Wednesday, December 14, 2011

[Prince-4ever] Re: [ChiTownGeneration] Prince pulls off masterful performance - Purple One dazzles 12,000 at Rexall

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From: Jill <prince88@sbcglobal.net>
To: CTG <chitowngeneration@yahoogroups.com>; TPU <thepurpleunderground@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2011 3:57 AM
Subject: [ChiTownGeneration] Prince pulls off masterful performance - Purple One dazzles 12,000 at Rexall

story.html?cid=megadrop_story

Prince pulls off masterful performance

Purple One dazzles 12,000 at Rexall

By Tom Murray, edmontonjournal.comDecember 14, 2011 12:05 AM

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Tim Snow, Montreal GAZETTE, postmedia news, File

Photograph by: Tim Snow, Montreal Gazette

EDMONTON - "This is my party and I play what I want to," declared Prince midway through his Tuesday night set at Rexall Place.

No surprises there; the Purple One has always gone his own way in concert, refusing to bow to anyone's idea of what a Prince show should be. Usually, what he wants to play is his latest record, nostalgia be damned; Tuesday night he seemed determined to be a crowd pleaser despite his claim.

This was evident right from the start, when he and his band burst immediately into an extended medley of Let's Go Crazy into Delirious, eventually landing on a slow jam that cut R Kelly at his own game.

This was after an hour-long delay that saw the audience tantalized by lights going up and down, as though Prince was going to be making his way on at any minute. From there on it was a greatest hits package that made its way through just about every essential song you ever wanted to hear, which was deeply gratifying, if puzzling. I mean, it's hard to fuss over a version of 1999 that sounds exactly like how you'd imagine 1999 would sound live when you were 18 and the song was just hitting the airwaves, but you had to wonder what exactly was going through Prince's head.

But this isn't a complaint; Prince giving us the show we always wanted was a dream come true. He certainly wasn't stinting on showmanship; he's easily the most charismatic performer this writer has ever seen and his every gesture was amplified by screams from the crowd of 12,000, a good portion likely reacting to his early plea that when they went home that night, "somebody take him with them." Who could resist such sexual directness? He's the most perfectly formed elf since Ronnie James Dio, dressed in clothes that simultaneously recall Tron and Sun Ra and his every move proclaimed that fact. The band was fantastic, locking on an irresistible groove, shaking it down for all it was worth.

As amazing as it was there was still an occasional false note ringing through at points. At least one observer thought she caught a certain amount of contempt on Prince's face when he launched into Play That Funky Music White Boy, pulling out saxophonist Maceo Parker for an extended version. It was definitely strange, even if he pulled it off as effortlessly as he pulled off Purple Rain, a false set closer that set up a long encore that nailed a few more old hits.