What an amazing show that must have been. Wow!!

It truly was.

But one of the things I remember vividly (though I didn't put it in the review) is how bad he was limping by the end of the show. That was the night it became clear to me that the rumors about his hip problems were true. And now, in retrospect, I wonder if he didn't do that epic show because he knew there wouldn't be many (any?) more unless he got himself fixed up. Didn't they say he had the surgery the next year?

Genesia said:

…Prince played an amazing 3-hour show at Paisley Park. I was lucky enough to be there. This is what I wrote in my hotel room (and posted to the org) at 3:37 the following morning. I would give anything for a recording of this show. (To date, none has surfaced.)

Thank you, Prince - I miss you.

Well, thank goodness I wasn't late to the Park - who'd'a' thunk he'd start on time?

At 11:10, the band took the stage, followed shortly thereafter by Our Man. He had on (from what I could tell under the colored lights) a black satin tunic with self-fabric fringe, his black stretchy pants, and a pair of furry, knee-high boots with lights in the wedge heels. This was the only outfit he wore all night - the first time I've ever been to a Prince concert that didn't have a wardrobe change.

He started off the evening with the Hohner in hand for the following:

No More Candy 4 U

Old Skool Company (with a Purple Rain tease)

Stand

Turn Me Loose

I Want You Back

Dance 4 Me

1999

I Feel 4 U

Then he launched into a version of Controversy that wound itself around All Day All Night, Le Freak, Northside, Dancin' Machine and Housequake before coming back to Controversy.

From there...

Why U Wanna Treat Me So Bad

Take Me With U

And then...he started Anotherloverholenyohead...but stopped, saying, "I love this song...and I'm gonna wanna play a looooong solo. So lemme switch guitars."

He left for a second...and returned with his crimson Strat. He proceeded to tear up Anotherlover...with Rock Lobster worked in.

Then it was on to...

Guitar

Raspberry Beret

Exactly one hour in, Prince left the stage for Shelby to sing "In the Arms of the Angels." Mr. Hayes put on his chu'ch hat (I ain't kiddin' - it was a big white hat with an organza bow on it) and played some serious organ. It was quite something.

Prince returned (along with the Hohner) for a meandering and heartfelt 4ever in My Life. Lovely.

From there, he picked up the tempo:

Mountains

Shake Your Body

Larry joined him for:

Everyday People

I Want to Take You Higher

Long Train Runnin' (Wow - what a surprise that was! And it was awesome. Shelby on vocals for this.)

Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

Sing a Simple Song

Play That Funky Music (at the close of this, he handed his guitar to the audience)

Prince and band left the stage exactly two hours after the show began.

The first encore took it even higher:

Uptown

Let's Work

Cool

Kiss (back to the funky version - not the rock-ish one he's done of late)

The rest of the band left the stage and Prince did a lovely, gentle Sometimes It Snows in April.

He took it back up again with

The Bird

Jungle Love

The Glamorous Life

The second encore was Purple Rain. He did something I've never heard - took the whole thing down to a guitar solo that sounded like a beating heart. It was just plain incredible.

re: Purple Rain. The man was the father of re-invention. Among everything else he could do when he would rework a staple he would elevate it to a new and exciting height, what an ear he had. I think of just some of the passages he would play inbetween songs, licks, grooves etc. Those were always my favorite moments of the aftershows/impromptu gigs. I remember a show I witnissed at Paisley back in sept 2000, Blackwells first live gig I believe. He started the show with this lenghty guitar led egyptian instrumental that to this day I would kill to hear again. You could tell it was a finished piece that I can only hope see's the light of day. It just made me think I wonder how many others just like it were in that vault. Genius thru & thru. Miss u P but so grateful to have gone to the lengths I did to see you.

[Edited 10/24/16 11:11am]

Thanks for posting this. The entire show sounds amazing but that rendition of PR sounds especially haunting and incredible.

Farfunknugin said:

re: Purple Rain. The man was the father of re-invention. Among everything else he could do when he would rework a staple he would elevate it to a new and exciting height, what an ear he had. I think of just some of the passages he would play inbetween songs, licks, grooves etc. Those were always my favorite moments of the aftershows/impromptu gigs. I remember a show I witnissed at Paisley back in sept 2000, Blackwells first live gig I believe. He started the show with this lenghty guitar led egyptian instrumental that to this day I would kill to hear again. You could tell it was a finished piece that I can only hope see's the light of day. It just made me think I wonder how many others just like it were in that vault. Genius thru & thru. Miss u P but so grateful to have gone to the lengths I did to see you.

