PrinceFest Y2K was pretty cool from what I saw, since it was my first fest since moving from Anchorage (I live in Ann Arbor now, less than 50 miles from Toledo). I didn't leave Ann Arbor until 5pm and my goal was just to party 4 the nite (because after working a hekka lot of hours last week I needed a break to just loop out and unwind). It was $15 per day or $30 for two-day VIP (for those who stayed the weekend). Although I got to the Quality Hotel, on the Toledo/Maumee, Ohio, city line, by 6pm, the dance party didn't start until 9pm. ...



I knew a lot of "friends" who would be attending (and they can fill you in better on what happened Saturday afternoon and Sunday) so I scoped them out. I used to live in Baltimore/DC and a handful came from LoveSexy DC, including Kathy Jentz. We planned to eat dinner before the party and we ended up catching up on the last time we saw each other than planning for The Celebration. Before dinner, I met for the first time, GiGi from BayNPG, and Derek of New Power New York. Although I never met GiGi until Saturday nite, she knew of me from the Concord, Cali, NewPowerFest gig from Oct 17, 1998. ...



Of what I was told, things kicked off around 1pm with a scaveanger hunt, prince pictionary or something and from 4-6 pm a charity auction. The scavenger hunt got out of hand. For instance, SOTT was an item. Everyone was asked to find a "sign" and a "clock" so practically all got their room clocks and took down signs all over the hotel, which I guess, got the hotel management in a tizzy. I was told videos were shown throughout the afternoon, but they were nothing much. Kathy J said one of the major bidding items was the 2000 calendar, which went for nearly $40 during the auction. Other featured items -- a Cd-R of love joints and the Prince Unauthorized video.



The party kicked off shortly before 9pm. There was a deejay who spun some great tunes through the night, including rare tracks like Ryde Dyvyne. NewPowerSoul from Tennessee played for most of the night and did some pretty good "similar style" songs of the past. But the highlight, like last year, was Prince look-a-like "Julian." The dude has the same complexion and height as but he sounded more like Morris Day. Julian is left-handed and played a purple cloud guitar, posed a lot, sung a few bars here and there and whiddled away on the keys. Julian wore this gold suit with ass-cutouts (but it was like some felt or something and not actual butt-cheek cutouts). ...



About 11pm or so the power gave way after the lead singer/guitar player (doing the "Johnny" guitar solo) went into the crowd and stood and whailed on his guitar. Then a moment later a fuse blew or something after he gave the guitar to someone in the seats. About 15 minutes later the electricity was restored and "Johnny" was completed before their break. ...



NewPowerSoul SETLIST (incomplete and out-of-order) ::


Somebody's Somebody, Cool, Jerk Out, Mutiny, Strange Relationship, Face Down, NOW!, America, DMSR, Kiss, She's Always in My Hair, Days of Wild, What Have You Done For Me Lately?, Rock 2 The Flow, Daddy Pop, Lady Cab Driver, Partyman, Head, I Wanna Be Your Lover, Anotherloverholeinyohead, Johnny, Mr. Happy, 18 & Over, Baby Knows, Delirious, a few bars of Purple Rain, and Do Me Baby -- plus a few others.


NewPowerSoul (or rather No Power Soul when the power gave out), kicked some serious grooves. I've heard only two tribute bands (one of them being Days Of Wild from NYC/Boston), and NPS has got its grooving on high octane. They were damn funky. ...



NewPowerSoul took a break and the deejay asked the crowd (I would say in excess of 250) if they wanted regular Prince or dirty Prince. We all yelled for dirty. One of the joints that got people grooving on the dance floor was "Scarlet Pussy," and "Nasty Girl" and "The Human Body," to name a few Before the band took the stage (a little after midnight). Four dudes from Detroit asked if they could perform a song before NPS took the stage. They called themselves "The Dirtyminders," and proceeded to do "Dirty Mind" complete in tan overcoats, thigh-high black stockings, g-string underwear, boots and red bandanas around their necks. It got the women riled up. I was standing next to Julian and I pulled out a dollar bill and motioned for him to take it. He took it and put it in one of the dude's g-strings. HILARIOUS. ...



The party finally ended around 2:30am or so and I took off for home afterwards. Sure I was a little tired, but it was cool. I did pick up this cd-R of mixes from the deejay for $10 (his own shit -- he said it was his audition tape to Prince back in 1994). One of the six tracks on it was over 25 minutes long. ...



You know, everyone comes in all shapes and sizes, but when it comes to Prince, everyone on the dance floor seemed all the same. Everyone had similar dance moves, be it Prince or The Time -- oaktree, chili sauce, etc -- and everyone was all comfortable with that. It was cool. It was great to be at a party that everyone just dug Prince and ALL his music, regardless of texture. Although I didn't know a lot about the people who I met, we all had a common bond.



Just wanted to say hi to GiGi, Kathy and the LoveSexy DC crew, Blaine, Derek, Holly, Debbie, Peggy and the couple from Windsor, Ontario. ...



See you in 2001. ...