Anxiety said:

There is nothing greater than sharing the night with someone who understands your Prince habit, who doesn't think you're weird for loving this man, who you don't have to explain why you feel the way you do. Thank you for everything. Thank you for putting up with my antics and my sliding down to the floor during The Question of U and standing in line with me the hour and a half before the show. I love you, Anx.

You're making me curse the damn continent I'm on!

i agree completely...

i was blown away

he is better now than he has ever been... there is the same magic and passion.. but with so much more history

Anxiety said:

Although I would KILL to hear Eric Leeds on this tour (PLEASE oh PLEASE take Eric with you to Ohio, Prince!!!), and I'm not trying to be disrespectful to the legend that is Maceo Parker, but THANK MOTHERFUCING GOD Prince isn't gonna be saying "Macep, blow your horn!" every two seconds.

I know Maceo's great and all (and I used to play sax, so it's not like I don't know what I'm talking about), but I find his playing SOOOOO freaking dull. This new guy is light-years better in his soloing..SO much more interesting to me....and so tall! The way he was squatting and bending when he was playing....those huge hands of his....I loved it.

I'm QUITE pleased with the sax section - never been all that into Candy either, but now I sure am. Her and Renato could go to a dental workshop and I wouldn't complain, but whatever. She can SANG.

Did anyone else see that shot of Candy's poom-poom towards the beginning? My LORD...

This is awesome. Thanks, all, for the reviews. I've got a pal of mine on the phone -- he saw the simulcast, and he's darned near coming through the phones!

I opted out of last night's simulcast to hang insulation and drywall in my attic. But I got tickets to his Cleveland show in April, and I'm REALLY pumped after hearing all this!

.
[This message was edited Tue Mar 30 7:53:21 2004 by Lammastide]

theblueangel said:[quote

I'm QUITE pleased with the sax section - never been all that into Candy either, but now I sure am. Her and Renato could go to a dental workshop and I wouldn't complain, but whatever. She can SANG.
[/quote]

So feeling you about Renato. During one of the slow-burners, The Question of U maybe, they went to an extended shot of him durin his solo and it just totally killed the mood. I guess everyone's gonna look kind mugly next to Prince...

and, yah, I'm blown away by Candy too....who knew? She really can hold her own on the stage with him, no small feat

Anxiety said:

Dude, you forgot to mention the acoustic version of Sometimes it Snows in April which was dedicated to David Coleman.Killer.Probably one of the coolest part of the show was the audience reaction to the acoustic version of Little Red Corvette.Prince was visibley touched which made the audience scream even louder.
[This message was edited Tue Mar 30 8:08:56 2004 by PhilG]

no but i almost did

theblueangel said:

You say poom-poom, I say camel toe....let's call the whole thing off.

As for Maceo vs. the guy who played last night (vs., hell, let's throw Eric Leeds in this just for yuks), the thing I've always loved about Maceo is that there's an economy to his playing - there's as much funk in the notes he DOESN'T play as there is in the noise he does make. The cool thing about Eric's playing is that there's a darkness to it that works perfectly with Prince's music. It's kinda Tim Burtonish, kinda noirish, kinda just twisted and nasty. I've always liked Eric Leeds' playing because it's so off-kilter to me. Candy? She's good...I never remember her sax solos after I hear 'em, but then again, I never remember her sucking. This guy last night, though...I could tell he was amazingly skilled, but all I heard from that whole "God" solo was the kind of chimpy tenor sax smooth jazz that I abhor...and I know it must take great skill to play chimpy tenor sax smooth jazz, but then again, I'm sure it takes great skill to be Kirstie Alley. (sorry I couldn't come up with a better analogy) Just a matter of personal taste, I s'pose....

Why were there certain moments last night where Prince reminded me of Chuck Berris on a really hoppin' episode of The Gong Show?

All I can say is OH MY GOD!!! I am so overwhelmed after last night's show and I can not find the words to express exactly how I feel. Prince took me there. First of all, he was beautiful. Second, he looked and sounded so refresh and the music was just so on point. It was such a wonderful night to be an admirer of Prince and I was honored to have the privilege to witness an amazing performance.