That is why I was more of an aftershow girl. It was always so amazing to hear him go off script. Like at the House of Blues in Chicago in 2012, when he did a mash-up of Mountains and Dance Electric. He never would have done that in a main show - but it was just magic witnessing it at an aftershow.

Genesia said:

Farfunknugin said:

re: Purple Rain. The man was the father of re-invention. Among everything else he could do when he would rework a staple he would elevate it to a new and exciting height, what an ear he had. I think of just some of the passages he would play inbetween songs, licks, grooves etc. Those were always my favorite moments of the aftershows/impromptu gigs. I remember a show I witnissed at Paisley back in sept 2000, Blackwells first live gig I believe. He started the show with this lenghty guitar led egyptian instrumental that to this day I would kill to hear again. You could tell it was a finished piece that I can only hope see's the light of day. It just made me think I wonder how many others just like it were in that vault. Genius thru & thru. Miss u P but so grateful to have gone to the lengths I did to see you.

That is why I was more of an aftershow girl. It was always so amazing to hear him go off script. Like at the House of Blues in Chicago in 2012, when he did a mash-up of Mountains and Dance Electric. He never would have done that in a main show - but it was just magic witnessing it at an aftershow.

Would of loved to hear that mash up. Two of my favorite P joints meshed together. You could tell those moments were liberating for him being that the main shows were so rehearsed, you could just feel the joy coming off him. This brought to memory a version I saw at the LA Troubador of Colonized Mind. He & mike phillips did this obscene guitar/horn exchange that ruined that song for me . Can't play it now without wanting to hear that version again.

Farfunknugin said:

Genesia said:

That is why I was more of an aftershow girl. It was always so amazing to hear him go off script. Like at the House of Blues in Chicago in 2012, when he did a mash-up of Mountains and Dance Electric. He never would have done that in a main show - but it was just magic witnessing it at an aftershow.

Would of loved to hear that mash up. Two of my favorite P joints meshed together. You could tell those moments were liberating for him being that the main shows were so rehearsed, you could just feel the joy coming off him. This brought to memory a version I saw at the LA Troubador of Colonized Mind. He & mike phillips did this obscene guitar/horn exchange that ruined that song for me . Can't play it now without wanting to hear that version again.

I had tears rolling down my face - seriously.

Sadly, I've never found a recording of that night, either.

Sounds intense and incredible!

jdcxc said:

Very cool memory. I always wanted to go to an intimate aftershow but never got to one. How close to the stage were you? How was crowd? Any other memories of this night that have resurfaced?

I was close. It was a GA show - but there was a bit of a buffer between the crowd and the stage (if I recall correctly). I was probably three or four people back from the barrier - just slightly stage right. You always wanted to be stage right with Prince - because that's where his guitar pedals were.

I remember there being quite a few people - but the concert was in the soundstage, so it didn't seem full. (That place is huge.) The tickets were only $31.21 - so it wasn't an expensive ticket.

Prince asked people to bring coats and non-perishable food items to donate. I hauled along a very nice, full-length down coat that I'd barely worn and put it in the barrel. (I drove to Minneapolis, so since I didn't have to take the coat on a plane, I figured I might as well.) I've often wondered who ended up with it.

They had just remodeled the restrooms and I remember thinking, "They did a nice job." I don't really remember what the ladies' room looked like, though.

Bria was there. I remember thinking that she was much prettier in person - about 5'7" pr 5'8" and very slender. She had on a beautiful dress - a fitted, strapless bodice with a full skirt in gorgeous black lace. I didn't speak to her, but I was nearby when she talked to others - and she seemed very nice.

[Edited 10/24/16 12:30pm]

BillieBalloon said:

Purple Rain/ a beating heart Mountains/Dance Electric You are one lucky chica. Thanks for sharing. I would love to hear recordings of both those shows.

I also heard him do Wasted Kisses at a 3121 aftershow in Vegas - the only time he's ever performed that one. And I sat about three feet away from him. Absolutely incredible.

Genesia said:

How I regret missing this show...

dodger said:

Genesia said:

I also heard him do Wasted Kisses at a 3121 aftershow in Vegas - the only time he's ever performed that one. And I sat about three feet away from him. Absolutely incredible.

