paul. I've read tons of concert experiences from people on this tour and I couldn't wait to attend the show and post my own.

I work just a few blocks from the Excel center so my best friend Rob, who actually is an NPGMC member like me, got us the tickets as wedding gift. Good looking out POTNA!! Deep down I really wanted 1st level seats compared to floor seats because of all the things I've heard about site lines. Well all of that was thrown out the window when I realized I had 3rd row seats. I wasn't complaining one bit. I live only 5 minutes away from Excel by car so after work, my fiancé and I went home and changed(we work together), she put on a black shirt and slacks, and I went Musicology Style with the Grey Slacks, Black dress shirt and matching Grey Tie. I thought others would dress the same, but I was wrong. We get to the venue and headed straight to our NPGMC seats. Section One, Row Three, Seats Five and Six. We were right between John's Drums, and the Staircase that the Band and Prince used a number of times. If you were there, if you noticed Blackwell had two Spinning Car Rims right behind him. That's where we sat.

On to the Show.....

At just about 7:35 (7:30 start time), the colorful advertisements in the arena went dead, soon after the house light when out. By then the crowd went nuts and I could see people in tight, nice suits walk towards the stage. Two guys came from beneath the Stage and took their places. One guy was a big dude(Chance?) The other, in his all white pimped out suit and hat, took the drums(John?) It was dark so I couldn't make them out. Next thing you know, the speakers blare with..."What Time is it?????" The crowd goes bonkers, my sweetie looked at me like "I know the Time isn't here" in a way that she would actually love to see them. She wasn't disappointed as Morris and Jerome took the stage. The whole band (including MIKKI FREE!!!!!) all lined up for their intro, then it was party time. They played all there hits, Jerome had his mirror in tow as well. He was in rare form and was as energetic as ever. Jerome pulled a little girl on stage to dance, along with other girls. Jerome asked the crowd "What do you think of Prince's surprise guest" The crowd again went nuts. Then he talked about how they dress, he said it was PIMP, he made sure you said it with a heavy "P" on the end. The highlight for me is when they slowed it down for "Gigolo's need love 2" Bad Ass song in my book. They closed out with The Bird, then Jungle Love. Sweet start to an even sweeter night.

The Time played for close to an hour, ending around 8:25.

House lights are up and the set change is in progress. Oh, the seats next to us were empty until the Time's last song, I asked the guy who just showed up, "Where the hell were you!?" He said he was told that Prince would be on at 8:15, he along with the other 19,000 had no clue The Time would open. Oh well, he missed out. He was a nice guy tho. With his Purple Crushed Velvet shirt that was making me hot!! LOL (No, not hot in THAT way ether) LOL

9:00 PM, house lights go down, crowd goes nuts. The Video Monitors (Which we were sitting right under so we couldn't see them) start playing the Alicia Keys speech, which I'm sure we've all seen by now. In the middle of it, the band takes the stage, I see Chance, Greg, Maceo, Candy, Mike and John go to their battle stations. Renato, Rhonda(DAMN SHE'S FINE!!!), and the other Bass player takes the stage, but from my sight line, I can't see them.

On a side note, my seats were great, but I would still like to have seen the other side of the stage. Since I'm over 6 feet, I could still see enough.

Anyway, you all know the routine, Prince comes up in the middle on a lift. He calls out to his "Hometown" and starts his lesson in Musicology. I was waiting to be in the "Snow" during "Let's Go Crazy" and sure enough, it snowed in there. That was a fun part. The crowd were on their feet having a good OLE time. The funniest part of the evening is right during "D.M.S.R" he points to someone in the crowd and says "YOU!, Come dance with me!" All I saw was these arms reaching up to get on stage, Prince kneels down to help pull this person on stage, but she's having trouble climbing over the barricade. He gestures to the crowd, "Somebody please help this poor child get up here" Prince grabs her hands and let go and he falls flat on his ass(on purpose tho). Prince even seems as if he's looking around for something to give to her in order for her to step on. Alas, they open the barricade and she disappears, that is until she emerges from the staircase inside the stage (where Prince's Tech keeps his Guitars) she comes up and I don't see her yet, but Prince's eye gets wider than all outside. Here comes this larger gal(do ya thing baby) with some see-thru gear on. They start dancing to "The Way You Move", and Big girl is actually holding her own. After the quick dance, Prince High 5 her and she heads back downstairs.

