I am quoted at the end of this story!!


Three-day Purple reign leaves crowd pumped

BY NANCY NGO

Pioneer Press


It was Friday night, and time to unwind. And if anyone knows how to throw a good party, it's Prince.

The artist took whatever energy he had left from two previous nights performing at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center and used it all. Emotional fans followed suit.

After all, Friday marked the last of Prince's Twin Cities stop as part of his "Musicology" album tour. Prince wasn't going to leave his hometown peeps without a proper goodbye.

He did it in style, white-fringed, tailored suit and all. He made it clear from the beginning he was here to jam and have a good time.

"Minnesota, I don't think you're ready for this," Prince playfully warned.

But the crowd was. The artist was feeling their energy from the very beginning, even blushing once as fans stood, danced and sang with him during "Let's Go Crazy."

It was one of the first songs played, as on previous nights, which began with a set of old hits following the introduction song "Musicology." By the sixth song, the musician got deep into old-school songs from his latest album.

Songs played at each concert were mostly the same, with a few new tunes every once in awhile.

Fans, who were more diverse and younger than the previous shows, gave it their all Friday and partied like it was 2004 — the year Prince has said is his last time on the road.

Jillian McAdams, 36, felt she couldn't stay at home and feel good about it, so she bought a ticket to the show at the last minute.

"I just didn't want to miss this. What if he retires?" said the Shoreview resident. "This concert is a piece of history."

"Tonight is definitely emotional," said Jason Sadowski, 30, of Coon Rapids. "Who knows when I'm going to see him again?"

Darin Rowles, 29, of Minneapolis took the week off work to party with Prince. He's gone to all three concerts and the Paisley Park after-show parties, and planned to head there Friday night.

"I'm feeling a little sad. I wish it wasn't ending," he said. "I don't know what I'm going to do after this. There's no Prince stuff left to do."


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Nancy Ngo can be reached at nngo@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-5172.

WHAT???? Say it isn't so!!!! I knew that this tour was the last time Prince was going to play his greatest hits, but I didn't hear ANYTHING about this being Prince's last tour.

I just hope he changes his mind and does some more touring, like several other singers who also said that they were retiring from the road, and then wound up touring again anyway. Prince, you CAN'T retire, we would miss not being able to see you perform, and you always put on the BEST shows of ANY musician out there. Please don't do it!!

omg! kitty, you're a celebrity now!!!!

this ain't prince's last time on the road.

endorphin74 said:

endorphin74 said:

get yer butt to chicago next weekend, that's what you're gonna do - there's gonna be prince stuff out the wazoo.

Anxiety said:

You're missing the point.

Prince in his home area, gotta love it. The ones who saw the shows. You definitely witnessed something great.

July said:

I'm in total agreement with you July. GREATNESS to the MAX was what Prince delivered at the home shows. Love is still radiating from those shows and i for one am certainly loving it.


Thanks Prince!

Anybody who thinks Prince can stay away from a stage for 5 seconds is trippin'

psychodelicide said:

Nancy, I heard prince is planning 2 do LOTS of touring & maybe even indefinately....So dont worry.....unless he changes his mind. The man has a precious gift from God and he's gonna see 2 it he uses it. He's got 2 B HIMSELF! And music is his life. U can see how happy he is giving it 2 his fams. I AM READY 4 THE FUNK!!!!!

July said:

there is no point to be made. that, and anx was obviously joking.

endorphin74 said:

I am also quoted in this story. Although I am from Brooklyn Park, not Coon Rapids. We are both celebraties!




"Tonight is definitely emotional," said Jason Sadowski, 30, of Coon Rapids. "Who knows when I'm going to see him again?"

way2funky said:

WE ROCK!!!

we are published Prince fans now!

Anxiety said:

I wish! But, I think my trips to chi-town in July and August are all I can afford.

PANDURITO said:

I'm such a drama queen!

endorphin74 said:

these things happen in threes, you see. so you have to come to chicago in june, july AND august.

Anxiety said:

maybe....I do wanna see a show from somewhere other than the floor.





I so could not afford this, but I'll dream about it for a second

Poeple, Prince never said he was not touring anymore after this. What he has said, is that he will not be playing the older music anymore, because he needs to make room for the new stuff. There seems to be major confusion about this point. Prince will on tour again somewhere next year in 2005, just like every year prior, you can count on it.

Peace
[This message was edited Sat Jun 19 18:55:22 2004 by leadline]

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

Yes, a point was made.

mzflash said:

Yeah!

I don't think Prince is going to retire though. He will probably just take a while off. Which is just fine.

grandebelle said:

He won't stop touring... isn't the tour billed as "2004-ever"? Maybe it will be like Bob Dylan's Never Ending Tour. Prince is at his best when onstage and will be playing live for many years to come.

kitty!! how effing cool!!!

Prince was great. The band is only getting tighter!!

endorphin74 said:

um yeah....you are crazy if you pull that off too however....if anyone can do it...your the one D...but maybe stay on for while b4 making that decision

Anyone been at the aftershows? A brief review maybe?

rasskinn said:

there are breid reviews of them all in other threads....

http://www.prince.org/msg/12/98674

http://www.prince.org/msg/12/98553

http://www.prince.org/msg/12/98402

theres another one for the wednesday night setlist...but i cant seem to find it right now

violett said:

Thank You! (seems I gotta learn my way around here)

psychodelicide said:

i know it's exactly how i felt leaving after the friday night /sat morning aftershow at the park - elated because it was one of the best jams i've seen him run but sad because it's been years since he had a party at the park and it'll probably be years until he does so again .. ..
[This message was edited Sun Jun 20 9:17:27 2004 by XxAxX]