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Morris Day and the Time perform with Purple pride at the Minnesota Zoo saw this in today's paper, sounds cool:
Of course, there was a purple hue to Morris Day and the Time’s performance Thursday night at the sold-out Minnesota Zoo – literally and figuratively. It was their first hometown appearance since the April 21 death of Prince, who created the Time around Day in 1981. At the start of the concert, the zoo's stage featured a purple spotlight shining on a microphone stand with no singer in sight as the Time played snippets of “Party Up” and “1999,” two vintage Prince pieces. Day, resplendent in a banana yellow suit with rhinestone trim, came dancing out. “Minneapolis, if you love Prince, make some noise.” The crowd roared and the Time, each member dressed with a touch of purple save for the singer, responded with “Get It Up.” There was no doubt that everyone – from the people on the stage to the standing-room-only throng – was up for this one. There was a lot of energy, emotion and spirit at the zoo for the Time’s first Twin Cities appearance since January at Prince’s Paisley Park in Chanhassen. It wasn’t the Time’s first foray in honoring Prince; last week the Minneapolis funk ensemble participated in a tribute show in London with CeeLo Green, Larry Graham and Mark Ronson. The always cool Day, who invariably plays a character in the Time in concert, manifested a different vibe at times Thursday. During “Jungle Love,” the limber singer actually got lost in his dancing, like he was having as much fun as the fans. Not that he lost his cool, but he was just having a funky good time. In the first 45 minutes of the 80-minute set, the Time tore through several old Minneapolis Sound favorites including “Cool,” “Wild and Loose,” “The Stick,” “Jerk Out” and “777-9311” with seldom a pause between songs. This unstoppable funk machine reminded one of the most dancing-est crowds ever at the zoo that there ain’t no party like a Time party. To be sure, guitarist Tori Ruffin is not the caliber of Jesse Johnson, the Time’s original guitarist and a monster player now. Ruffin is more facile than flashy. However, original Time drummer Jellybean Johnson, who was a top-notch timekeeper all night, took a terrific turn on guitar, playing the solo he recorded on Janet Jackson’s “Black Cat,” reminding local barroom denizens that he is one the Twin Cities’ most underappreciated axe men. Ruffin and bassist Ricky “Freeze” Smith gave verbal shout outs to Prince. Day did, too, and he even performed a taste of Prince’s “D.M.S.R.” Day, who now lives in Las Vegas, made lots of hometown references, including to the old Nacirema club, and to the fact that he and Jellybean Johnson have been friends since they were 11-year-olds in Minneapolis and original keyboardist Monte Moir (who skillfully played those funky synth lines over the great grooves) is from south Minneapolis. As always, Day, 58, played the cartoonish, crowd-pleasing lothario, though he was less sexist than in past. His only misstep was on “Ice Cream Castles,” when he and the band couldn’t seem to agree on a key, making things sound flat. If Prince, a demanding leader, had witnessed that, he would have required a post-concert rehearsal for the Time. But the rest of the night, Morris Day and the Time would have made him Purple proud.
[Edited 7/1/16 6:55am] | |
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Thanks for posting! - I wanted to go to this SO SO SO SO badly but it was already sold out by the time I heard about it. - I hope this show was cathartic and healing for Morris. He's clearly been in such grief, going by his FB posts, since Prince left us. I hope this show restored his heart a bit. - I hope also that anybody who was there will post here about it! | |
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hear me now & believe me later: . once I become "financially independent" (likely very soon) my 1st order of business WILL be to re-unite the ORIGINAL members of THE TIME - Jerome included - so they can do 1 KILLER, "final" (?) show. . MUCH RESPECT to Tori, Freeze, & the other guys that have kept the group going all these years.. but I grew up - & saw those AWESOME shows on both the Controversy & "triple threat" tours.. . THE TIME from '81 - '83 WAS THAT COOL. as great as Prince was then.. he SHOULD HAVE BEEN "afraid" of Morris & the fellas. . I just want to see them all play ONE MORE SHOW. (we know they won't stay together long enough to do more than that..) . WHAT TIME IS IT??? I'll see you tonight..
in ALL MY DREAMS.. | |
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How was Morris Day sexist? Are we that PC now? Save America - Stop Illegal Immigration. God bless America. PEACE | |
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I dont care what anyone says - seeing the Time live is just not the same without Jerome. That is like trying to do Abbott without Costello. Save America - Stop Illegal Immigration. God bless America. PEACE | |
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Yeah.. I'm worried for him too. Prince was like a superhero to Morris. There is a lot of pressure on him in the wake of Prince's passing. | |
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DAMN!!!!!! They dissed the sh*t outta Tori!!!!! When I first saw the new "Valet", I thought it was Jamie Foxx!!!!! | |
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