C'mon how much can one person gloat in the one thread Seriously, how did Wasted Kisses sound? Always loved it

What can I say? I've been very lucky. I haven't seen as many Prince shows as some people - but I definitely saw some special ones.

Wasted Kisses was great - while it lasted. He started it - and tried to get people to sing along on the chorus. I guess he figured he'd have some hardcore types there since it was such a tiny venue - but people didn't seem to know the song. I tried to sing extra loud to make up for it - but he said, "Y'all ain't even tryin' to sing" and went onto the next one.

He didn't let it bother him for long, though - because Sheila was in the house and he brought her up to do Get On The Boat.

Genesia said:

dodger said:

Genesia said:

What can I say? I've been very lucky. I haven't seen as many Prince shows as some people - but I definitely saw some special ones.

Wasted Kisses was great - while it lasted. He started it - and tried to get people to sing along on the chorus. I guess he figured he'd have some hardcore types there since it was such a tiny venue - but people didn't seem to know the song. I tried to sing extra loud to make up for it - but he said, "Y'all ain't even tryin' to sing" and went onto the next one.

He didn't let it bother him for long, though - because Sheila was in the house and he brought her up to do Get On The Boat.

Shame he didn't hand you the mic . Totally agree on the smaller venues/aftershow type gigs. I'd seen so many arena shows but to be 10 feet away in a university hall was honestly one of the best nights of my life. I made the mistake of telling my wife that when I got home, not what she wanted to hear after giving birth to our daughter a few days earlier. . This was the show http://www.princevault.co...ruary_2014

He didn't hand it to me - but he turned it around and I sang into it on another song with a couple other people.

You left your wife home with a new baby to go to a Prince show - and you're still alive?!

Genesia said:

Genesia said:

BillieBalloon said:

Genesia said:

I also heard him do Wasted Kisses at a 3121 aftershow in Vegas - the only time he's ever performed that one. And I sat about three feet away from him. Absolutely incredible.

I'm starting to think Prince knew you'd be there.

I don't think so in this case, but by all accounts, he knew a lot of that sort of thing back in the days of the NPGMC - and shortly thereafter. (The Vegas aftershow we saw was the weekend after the Super Bowl in 2007.)

The night we were there, we bought a VIP package that included dinner at the restaurant. My name was on the reservation - and I'm sure Prince's people were able to cross check with the NPGMC membership records. How else would you explain that we were seated at a table right next to other NPGMC members (with whom we didn't arrive) - and that we were allowed to buy aftershow tickets at dinner (something that was NOT publicized), rather than scrambling for them with everyone else.

And then, we were seated right next to where Prince's guitar pedals and mic were for the aftershow. I mean...close enough to pick his pocket or pinch his ass. I refuse to believe all that was random.

[Edited 10/25/16 12:17pm]

Genesia said:

BillieBalloon said:

Genesia said: I'm starting to think Prince knew you'd be there.

I don't think so in this case, but by all accounts, he knew a lot of that sort of thing back in the days of the NPGMC - and shortly thereafter. (The Vegas aftershow we saw was the weekend after the Super Bowl in 2007.)

The night we were there, we bought a VIP package that included dinner at the restaurant. My name was on the reservation - and I'm sure Prince's people were able to cross check with the NPGMC membership records. How else would you explain that we were seated at a table right next to other NPGMC members (with whom we didn't arrive) - and that we were allowed to buy aftershow tickets at dinner (something that was NOT publicized), rather than scrambling for them with everyone else.

And then, we were seated right next to where Prince's guitar pedals and mic were for the aftershow. I mean...close enough to pick his pocket or pinch his ass. I refuse to believe all that was random.

[Edited 10/25/16 12:17pm]

Wow, so special! Thanks for sharing I feel I was right there with ya. I love stories like this!!

That's awesome! I watched a video of him performing Anotherloverholenyohead/Rock Lobster live and it sounded epic! You are so lucky to have witness that in person

You've got me all worked up by your account of the show. My inital reaction is to run find an unfamiliar boot to play because even in that format there is always joy in the unexpected delights. I hope your show will find its way into a recording some day. Meanwhile, you certainly can enjoy your memory. Thanks for sharing.

[Edited 10/25/16 17:36pm]

Genesia said:

I was at the show too! Good times. Interesting to look at Princevault calendar for that day. I was at shows there on this day in 1995, 2009, and 2015.