Prince, live tonight

[the captain]

I'm going to see Prince (with Tamar) live tonight. It was a late-announced surprise show in Minneapolis. I'ce seen him twice before, but this is a smallish theater, which should be interesting.

[Maybelline]

I'm going to see Prince (with Tamar) live tonight. It was a late-announced surprise show in Minneapolis. I'ce seen him twice before, but this is a smallish theater, which should be interesting.

You lucky, lucky, lucky person!!! Looking forward to a full report - enjoy! 

[the captain]

OK, not a review, but a recap.

At about 8:30, Prince's band took the stage, followed soon by Prince, who stood off to the left behind a huge board of effects pedals. As they began playing, Tamar and her two backup singers/dancers danced onto the stage.

Yes, this was a Tamar show, remember. Tamar, featuring Prince. There was only one Prince song (except those he wrote for her, of which it sounded like there were a few --"Milk and Honey" had to be his, at least), and it was a semi-obscure one: "Party Man," off of the Batman soundtrack.

Tamar can sing; her background singers were hot. The music was a barely updated version of '60s and '70s R&B and soul music: Aretha Franklin, etc. A bit schmaltzy, but good. There was plenty of Prince guitarwork to keep you involved. And when he'd sing harmonies with Tamar it was really good, far better than just Tamar's singers.

The coolest part of the show was that they did half a dozen or so cover songs (possibly because Tamar just doesn't have many songs yet). To fill an hour-and-a-half show, they added:

"When a Man Loves a Woman"
"Love Changes"
"Don't Stop Till You Get Enough"
"What Have You Done For Me Lately?"
"Never Loved a Man"
"Play That Funky Music, White Boy," although I think they intended it to be P-Funk, and nobody on stage knew or would sing it "We want the funk....give us the funk, gotta have that funk," etc.).

It was a good show, although there were a few disappointing things. First, it was only an hour and a half, which a true Prince show would always double. Second, the songs weren't Prince songs, but Tamar songs. (I read in the Minneapolis paper today that he had announced before his Musicology tour that it would be the last time he did his hits live...guess it's holding true so far.) And third, the sound wasn't as good as I'd have guessed in the Orpheum for that show. It was the worst sound I've heard in that venue, and I sure hope it's better for Belle & Sebastian next month. I expect it will be, though, as volume was a part of the problem. Eels with Strings, last fall, was far better, and I think B&S will be more in that vein.

All in all, a good show..