Ok, yall...I've been up for 24 hours and I need to get some sleep. However, I know some of you really are dying to know about Mill City, so here goes. After making a brief cameo in Larry's set, the Artist took the stage to the strains of "Sign 'O the Times". It was really great to see him do this track and open with it, as he is looking VERY retro-Prince. The "Blue Angel" guitar, the long wavy hair, the big hoop earring in one ear, and who could forget the "Graffiti Bridge" era goatee? He came out in a purple, sparkly pant-suit ensemble that was very flashy and cool to look at.


He came from the back of the stage with his blue guitar and stood directly in front of a new piece of stage lighting: a GIANT lighting rig of his name (not at all like the one on the Diamonds and Pearls tour). The paper spheres and futuristic palm trees from the Jam 'O the Year tour were also present. After wrapping up "Sign", he went into "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" and really got the crowd going.


As always, guitar was fantastic, stage presence like no other, but it took a little bit before he started really laying the moves out on us. I don't remember the exact order of the tunes, but I believe "The Christ" was next. He went into a speech about how we waste our time on hate and how we need to look around at one another and find some commonalites. He asked if that commonality could be the Christ, and if we would all put one finger up in the air if we believed. Most did...despite the exclusion of many non-Christian religions. He later emphasized that the commonality we shared was in fact, "Love".


He did a fantastic version of "Let's Go Crazy" which acted as the debut of the hundreds of lightbulbs in the new symbol lighting rig. That guitar solo at the end gets better everytime I hear it! This song segued into, "She's Always In My Hair". He did "U Got the Look" and invited quite a few people up on stage to dance to "Gett Off/Gett Off (housestyle)". He had about four or five little kids on stage with him, too. It was fun to watch. A couple of the little girls REALLY were getting into it. Even the Artist started crackin' up! He did look very happy tonight, I must say.


He started talking about his new single, "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold" and said it would be available to buy very soon. He also mentioned the deluge of people congratulating him on his new deal with Arista. He spat, "Congratulations to ME? You should find the president of the record company and congratulate HIM!!" He went on about how he was free to do whatever he wants now and that it's nothing against the record companies if he wants to release something independently.


He did a typically funky version of "Talkin' Loud..." and brought up special guest, Maceo Parker. This was a real treat as this man is plain sick on the sax! He came out pretty frequently to jam and was quite amazing. He really gave the Hornheadz a run for their money. By the way, they were on stage the WHOLE time!!! Talk about breathing life into the songs!!! What a wonderful group of players!



Special guest number 2 was none other than, Mayte! She looked great and danced up a storm in a tight black jumpsuit kinda thing with pieces of material cut out of the top half in all the right places! He did his hard rock version of Sheryl Crow's, "Everyday Is A...", while everybody was kinda looking around for her, wondering if she would also be a guest. Didn't happen. Although, holding court in a VIP area was the pop group Next, Janet Jackson, Terry and Jimmy, Kevin Garnett, and some others I didn't recognize. I was also told by a staff member that Mtv was there filming footage for a documentry.


Anyway, next up was one of the big highlights for me. He did the "Let's Work/Delerious" medley and boy did ignite the audience, as well as the man himself! He was all over the stage doing his trademark moves, the crawling, the splits....he even picked up some shiny beads that fans threw at him and put them on for the rest of the night! I thought that was pretty cool.



Another highlight for me was the new track from "RAVE", called "Pretty Man". He said, "I originally wrote this for Morris Day but it was so funky, I KEPT IT!". He then recited some of the lyrics a capella (paraphrasing here)...."When eye wake up in the morning...and I'm feeling nice. I walk by my mirror and I kiss it twice....(something about his) perfume...up there on the shelf (something about how when no one's looking)...sometimes I smell MYSELF!" If was funny to watch him act out these lyrics. The chorus was something to the effect of, "If you wanna be my lady, honey let me know. If you wanna be my baby, you gotta act like you know. If you wanna get with me, come on take my hand....(somethin, somethin, somethin)...I'm a pretty man (TOTALLY Paraphrased....SORRY!!!!!) The tune ended with the phrase, "Don't hate me cuz I'M BEAUTIFUL!!" The tune was bad-assed...can't wait to own it.



He closed the first set with that and came back out for a wonderfully LONG version of "Purple Rain". It was really beautiful to watch the crowd sing along to this....people were out on rooftops, hanging out of windows....they were everywhere! Waiving their hands and holding up lighters to the song. It was a really nice moment considering that song has a special place in every Minneapolitan's heart. This is what put us on the map, as the Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton said.



He came out for a second encore in a new shiny black sleeveless suit with dark brown shades. He did a version of, "Come On" and brought up a Mayte knockoff from the crowd onstage. She held her own, though. He went into a quick version of, "Baby I'm A Star" and closed with "1999" (of course). Following the performance, the Mayor came out and presented him with the key to the city, which was a nice gesture. And that about does it! OH! By the way, the song "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child" was also thrown into the set about midway through. Great guitar through out the show, and the back ups were especially good as the Artist has Kip and 2 other guys on stage singing.



Estelle played percussion....AND HOW! Kirk was on drums, Larry on bass, Morris on keyboards, and Mike on guitar. There is most definitely more to this report but I can barely think straight. Him and Larry just kicked my ASS! Not only am I dealing with that, but also the guilty feelings of being too tired for a the aftershow that is no doubt happening at Paisley right now....oh well. I'm sure someone will have a report. Anyhow, great show. Great guitar! Welcome HOME!