The Charlotte show was off the chain -- better than either of the two Jam of the Year
shows I saw (Charlotte and Greensboro) on the last tour.



The immediate difference to me is the addition of John Blackwell on the drums. YES!!! He
rocked the house all night long...and I'm proud to add that he is a native son of North
Cackalack! : ) His playing has helped the band get back to the level of musicianship that
Prince's music deserves.



The show started about an hour late (around 9pm) with Uptown. The setlist (as we have
been told to expect) mirrored the previous dates, but the energy level was skyhigh. Because
I was on the second row in the center, I finally had the chance to *truly* watch Prince
play...he is astounding (but you all knew that!). He ripped some phenomenal guitar solos
(especially during "ICNTTPOYM") that left me with nothing to do but shake my head and
smile.



I really enjoyed Geneva's input, too; she provided a good foil for Prince. And to reiterate
what has been said 100 times already: the "Darling Nikki" portion of the show is hot!
Geneva's dancing added to the spectacle. (Hell, she made a spectacle of herself when she
started contorting her body into some "interesting" configurations -- hmmm, could she "turn
this gay preacher into a sinner? Nah! She ain't that good! LOL!!!)



Najee held down the jazzy vibe all night, blowing some amazing solos in the process. The
crowd seemed to really appreciate him as an artist in his own right. I wasn't surprised
because he is a staple on the local smooth jazz station. Hearing him play the "Father's Song"
portion of "Computer Blue" and the instrumental version of "God" was a real treat for this
longtime admirer.



Rhonda and Morris were their always-reliable selves. Stylistically, there's nothing flashy
about either, but you know the bass and keys are gonna be straight all night when they're on
them. Kip Blackshire, a new addition on keys for this tour, really made his largest impact on
backing vocals, IMO. His voice definitely helped to define and sweeten the melodies
throughout the show.



And the best part of all (for me personally): Leading up to the show, something kept telling
me that I was going to get on stage with the band. I don't usually expect things like this so it
surprised me to feel that way. At the pre-concert fan gathering we had, I boldly told
everyone to look for me on stage during the dance-along because I *WOULD* be there! I
was anxious throughout the entire concert because I had told so many friends that I was
getting on stage and...what if I didn't? When the beginning of "Come On" kicked in, I knew
this was it. Prince pulled a woman from the first row right in front of me then told Geneva
to bring up some guys. Geneva was on the other side of the stage from me. So I began to
scream for her to notice me. She picked a few guys and then walked toward the center
where I was standing, but she didn't seem to see me. My boyfriend and I yelled in tandem,
"GENEVA!!!" She looked right at me and smiled, pointed and nodded "yes." I dashed over
the chairs in front of me and bounded onto the stage. The rest is a blur but I think he did an
extended version of "Come On," brought out Doug E Fresh to rap/beatbox then closed with
"Kiss" and chants of "NPG." The one thing that I am sure of is that I got my groove on! (I
was the white guy in the white Parade-era t-shirt. Everybody kept walking up to me at the
afterparty telling me that I turned it. I don't know about that, but I definitely had fun.) It was
amazing to stand on stage with Prince in front of thousands of people. I'll never forget it!



All in all, easily one of the best Prince shows I've ever been to!!!



Peace,



David



(PS: I'll leave the aftershow report to someone else and post about the *FANTASTIC* fan gathering we had later.)