[Note: slightly edited. --Ben]

I had my ass kicked in Sacramento! This thought passed through my head as cruised through empty streets of downtown Sacramento at 4am Monday morning. THe moon was full and low in the sky as I passed Harlow's to see if there was any evidence of the "official afterparty" that would indicate that Prince actually played. No matter - I had a journey to LA waiting for me.

As I pulled up to the Memorial Auditorium at about 1pm Sunday afternoon, I noticed that people were already lined up across the street from the venue! I got my ticket and got in line. While waiting I actually met someone from this site who recognized my Prince rhetoric as the writings of FACE! Robert was the first cool Prince head I had ever met. We exchanged stories and wondered if premium memebers would get in first. THe staff at the hall was almost useless. They moved the line of people arouind the block and let rude members rush their friends to the front of the premium member line once they figured out what the NPG music club was about and a list showed up. Some brother with muscles who looked like Andre Cymone and his wife brought what looked like 8 friends to stand at the very front of a line many of us had stood in for 4 hours or more! Simply uncool. It was a bigger mess than Hollywood.

While we were waiting across the street, a tiny figure in red appeared in one of th front doors and peered at us from behind one of the columns. It was Prince waving to the crowd! I screamed like one of the girls.

As the show kicked off I noticed that the sound quality left a little to be desired. Prince gestured that his mic be turned up a few times through the show. I thought it would be the standard Hit n Run set be they changed it up on me with the housestyle version of Gett Off early in th show instead of closing with the standard version as they did 2 nights before. The funk instantly got thicker in the room. They went right into the best rendition of Housequake that I have heard - and I have heard many.

What made the night for me was Prince surprising us with the purple symbol guitar and a loud, raunchy verson of The Ride. Now that was a new one on me and I was about 10 feet from his mic stand so he was seriously peeling my cap with that axe!

My one criticism is the frequency with which fans are brought up on stage. I just dont want to see 9 people jumping around stage during the best party songs like Come On. I bet Prince thought twice about itwhen some guy grabbed him by the shoulders from the back as the security was ushering the fans off stage. At another point in the show, one girl got on stage and got behind Prince and started grinding on him. I could tell security was going to have to deal with her!

Prince closed the show the way I like every Prince show to close - with Purple Rain. Our hero was triumphant once again. As my ears were still ringing and my swollen dogs had gone done enough for my to get my shoes on, I thanked myself for making the 400 miles road trip to get my ass kicked in Sacramento! Nest time, I suggest you do the same...

...cause FACE said so!!!