I agree with someone who mentioned that if Elvis had his 1968 comeback special, then March 29th, 2004 was Prince's comeback special.

Prince, you are an amazing talent. May Jehovah bless you.

I only have a minute to check in with you all, and I can't even find the words to express the joy I felt last night, nor can I pick one highlight. I'm going on three hours of sleep and purple music and I'm high, so high, baby.

Life can indeed be so fucking nice.

Peace and love to all you true funk soldiers...


FunkMistress

Anxiety said:

I thought the same thing when he was doing the acoustic set!


Question of U/The One was fricken great. I heard the strings in the background and I thought "Awwww yea!"

It was cool to FINALLY see/hear this new version of Sign O the Times. I love that song.

And yes, he might have snuck in "open up your bible" into Purple Rain , but he said "The thought of you tasting me..." during The Couch and I went

PurrfectKitty said:

Anxiety said:

My head exploded several times from just watching it in the theater.
I think the small advantage I had from that perspective is seeing the looks on P's face throughout the show---his jaw open during the guitar solos, his scream on The One, his facial expressions when he was mimicking some of the people who danced on stage, and the "is it your breath or mine?" was totally hilarious.

Personally, I wasn't expecting the greatest of shows, but knew I would be happy since he was performing for a national audience to get everyone excited about him coming to their town.
But what I witnessed was beyond my expectations. From the opening of Musicology to the end of Purple Rain, I was more moved by this performance than I was by the live shows I have attended.

When Prince said school was in session, he wasn't kidding. The funk of D.M.S.R. and the shaftlike version of Sign of the Times is a testament to his live innovations. Even though I was in Northern California watchin via satellite...everyone in the audience was dancing, singing like there were there personally. My 6 year old son was doing the splits in between the aisles! It almost made me cry seein his enjoyment of the show.

But what I began to realize even before the show was halfway over was that I wasn't merely watching a concert. PRINCE WAS NOT MERELY PERFORMING--IT WAS A MUSICAL TOUR-DE-FORCE THAT NO OTHER PERFORMER/SINGER COULD EQUAL IN THIS DAY AND AGE.
Hearing the acoustic set, I could no longer hold back the tears. Seeing Prince not only sing, but also enjoy himself, play w/the audience, dance and prance around the stage and invite everyone to do the same--I was seeing Prince for what Alicia Keys said he is--a person who makes you laugh and cry and make you feel the music.

I thought the show was pretty much okay! I did NOT dig how much he changed DMSR, though! Totally takes the edge off the vibe, but I will say the music itself was FUNKY! I wish he did more with When Doves Cry, which I thought he was once he put on that fedora!! I was like, "Oh shit! He's about to go off like in the video with the dance moves!!" But alas, he never did ( ), and it wasn't as long as I would've liked. Oh well. I was also hoping he'd do the long change on Controversy too, but it was still pretty decent.

Quick note: Just getting to listen to the CD and up to track 3 (A Million Days) is fuckin' superb! Now, this shit is the one that should've been the lead off single!! Tons better than Musicology!

Anxiety said:

Now just imagine.....being.....in.....the.....2nd.....row!!!!!

WOW WOW WOW! This concert was so amazing. I have some comments....gonna go start a thread bout them

CalhounSq said:

In all honesty, I have never been a fan of "7". Never......

Then Prince steps up to the stage, dons a guitar and starts his accoustic set. Hearing "7" done accoustic style just floored me. I never really connected with the message before as the music always distracted me. But last night that accoustic version was inpsirational. It was flowing with such truth and conviction. It won me over. It made me cry. It did....

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

2nd fucking row? I kept thinking, someone I'm really close to is in California. Hurry up and write that review, Richard.

Just when you think it is over, he pulls you back in...

How many times have I been through this....

Anxiety I am so looking forward to his Denver visit.. Thanks for the report.

I just saw the RRHOF presentation and I was very overwhelmed, and proud of his playing in "WHile my Guitar Gently Weeps." He was cocky, because he knew he sounded so good, and Dhani Harrison wanted to give him a big hug.

theblueangel said:

And here I was looking at her face instead!

