I suck with set lists, just lettin' yall know now. So don't go expecting one from me. But here's what I experienced tonight:

What is it with Prince, man....I feel like I've heard this stuff a kajillion times already this year, but when i march my butt into that arena, the time just flies by and I'm completely mesmerized all over again. How can this guy keep playing these songs over and over and over and still give a thousand percent and make the stuff sound fresh and brilliant and spontaneous and as exciting as the first time ya heard it?

I guess it's cuz he's Prince, that's why.

This is the first show I've seen since the Champaign and Indianapolis shows, and I can tell quite a bit of difference in how the tour has evolved over the past couple of months. It was nice to hear Alphabet Street and a very complete Raspberry Beret in the acoustic set. It was nice to see him do Call My Name. I was very pleasantly surprised to get a full performance of A Love Bizarre. And that black/white gemini suit he came out with at the top of the show - OUCH, I cut my eyeballs on it, it was so sharp (same cut as the suit he wore on the Tonight Show, only half black and half white). Of course, then he hadda wear a basketball jersey under his white fringe jacket for the acoustic set, ugh...I dunno...I don't like seeing Prince wearing that kinda stuff, at least not at a concert...Nike logos don't become the little guy, he's got his own logos he can wear.

I have three more shows to attend during Prince's stint in Chicago (sitting out Monday, unless that rumored Monday aftershow becomes a reality)...I'm interested to see if and/or how he keeps these shows fresh.

OH: And as for the audience, I gotta say it: The people in my row were all kinds of cool. They were into the music, not fiddling around with their cells and annoying other people, and we all DANCED OUR BUTTS OFF. Whoever was in Row EE, Section 102 - y'all are funky.

And if the purple shawl/poncho lady who got up onstage and danced with Prince at the beginning of the show reads these boards, all I can say is you are STAR MATERIAL, honey. I almost had more fun watching you dance than watching Prince dancin' with ya!

And to the guy with the shiny purple shirt and the shaved head in the front row - I kept expecting you to start speaking in tongues, you were sooo fun to watch...hopefully next time you'll catch the hankie.

More tomorrow...






edit my name
[This message was edited Fri Jun 25 23:31:00 2004 by Anxiety]

Whaddup with that "Workin up a black sweat" song during the acoustic set? Is that new or a cover?

Did he sing Adore or The Beautiful Ones cause I have a ticket for Tuesday?

yeah, this show was a lot of fun. there were some peeps missing from my crew...and you know who you are...being there would have made it that much better! prince seemed to be enjoying himself, though when doesn't he seem to be enjoying himself. (that's a rhetorical question, bluey )

i had a blast at the show and i'm greatful to the wonderful woman behind me who held onto my bag after i was a dumbass and left it behind after the show. thanks for waiting for me to return and thanks for thinking of bringing it to berlin on sunday if i didn't return for it! (and yes, prince did point you out!!!)

i had so much fun at the show...even the cab ride home was a smash! our group totaled at 6 and thanks to the 2 girls who let the 6 of us crowd your taxi-van back to damen! we hopped into this cab with two strangers and split the fair. the taxi had a cd player and the driver let us blast our musicology cds on the drive home! i swear, this could only happen with prince fans...and only after a prince concert!

i'm gonna get some sleep and make sure i'm ready for round 2 tomorrow!
[This message was edited Fri Jun 25 23:39:54 2004 by SassyBritches]

piepie1976 said:

yeah, i don't know. i was expecting him to bust out into "don't play me" at first, then he went into that...it was a cool song, whatever it was.




he did do Adore, in the acoustic set.

it sounds like y'all are off to a great start!

What an awesome show! I had a great time. I never sat down. He played the shit out of so many kick ass songs! DMSR rocked out! Baby I'm a Star jammed! Little Red Corvette was oh so nice...then he broke out with Adore...the women around me were just melting. I met a few fellow purple heads during the night and al I can say Prince has the most cool, diverse, and nice fans in the world.

Anxiety, the lady in the purple shawl who got up on stage was standing in front of me in line to get in to the venue. I don't know who she is...never asked her name...but we had a little chit chat and enjoyed watching the planes damn near take off the top of AllState when they went by. At one point I yelled out, "Don't you hit this building, or I'll cry!!!" And then we said, "Prince better bring his amp out in this street if a plane hits." She was damn cool. When I saw her on stage, I was so excited for her.