Prince then hits us up with:

A Love Bizarre / I Feel 4 You
Controversy
A Love Bizarre


During this set, he sits down as does the Rolling Stone Bit, which I've read about so much, but it's still funny when you actually see it live. Now Prince leaves the stage for his acoustic set, everyone leaves except Renato, who does his thing. Then Maceo appears and does his Tribute to Ray Charles by singing "Georgia on my mind". Very emotional and Maceo nails it. Prince and Mike returns for his acoustic set and gives us an amazing intimate concert. Or course he got on the crowd for singing or lack there of during "Cream", but was end up getting it right he said. After an Jailhouse Rock intro, he said his "You must be a Prince, before you can be a King" line. We ate it up. He sings "Sometime It Snows in April" one of my favs and I thought it was funny, but Blackwell came out and ran to his set, when Prince said "Tracy died soon after a long fought Civil War...." that's when Blackwell gave a quick riff like sounded like an army cadence. Then he left. Nice touch if you ask me. Prince gives props to Mike, then they head off Stage. Now at this point, I'm thinking the encore is the only part left. Boy I was WRONG!! I noticed they had all the girls lined up by the barricade to come on stage. The stagehand was giving them all directions on what to do and what not to do.



Hold up, much props to this stagehand because he was on point. He went around to checked EVERY person seated in the front row for their ticket stub. Once he saw you belonged there, he puts on purple wristband on you. One lady got to the front and thought all was good, that is until he came back around, checked her stub and politely asked her to go to her assigned seat! Bye Bye! LOL


The band came back on and Prince dug into "SOTT" and then "The ? of U", soon after they let the girls on stage for "Let's Work" Now is it me, or everyone that he puts the Mic in their face don't know the words? C'mon people. Actually she knew the words because I saw her singing along, but when he put the Mic in her face, she got cold feet. Prince just looked at her like "Dayum". Soon after he left our side, she start singing the words like it wasn't no thing. She did look like a deer in headlights when put on the spot. We also must've been on the "Booty" side of the stage because earlier in the set, Prince broke us off with a little "Crazy in Love" and was snappin' tha azz from left to right, then up and down. Now, I'm not funnystyle, but I looked(I can't believe I just wrote that). Then when they got into "Soulman" Chance did his own Booty shakin' on our side. After a couple other cuts, the band takes off, including Prince. This time, I got to do what other's have written about on here. I watched the Drum tech give away sticks that John throws when he breaks them. The tech then hands them out to the party people in the front row. This time, the people in the 2nd row in front of me leaves, so when John comes down the stairs he has a few sticks in his hand. He sees me then tosses me one. SWEET! I hold it for about 2 seconds, then gives it to my Fiancé. She was please! Woo Hoo!!!



By now it's dark and they lower the Pearl Curtain and it's lit purple and it's the only light we see. The band comes back and Prince starts into "The Beautiful Ones" then "Nothing Compares 2 U" and of course, the icing on the cake. "Purple Rain" But the icing on my cake is when he went to every corner of the stage, he came to our last. While coming down the stairs, I gave him a military style salute. He looked as us, and saluted back as if to say "At ease soldier, I just tore the roof off this muthasucka"

And he really did.

That sounded like an awsome nite! I cant wait to see him on the 28th,,,(of July)

awwwww George.... I'm so glad that you and Dede had a "BEAUTIFUL NIGHT" ...

it really gave me chills to read what you wrote..... it took me back to April and the Pittsburgh show ... The man is a musical genius and an entertainer extraordinaire..... and we are blessed to enjoy him...