Anxiety said:

I totally agree, last night was awesome. Digg'n the new music also! I never compare his albums because each one has it's own personality.
MS

Wow, what a review you gave. Thanks for sharing Anxiety. May 28th can't come fast enough! I can't wait to see him kick my ass one more time!

VinaBlue said:

I sat there hardly believing what I was experiencing. It was fresh. It was tight. It was dreamy. It was an education. All I could say afterwards was "Wow". And all I'm still saying is "Wow".

What really struck me was this amazing sense of coming full circle, of finally getting the brass ring. Us Prince fans have been through soooo much. We've stood by and even defended him through so much mess. We've had our hearts broken. We've been embarassed for him. But, last night, I was just so damn proud of him! So supremely happy for him. When that crowd surged to their feet and applauded and screamed after LRC, and I could see him welling up, I lost it. I felt like the proud mama.

There are very few artists deserving of that kind of praise and uncut adoration. He deserved every second of it and I was just so happy to have experienced him get what was owed him.

Prince, I know you won't read this, but I gotta say it. Thank you for this incredible ride. Thank you for choosing to share your gift because I know that you don't have to do so.

Thank you for keeping real music alive.

"Wow."

Anxiety, thanks for sharing your experience in this wonderful thread that while reading & listening to A Million Days, reminded me so much of why I, albeit with some ups and downs, still totally love Prince and his Music for the longest time.

CONTROVERSY MESSED ME UP!!!!!

I agree with all y'alls comments but honestly there has NEVER been a moment at a movie theatre that made me feel the need to scream and jump out of my seat like the sound & vision of Prince (with ALL the conviction of the person he was when he wrote first wrote it) singing "People call me rude, I wish we all were nude...) with the pulsing drum light and the audience chanting it back to him!!!

I seriously almost pissed myself

I'll pay $75 just to see/hear that again!

For those of y'all who saw it onscreen during the picture house simulcast it must have been the bomb. But I was in Staples last night and just to let you know, I'm still dancing and grinning at work today. Damn, I feel so good right now. Prince did his thang.



Several times the house lights went off and the crowd would go crazy thinking the show was about to start, but lights were being tested and drama built giving fans caught in L.A. Traffic jams to arrive fashionably late.

Several other times huge screams rose to the roof. Eddie Murphy, who I saw and I'm told by a friend who was there, Halle Barry walked from the floor entrances, up through the crowd to their seats.

The lights went out again a little after 8pm and the tape of his Prince's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction came on, featuring Alicia Keys. Then band hit the stage and Prince came out and lord have mercy, that's the best showman, musician, singer... How did Prince sound? Put on any of your albums and EQ it just right and THAT is how he was getting down, screams, riffs and all. The stage show wasn't the flash and dash of twenty years ago, but it was a great show because he was so in command of his voice, his guitar, that band, his showmanship and us, his audience. When he came back out and did the blues during his acoustic set and did Little Red Corvette, I looked around at folks and they were looking back at me b/c we couldn't believe we were hearing this. The lighting was so dramatic and the crowd was appreciative and excited. I sweated out my Marvin Gaye t-shirt shaking my ass with all the girls in my row.

Last night the tickets said Staples Center, but I might as well have been on a space ship on the way to another planet. There was no time. There was no space. That concert was worth every penny I spent to go. I have been trying to see Prince since Purple Rain tour and could never get tickets, so last night was my first Prince show and brotherman did not disappoint. If you have tickets for future shows prepare yourself.

NCC2012 said:

Well, I don't GENerally look for the cameltoe shot, but she kinda had her legs open and the camera was angled up, and she was wearing some stretch pants...and baby all I know is that Poom Poom was fuckin' 8 feet tall, and it spoke to me...

I have to say that I was sooooo happy last night. Prince has been a part of my world since I was 11. I was glad to see my old friend again yanno. He gave me a big kiss and hug last night....I missed PRINCE.


And I must say...I love my fellow prince fans....