IF YOU GO: Prince fans converge for funky fellowship
BY NATALIE Y. MOORE
Pioneer Press

"For those of you expecting to get your 'Purple Rain' on, you've come to the wrong house," Prince proclaimed on the opening night of his curiously named "Xenophobia" weeklong celebration.

The crowd didn't seem to mind, even after the Purple One rechristened his Paisley Park sound stage as a temporary city called "Surrenderland," imploring fans to mentally release themselves while in his domain.

Why would fans object? Friday night was the ultimate Prince experience for the ultimate Prince aficionados. They traveled from Asia, drove across the country and braved plane delays to descend upon Chanhassen. They waited in line together, fellow sports fans rooting for their favorite team and eating mini-doughnuts in the parking lot.

{{{Fans wore 1980s relics (black lace bras and puffy, ruffled skirts) and donned tributes to Prince (head-to-toe New Power Generation paraphernalia). The color of the night reigned: purple hair, purple thongs, purple nails, purple flowers, purple suits and purple eye shadow. Families brought toddlers. Once inside, an elderly woman in a walker inched her way to the front of the stage. Nine-months-pregnant women lingered in the back.}}}

"He's one of the greatest live performers," said Ossie Osswald, revealing a tattoo of the unpronounceable symbol Prince formerly called himself. Osswald is part of a 15-member cabal from Switzerland that flew in this weekend for "Xenophobia."

"A real Prince fan visits Paisley Park studios," said his pal Zoli Szalatnay.

It's true. No one could argue with the authenticity of concertgoers.

The trip was the perfect vacation for unemployed San Francisco resident Terri DeMartini.

"He's my idol. He makes himself so open," DeMartini said, her face brightening like a sunrise. "It's like coming to Mecca." In the next line over, she spotted her butcher from California dancing and wearing Prince pants.

Desha Walben of Louisiana and D Cousens of New Hampshire met last year at Paisley Park. The two kept in touch and reunited in line Friday as they looked for the 30 other people they maintained correspondence with from the 2001 celebration.

"I'll drive within eight hours" to see Prince, said Walben, a fan since 1982. She opted to fly to Minnesota.

Others made a shorter journey. Rod Wilkins lives six miles away from Paisley Park in Eden Prairie.

"It's the best thing about living here," Wilkins said. "I come out here a lot."

"Xenophobia" marks the third year Prince has opened his outpost to the public for a week of themed festivities. Prince admirers will participate in music workshops, see where he records and enjoy some of the artist's favorite performers in a quasi-intimate setting that's part club, part larger venue. Next week singers Norah Jones and Musiq and bassist Victor Wooten join him at Paisley Park.

Jazz saxophonist Maceo Parker inaugurated the celebration on Friday. The former James Brown band member played covers in between singing and jazzing it up. By midnight he shared the stage with Prince, who looked awfully dreamy as he plucked away at his guitar, hazy purple lights enfolding him and a fan blowing through his cropped hair.

At times, the 2½-hour show felt like a cozy, elongated jam session. Prince touched on jazz, funk, rock, R&B and ballads. He smiled frequently, bantering with the audience and remarking that they are his truest fans. He played material from his new CD "The Rainbow Children," the sexy song "Joy in Repetition" and a couple of soul covers. And it wouldn't be a night with Prince if he didn't dis the record industry and politics of radio stations or make social commentary on racism. He did, musically and verbally.

So fans did surrender under the twinkling starlit walls into Saturday morning. Prince gave his admirers an extra treat. It wasn't "Purple Rain" but a song off the same album, "Take Me With You."

Fans appreciated the gesture.


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Natalie Y. Moore can be reached at nmoore@pioneer press.com or (651) 228-5452.

Fans wore 1980s relics (black lace bras and puffy, ruffled skirts) and donned tributes to Prince (head-to-toe New Power Generation paraphernalia). The color of the night reigned: purple hair, purple thongs, purple nails, purple flowers, purple suits and purple eye shadow.

WTD??
I wish those silly scribblers would avoid certain cliches... There was only maybe only 10 percent of the people there wearing Prince related clothes ..lol
[This message was edited Tue Jul 9 17:22:12 PDT 2002 by johnny]

I'm the lady with the walker and Iam about 40 years away from being elderly. I guess saying that made better press