Philly show report :


Just a few thoughts to add to the mix...
The VIBE was joyous,beautiful, and sexy. Prince seemed very happy with the show,the crowd, and his band. A very UP night by all accounts.



The Highlights :


- Prince's voice was impecible ! The man was on, and showcased a brillant falsetto that seems to defy age. On the JOTY tour, I started feeling like he had lost a bit, but I was so wrong. The ballads were stunning and the emotionally strong all night.


- The band is tight and quite versitile. I thought they brought fantastic color to Darling Nikki,Scandalous,and Gett Off. Very encouraging !


- Uptown,Controversy,Mutiny,Darling Nikki,Kiss...Hell, most of the show was a highlight.



Two points of minor criticism :


- As reported earlier, Najee is a superb musician, but I would have rather heard Prince solo on whatever instrument in place of Najee for more songs, but I sense he is trying to give a guy a showcase that he thinks he deserves.


- I really had no issue with the setlist, as many of the classics have not been played in recent years, and the band really breathed new life into them, but I really don't like how he chops all the songs up to a third of their length. Everytime you started gettin' in a groove,the song was segueing into another. Maybe Prince is bored, or is trying to cram every song into the set, but I would have loved for him to play more complete songs.



All in all, this was a night that was truly a celebration of a lengendary performer embracing his past and performing with all the energy,talent, and passion of any artist to grace a stage. I had the joy of sharing this show with a couple of friends who were first time Prince showgoers. Afterward, my friend described the night's rendition of Purple Rain saying''I was transfixed.It was just amazing what he did with that crowd. I was in awe !'' Being a longtime, and somewhat jaded fan, I shared that feeling,as did most everyone I could see in that audience. If there was naysayer in the house, I couldn't find him...


Thank you for a funky time...