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Concert Tue Sep 25 2012
Review: Prince @ United Center, 9/24/12
There is an elephant in the room that will be addressed, but let's start with something positive in regards to the strange set Monday night from Prince at United Center. His performance of "Purple Rain" was hands down one of the best musical performances I've ever seen live. And there is no denying that in that moment, the crowd saw truly how amazing of a performer, writer, and artist Prince truly is. I sung along with everyone, was moved to tears, and it was an incredible moment. But, it was a bittersweet reminder of what I missed out on by not seeing Prince years ago, as his set Monday night was full of tease and confusion, and a poor example of what the artist really is about.
Now, back to that elephant in the room, which is the now infamous third encore situation Monday night. After playing a second encore of snippets of hits ("Girlfriend," "When Doves Cry," "Kiss") Prince said goodnight, exited the stage, and the house lights stayed off as crew members swept purple confetti off the stage. The stage still lit and lights off, fans sat for 40 minutes anticipating a return, when suddenly the house lights went up. The crowd erupted, booing and shaking heads abound, as we waited about 10 more minutes before the staff at the United Center started asking us to leave the building. After a 40-minute tease, the show was over. Or so everyone thought. As I sat on the #20 bus reflecting on my conflicted feelings of the show, I saw on Twitter that about an hour after leaving the stage, Prince returned to the small crowd still left and performed "1999" and "Red Corvette." I was stunned, an artist usually so dedicated to his craft and fans totally dropped the ball and simply fell flat as he ended an already mixed show.
A diehard fan on my ride home, who told me she'd seen every tour since 1984, stated that it was the worst show she'd seen of his, and that something must be wrong behind the scenes because it just wasn't like the Prince she knew. And I agree, it was not what anyone expects of a Prince show, with an artist relying on his backing band too much, near to none guitar playing, and little dancing from one of the greatest performers around. The night kicked off with a mix of funk and soul original and covers -- not a bad thing, but honestly I was expecting the show to start with at least one big hit before transitioning into the jam portion of the evening. The night slowed down with a sultry and powerful duet between vocalist Shelby Johnson and Prince on "Nothing Compares 2 U," before moving into a bizarro cover of Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" performed by his backup singers as Prince left the stage. Surely for an outfit change, one would think, during this sappy gospel-infused rendition. But when he returned dressed in the same impeccable black and white getup the jig was up. Was Prince pranking us? It seemed like a cruel joke, almost as cruel as the moment later in the show when he played the opening bars to "Darling Nikki" a giant tease of the music he now refuses to play. Word of the wise if you are attending a Prince concert these days; he no longer plays the dirty stuff because of his religion, which he has been devoted to the past 10 years. So to the girls behind us screaming for "Erotic City," sorry to burst your bubble but that isn't happening anymore.
Thankfully the set picked back up as Prince and his latest protegé Andy Allo knocked out a spot on version of "Take Me With You," which also marked the first time in the set that Prince actually picked up an instrument and played. He continued the upswing with a soaring (albeit quick) version of "Raspberry Beret," building tension as he launched into "Cream" and a cover of Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" that had the entire arena screaming and dancing along. This was the set people were yearning for during the past hour, as he ended on "Purple Rain," a mesmerizing and moving performance and everything I hoped the entire night would, and should, have been.
So, what we're left with is a big pile of conflicted emotions as a fan. I know the Prince of long ago is gone, and I realize that he's made it enough as an artist to not have to prove himself anymore. He's at the point where he's doing what he wants to do and performing the songs that make him happy, and that is fine. But it's indulgent, and a bit cruel to the fans who weren't able to see him until now (and, to be frank, paid good money in exchange for seeing what they expect to be a great show). And it hurts even more when I know that last night wasn't typical of this artist. I've read reviews of his LA shows last year and they sounded incredible, so what went wrong that made Monday night pale in comparison to what I've come to expect of a Prince show?
I doubt we'll ever know, but I truly hope the rest of his run in Chicago doesn't fade away like Monday night. I'm glad I went, but as a fan part of me is really hurt with the way the encore was dealt with and the overall relaxed performance. Maybe we expect too much of our idols, but when you know someones full potential, and they trip and stumble, it feels like an even greater and more personal blow as a fan. I hope one day to see another Prince concert that will make up for the roller coaster ride of a set last night, but until then we'll have to settle for listening to records that recall a better day and age of Prince.
Eternal_Fields / September 25, 2012 12:14 PM
"His performance of "Purple Rain" was hands down one of the best musical performances I've ever seen live. And there is no denying that in that moment, the crowd saw truly how amazing of a performer, writer, and artist Prince truly is. I sung along with everyone, was moved to tears, and it was an incredible moment."
So it was one of the best musical performances this reviewer has ever seen, yet not one word is written explaining why this was so. The crowd could "see" how amazing Prince was, but again, the writer doesn't bother mentioning in her review just what was so revelatory or transcendent about this particular performance. This reads more like a diary entry than a concert review.