Saturday, April 16, 2011

Prince, April 21 at the Forum

Prince did a string of 21 nights at the Forum, over April and May.  It was extraordinary on so many levels: One of the biggest names in music for the last 25 years doing a residency; the shows being in a huge venue so that the maximum amount of fans as possible could see the show; what could be a greatest-hits or best-of show, without new material to flog; a stage set in the middle of the place, so all the fans could have the best chance to see it; a (relatively, for Prince) stripped-down set with just the singer and the band and few flourishes; special-guests galore (with Sheila E., who also opened the show, for us, but I read that Gwen Stefani, Alecia Keyes, Missy Elliot, Nikka Costa, and numerous others showed up on other nights); from what I could tell from the set-lists I saw, a nearly-completely different set-list each night); and the tickets were -- even after all service charges -- $25.  (Floor seats might have been a bit more but probably not much).  This was part of something called “Welcome2America” which would seem like it’s a tour but I don’t know where it went after that and I don't know why Prince would need to introduce or be introduced to his home country.  It started or was most significant in L.A., another perk to living in the city.  The whole thing seemed like a whim on the artist’s part but he can pretty much do whatever he wants in the world anyway.  There was no reason not to go the shows.  The man is a living legend and he puts his acolytes to shame, still standing on his own and doing his own thing, as he's done for two and a half decades.  Of course for a big fan these shows would be essential and probably a real thrill, as Prince changes so often that it would certainly be a different experience each time.  If a person was even less than a casual fan, just someone who has heard pop music since 1979, this would be a great show.  And even for someone who's been living in a tomb their whole life, this would be a wonderful night of music and performance, even without the proper context.  Carla got us tickets, along with Cid & Jon and her aunt and uncle.  All of them drank and partied harder than I did but this was the first time I really got down with all of them so it was a good indication that I needed to really bring it next time.  I don't know why we went so early in the run, maybe just because we were excited to do it and wanted to get in at some point in the series and there was no point in putting it off.  I’ve never seen a more diverse amount of fans there: young and old, rich and less-rich, fancy and casual; the crowd was just all over the place but they were clearly all fans, across so many classes and backgrounds and tastes.  Prince's appeal extends far and wide.  He knows how to bring people together.  The first half of the show was, predictably, newer stuff and some jams that seemed to go on forever, but he always had a showman’s flair and it never got intolerable , especially since we knew the hits were just around the corner.  And considering he was going to play for what was surely going to be hours, we could put up with a little indulgence on his part.  It never even seemed to bother anyone that he would skip the chorus of a risque song or now-objectionable phrase, which seemed to be an acceptable compromise between some popular-but-way-too-sexy classics and where his spiritual beliefs lead him these days.  Prince has always courted controversy but he's also just let the music hold him up.  He spoke just enough to the crowd, knowing he really didn't need to anyway, but he can speak with his singing voice or guitar, as the notion strikes him to what he wants to do.  The set was two hours then he and the band left the stage.  That would have been enough for a full, satisfying show; the house-lights came on, meaning there wouldn’t be an encore if this was any other show.  But this was a Prince show.  We’d read to wait until security were actually physically moving us out.  It was good advice.  Prince left the stage and house-lights came up and people thought it was time to leave, many of them moving out.  Then he came back to play an encore.  And again.  He did this three times that night.  The second time was the medley of hits, just to make sure everyone got at least a taste of whatever song they really wanted to hear.  We had to leave just after that, even though we knew the show was going to go on; it was already after midnight and as it was Thursday, folks had to work the next day.  He played for over three hours total.  Even half of that would have been an amazing show, and more than we're used to deserving.  Prince can do whatever he wants for himself, and there is even often a reason to go along with it, but sometimes part of that is giving back to the people who love him and his music, of which there are many.  Who knows what he'll do next?


"When Eye Lay My Hands On U"
"Crimson & Clover" (with "Wild Thing" interpolation)
"Take Me With U"
"Guitar"
"Anotherloverholenyohead" (with "Rock Lobster" coda)
"Shhh"
"Mountains"
"Everyday People" (Sly & The Family Stone cover)
"The Glamorous Life" (with Sheila E.)
"Nothing Compares 2 U"
"Raspberry Beret"
"Cream"
"Cool" (The Time cover) (with "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" interpolation)
"Let's Work"
"U Got The Look"
"Let's Go Crazy"
"Delirious"
"1999"
"Little Red Corvette"

"Purple Rain"

"When Doves Cry"/"Hot Thing"/"Nasty Girl"/"Black Sweat"/"Sign 'O The Times"/"The Most Beautiful Girl In The World"/"Darling Nikki"/"Forever In My Life"/"I Would Die 4 U"
"Kiss"

"Controversy"

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