vintageheels said:

Prince Covers Cars, Jimmy Eat World at Oscar Party

This year's Oscars telecast saw a lot of tricks to improve sagging ratings, from keeping the presenters a surprise, to some additional musical numbers. But after attending Prince's post-Oscar bash at Hollywood's Avalon, we have a simple solution for the Academy -- make Prince and his group the house band.

Sure, there might be some nervous moments. Though doors were scheduled to open at 10 p.m., and the line down Vine St. was still there at midnight as Prince wrapped up his sound check. And as you'd imagine, the one a.m. scheduled start time actually became 1:45 before the Purple One took the stage. But as soon as he laid down the licks to the Edgar Winter Band classic 'Frankenstein,' the funkiest Oscar party in history was on.

Backed once again by a stellar group of musicians, Prince led the ensemble through a pastiche of surprising rock 'n' roll karakoe, from the Cars' 'Let's Go' to the Rolling Stones' 'Miss You' and 'Honky Tonk Woman.' To prove his ridiculous range, Prince asked the crowd -- a mixture of celebs, including Best Supporting Actress winner Penelope Cruz, and fans who paid $100 a ticket -- "Do you want jazz, funk, soul, reggae, rock 'n' roll?" The answer of rock 'n' roll prompted a little Jimmy Eat World's 'The Middle.'

Prince later invited several people from the audience onstage to dance and take over lead vocals during performances of the Sheila E. hit 'Glamorous Life,' and Wild Cherry's '70s hit, 'Play That Funky Music. And three a.m. or not, you can be sure when Prince says, "Everybody dance," that crowd was moving.

http://www.spinner.com/20...car-party/

Cool story

Prince Breaks Out Beatles, Rolling Stones at Oscar Party

Last night in L.A., after all the Oscars were handed out, Prince played host to several hundred diehard fans — and a few famous names — at his all-night afterparty. The stars certainly had their pick of flashy post-show parties Sunday night — the Vanity Fair bash at the Sunset Towers Hotel, Elton John’s annual AIDS Foundation soiree at the Pacific Design Center, Madonna’s get-together at Guy Oseary’s pad, Demi Moore’s house party for her closest A-list friends — but those looking to get their groove on until the wee hours of the morning headed to L.A.’s Avalon Ballroom, where Prince was playing a solid mix of covers and hits.

Unlike Prince’s past awards show after-parties, typically held at his Hollywood Hills home and thrown under a strict by-invitation-only policy, this one was open to the plebes among us. At $100 per person — first come, first serve — the show doubled as a launch-pad for his soon-to-debut website LOTUSFLOW3R.com. A few hundred hopefuls had lined up on Hollywood and Vine hours in advance, knowing full well that it would be a very long wait. After all, the Purple One was still sound-checking at 11:30 p.m. and doors had yet to open. Shortly after midnight (and while Prince and select guests were being entertained by an all-girl jazz band upstairs at the Avalon’s exclusive lounge Bardot), an orderly crowd made its way inside filling only half of the venue’s main floor — not that the post-Oscar folks (some still wearing gowns and tuxedos) were complaining after a full day of elbow rubbing.

Starting close 1:45, the nearly two-hour set kicked off with a tease — the opening progression to “Purple Rain,” which brought out the diminutive Prince, strolling onto the stage carrying a blinged-out baton. He soon traded it in for a guitar and, backed by a three-piece band, two backup singers and one killer harmonica player, Prince launched into a string of covers, beginning with The Cars’ “Let’s Go” and segueing into “Crimson and Clover” mashed with “Wild Thing.” “I’m the DJ tonight,” he boasted from the stage shortly after dedicating the night to Oscar winner Penélope Cruz and giving a nod to celebrities viewing from the VIP area. Among them: Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah, Angie Harmon, Tyler Perry, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine and Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson.