Are anyone else's ears still ringing? OMG. HA HA.

Is it just me, or did THE ONE go over WAAAAAY bigger than you might expect. People sitting with me in the "Rhonda and Candy section" on the floor were STUPID when he went into that!!!

Keith/Kacey

Anxiety said:

That was my girl Carla. I drove her there and home. Prince knows Carla's face and dance moves which is why he picked her. He usually picks her to dance on stage when he's in Chicago. But, she won't be there tonight (Monday and Wednesday) because of this little thing called work. Afterward everyone was coming up to her asking if she knew Prince, did she go backstage, they wanted to shake her hand, etc.

Leighsa and I (and I was looking for you Anxiety, Leighsa said you spoke to her twice) were in the parking lot chilling while people were clapping as Carla walked by... for a minute we thought we were walking with Prince.

Prince only wants me to dance or sing on stage in obscure places like Champaign, IL or London, England. But, it's all good.

See yall tonight and I'm wearing gym shoes because my feet still hurt and my ears are still ringing.

piepie1976 said:

According to a post by one of the PP's over at NPGMC, it's a new song called "Black Sweat"

Chacmool said:

awesome...we got a special treat last night! hope he plays it again tonight...i liked the "shakin' out my 'do" line.

That song was AWESOME! I loved it too!

Keith/Kacey

It was a great concert... a lil disappointed that my front row seat had john blackwell's back facing me entire time and the speakers (drum part?) RIGHT IN FRONT of my ears... thought i was gonna explode! From my view, John seemed like a great guy signing autographs and slapping hands. Prince after the show actually came out for 5 seconds and handed something to my friend (along with 2-3 others)... he got excited and thought it was a picture of the band.... but it's actually a Jehovah's Witness booklet, which is i guess not bad either. Here's the setlist in NO ORDER but i'd say pretty accurate:

Alicia Keys intro clip
Musicology
brief crazy in love/i like the way you move
Let's Go Crazy
When Doves Cry
I Feel For You
Question of U/The One/Fallin (brief Candy Dulfer vocals) --- My favorite!
Controversy
Let's Work
Shhh
D.M.S.R.
Life O the Party
Brief housequake
Brief 777-9311
Call My Name
Take Me With you
I would Die For You
Love Bizzare
Sign O Times
U Got The Look
Baby I'm A Star
Soul Man (Chance Howard (?) on vocals w/Prince)

some renato neto spacey new age instrumental (intermission)
maceo playing what a wonderful world/smooth jazz instrumental (intermission 2)

Acoustic:
Little Red Corvette
Cream
Raspberry Beret
Kiss
Adore
On The Couch
Alphabet St
Black Sweat (new song or cover?)
some famous chaka kahn song i don't know (Sweet Thing?)
7 (1st half acoustic 2nd half full band)

final song:
Purple Rain

Hope you folks have fun at the other shows... i'd advise bringing ear plugs JUST IN CASE! My ears are still ringing....
[This message was edited Sat Jun 26 13:26:50 2004 by Budsmoker]

Black Sweat was the bomb!! He looked great when he came out! The black and white was tight. His other outfits including the platform gym shoes where wrong! His stylist is slippin. The show was great as always even if his voice was a little week. Poor Princey get better soon.

I got one of John Blackwell's drumsticks; he spent a lot of time hanging out by the curtain when he wasn't onstage. Prince walked right by me but didn't hand me a Watchtower. Maybe he'll give me one at the Tuesday show.

Thanks for the review, Anx...I love hearing you gush about music, and especially live performances.

Sassy, thanks for the shout-out. It's nice to not be forgotten. It's not like we ain't gonna be seeing the man a million more times before we die, though, so iss all good!

Wow, I was thinking these Chicago shows weren't until next week or something....my concept of time has been really warped lately.

Anxiety said:

I met this guy at Berlin tonight!

Dang, I met a LOT of people at Berlin tonight. And I mean DANG!

Shiny purple shirt dude, if ya check this out, drop me an orgnote and say hey - you're awesome!

Friday night in Chicago was great!!! I was so, so, so, not wanting that evening to end. I loved the way he had the purple spot lights on the building, along with his symbol, so it was so cool passing through the area. Prince was his usual charming self, I just wished he would have done less melody type pieces - I've never liked combining songs that way, you don't get to truly take in the song. You're kind of left wanting more - then again that could just be me being greedy.....?


All in all, I loved every minute.....