What a long, long night it's been! Arrived at The Palladium at 5:30 and
picked up my ticks at the box office. Then had dinner at an Irish pub
across the street. Then cut into almost the front of the line where some
friends were standing, so I was able to get VERY close (4'th person back
from front of stage!). Doors opened about 8:15 and my wife and I rushed to
the front. Prince didn't come on stage until about 10 PM.



He looked angry when he came on stage (was he arguing with the band or with
techies before going on? any one's guess). Anyway, he trounced on the
stage in black bell bottoms, white long sleeve shirt with open chest and a
black coat on over top and a black scarf around his neck (got the pics to
prove it!) (My wife snuck a camera in but there was absolutely NO security
checks. I was wearing a jacket and a fanny pack, and they didn't search
anything! Wish I had brought a DAT recorder!) Prince was playing his old
guitar from the Pre-purple rain days.



Now, he played sooo many songs that I won't be able to recollect many of
them, you'll have to wait for other reports to give more accurate set lists.
But let me say he was SMOKING tonight! However, the show did get off to a
rocky start IMHO. As I said he seemed pissed when he got on stage, scowling
and looking dark. Maybe he was just nervous, being the first non PP
performance for the new lineup (Najee and the drummer whose name escapes me,
and a new keyboardist). The drummer is KILLER! Thank God he replaced Kirky
J! And Najee can blow a mean horn, but much more jazzy, very nice
compliment to the band.



Rhonda was awesome too! The show started with Rhonda by herself on stage
playing un upright fretless bass with a bow! The crowd was going nuts!
Then Najee started blowing some soothing melodic sounds from one of the
balcony sections, then came down and joined Rhonda on stage. Then the
drummer and Morris Hayes (love that man! I can see why P is keeping him
around in the NPG for as long as he kept Dr. Fink around in the Revolution).
They all join in building up the mood. Then we hear samples of Prince
yelping and bits from songs.



Finally, P walks on stage with guitar on and go into their first number. I
can't, for the life of me, remember what it was, but during the first set
they played many of his earlier stuff from his first four albums. Some
songs I remember are "I Wanna Be Your Lover", "Controversy" (during
Controversy, Geneva held up a newspaper with Controversy written in big
headlines on it - I thought she complimented Prince very well and wasn't too
in your face with her dancing, a lot like Cat from the Sign of the Times
era). He also played Little Red Corvette, Mutiny which segued into 6 (from
madhouse), Cream, Uptown. Then he went to piano and played the ENTIRE
Ballad of Dorothy Parker!! (one of my favs!). He was awesome on the keys and
by now he and the band were finally warming up and feeling the groove. His
band is tight and I think they are in great shape already!



By now, my wife and I were practically suffocating. both of us slightly
sick with head colds and being crushed by a mass of hot bodies, we could
take it for only so long. So having experienced Prince from 15 feet away
and gotten some good pictures without the camera being confiscated, we moved
up to the balcony. When I got up there he was back on guitar and was doing
I could Never Take the Place of Your Man, with the entire guitar solo! Love
it!



He also did about half of Purple Rain, including Darling Nikki (which I
thought was ironic given it was election night and 16 years ago this song
pissed of Gore's wife), that set went Let's go Crazy, Take Me with u,
Darling Nikki, The Beautiful Ones, and When Doves Cry.



In different parts of the show he played Kiss, Gett Off, You Got the Look,
Nothing Compares 2 U, Do Me Baby, Diamonds and Pearls, When Are We Going to
Get Paid For, and closed with a Santana song (He introduced his band, then
himself as Santana! LOL, then looked at his guitar and said, "this is
habibi").



Prince played the cloud guitar and habibi during the night, too, as well as
some AWESOME bass work and keyboards! He was amazing!



I know I left some songs out, but you'll get a better setlist from other
reports.



This was the third performance I've been to and my favorite by far! (Jones
Beach Jam of the Year running a close second). Prince is back with a band
that kills like NPG did! Larry and the rappers are gone! Thank the lawd!