And while the bars had closed twenty minutes into the performance, Prince’s banter kept spirits high. Introducing a bellowing rendition of the Beatles’ “Come Together,” he asked his subjects: “I’m here and you’re here, that’s all we need to start a party, right?” Indeed, as Prince launched into the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Woman” and then surprised all with a true-to-the-original take on Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle,” the dance floor had filled considerably. By the time “Jungle Love” and “Play That Funky Music” came around, the place, as they say, was jumping. Prince closed out the set by asking for volunteers to join him on “The Glamorous Life,” the song he wrote for Sheila E., then proceeded to invite audience members to the stage for free-for-all, to which a couple dozen brazen fans eagerly obliged.

“Turn those Blackberries off and dance,” Prince chided just after three in the morning, his guitar hero energy not waning in the slightest. The crowd’s energy, however, was another story. Still, diehards hoping to hear more from the Prince hit list stuck around until the bitter end, and weren’t disappointed to get “I Feel For You” as an encore (at 3:22 in the morning). But he never did come back to “Purple Rain,” and with awards season over, it may be a while before we get another chance.


http://www.rollingstone.c...car-party/

does anyone know,if the concert got filmed?

so was it in the main avalon room or the spider (bardot) club?

dothejump said:

Now that's what i call a review.....

Prince hit list stuck around until the bitter end, and weren’t disappointed to get “I Feel For You” as an encore (at 3:22 in the morning).

Man the people in La La Land are light weights...

Very cool post, I wish I was there..If am lucking once, I'll bring high heels, aaaaand, Clarks definetely!!! Thank U for sharing

I'd bet he smelled as good as he looked.....scrumptious. Seemed like a grand finale. I should hope we get a chance 2 see via his website.Thanxs 4 the update. Just know I envy U right now.

gerhard12 said:

A film crew was filming the audience in line and during the concert. Im pretty sure the perfomrance was being filmed as well.

Sounds great. I want to hear him play I Feel For You live so badly..

Shocking that the concert didn't sell out, they advertised it all over tv.

blacksweat said:

He did a quick plug for the site, but actually said that it couldn't be fully open until "you all join up". Kind of a crass promotion, frankly.

2freaky4church1 said:

Really?????

I wonder if he has obtained the original artist's permission to do the songs live...?

BlackAdder7 said:

You don't need permission to do a cover.

Capeman said:

What about if he puts out a dvd of him doing the covers?

Wow! Sounds awesome... still pissed that I missed him in New York last October... it's about time he does a show in Europe again!

blacksweat said:

I Feel 4 u is a Prince song

Capeman said:

I'm not so sure about that, which is why I asked. Didn't the group that originally recorded "Creep" gripe about Prince's rendition at Coachella?

LondonStyle said:

Yeah but it was still last minute notice on in the middle of a weekend. Not everyone could just jump up and change plans.
[Edited 2/23/09 12:09pm]

ItsOnlyMountains said:

then he needs 2 get permission 2 release it, and then he has 2 pay the songwriter royalities...

so good luck seeing this concert on a official dvd release

One of the comments on Dr Funkenberrys site.....

# The Kidd Says:
February 23rd, 2009 at 2:53 pm

this is as best i can recollect. please make corrections and/or additions as needed. what a night!!!

Purple Rain (Intro)
Yes We Can Can (Pointer Sisters)
Let’s Go (The Cars)
Crimson and Clover
7
Shhh
Come Together (The Beatles)
Cream
Miss You (Rolling Stones)
Honky Tonk Women (Rolling Stones)
The Middle (Jimmy Eats World)
The Bird (The Time)
Jungle Love (The Time)
Glamorous Life (Sheila E.)
Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry)

encore:
I Feel For You
Controversy



http://www.drfunkenberry..../#comments

eireboy34 said:

Yes, I realize that. And you could argue about certain ownership when it comes to some of the others... Just making the distinction a bit more about it being known as a Chaka Khan song by most... but your point is obviously correct and well taken!

cool thanx 4 sharing

BlackAdder7 said:

Yeah, but they wouldn't have any legal claim to anything.

lezama said:

Exactly. However, putting it out on DVD or CD would require royalty payments.

Sounds fun.

xlr8r said:

Cool - thanks for posting!

NuPwrSoul said:

I saw a camera crew filming but not sure what it was filming the show or the people in the back of the club(celebs and guests).
[Edited 2/23/09 14:12pm]