I'm not sure how you felt...but I feel like he's truly come into his own...he is soooo comfortable in the palce that he's in ...it was like one big house party and he truly left us breathless....and wanting that night to never end...and isn't that what it's all about ... to be touched in each moment of this life and savor and take in .... and to feel each moment..... be it pain or pleasure....deeply and take something with us from each

nobody can touch us like that MAN.... THAT AMAZING PURPLE LIL MAN

butt dammit...the TIME wasn't in Pittsburgh I'm jealous

Folks say that he's changed..... don't we all.... I for one am glad that he has....cuz that means we get more..... We will always have the old and savor it and get that tingle on the inside that shoots the length of us..... but we also get the new.....and spontaneity is the spice of life.... he's told folks repeatedly... he ain' coming back...he neva left...and you know what.... I can't wait to see what ups that purple ruffled sleeve next

Thanks for taking me back to my best night of 2004 thus far

Hey Toffee baby. No doubt. I love ready everyone's experience from this tour and I wanted to add my own. I just got my hearing back maybe an hour ago! LOL I've been humming the extended version from Purple Rain all day. You're right, he does seems as if he's in his happy place.

George, this is the best review I have read yet. Many, many props to you.

TheOrgerFormerlyKnownAs said:

Wow! With all the reviews that's on here, that says a lot. Thanks baby!!

Hey, our game is still on in Racine this summer.

Sounds like you had a really great time and I'm so happy for you. The time opened up at the last concert I saw on this tour - so I know they rocked the house. I'm smiling right now because I can feel your purple high

Peace and love

Nice review.

Damn was that ever a good ass show last night and I liked it when he did that lil thing with the Issue of Rolling Stone that he was on u know the 1 when he sat down on his lil chair put his feet up on the table and was looking at it. I loved that part when he was trying 2 help the women up on stage and him falling on his ass I LOVED it


he really did burn the house down y'all

Peace

tangeypeaches said:

Yeah, that was funny as hell. I loved the look on his face when she came up the stairs. Classic!!!

I do have a question tho, right when he was giving the band solos, what did they all say after Blackwell's solo? Something like "We don't like....."

Wonderful report!

Wow, cool report...made me feel like being there...and congratulations to your engagement/soon to be wedding, may God bless you and your family...nice to hear that about you.
PS: Did you notice any lyric changes in Love Bizarre ?

billysparxxx said:

You mean that "fine chick" from Shalimar?

Great review bro

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

theAudience said:

Yeah, she's finer than a muthafucka!! Actually, I'm surprised you're the first person to comment on that.

At least I get a free Shalamar show tomorrow..lol

billysparxxx said:

Cool review, thanks, but who is the other bass player?

Great review!!! I was in the same section as you with my girlfriend in the front row. Seats 5 & 6 even. You didn't miss a thing in your review. I'm glad you got one of Blackwells drumsticks. I ended up with a pair of them myself! I don't know if you remember but I also met you at the Regal theatre for the opening concert simulcast. I was sitting right next to Ricco.

By the way, Congrats on the engagement! I wish you nothing but joy and happiness!

When did Mikki Free become a member of The Time?

BTW...Great review. I can't wait to see Princey on Sunday and Monday..
[This message was edited Fri Jun 18 14:50:03 2004 by PurpleCharm]

billysparxxx said:

That's "We don't like New Wave!"
Check out your Time CD's!

Awesome review Billy!

Her's a for ya.

Absolutely fantastic review billy!! Brought me right back to the show (we were front row of the lowers back behind you)

Gotta add my lil "awwwww" moment ~ during The Time's set Prince was back by the musicians entrance with Mani, Larry & Tina Graham. He was standing behind her with his arms around her dancin' away. It was just so damn cute (FINE I'm a sap I admit it) he was smilin' like crazy, and looked like he was having a great time! My friend Scott is still amazed that I'm able to spot people like that in a heartbeat

I was also glancing over at Mani during P's set and she just beams watching him up there...(toldja I'm a sap)

~ Gretchen

DAMN!.....I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL AUGUST 10TH!

big ups on the show.

Great Review man. I'm so glad that you and your girlfriend had a ball at the concert!

Keep da party movin !

way2funky said:

Oh, that was YOU!!! LOL Let me see. YOU, Biege Shirt, Prince Symbol Necklace, GIRLFRIEND, Black Dress, Black Frames. If that was you, I swear you were having a damn good time! Hell, I enjoyed watching you guys having fun as well. Yeahm I noticed you had a hand full of sticks!!! LOL