Prince @ the Forum: Inglewood Gets FUNK'ed UP

[CONCERT REVIEW — PRINCE @ the Forum | April 21, 2011]

Inglewood, CA |

Night #2 of Prince's 21-Night Stand in Los Angeles —

I'm kind of at a loss on how to put this all down eloquently because I've got so much to say. It might be easier to do this in bullet points. Please bear with me.

• After a 2-year break from seeing the man play live, I was READY. And a ticket to see Prince for only $25? How could I pass that up?? I'm no fool.
• I'm not a huge fan of stadium shows. Being 4'12" (that's 5 ft for the conversion-impaired), paying over $200 for a floor-level seat is pretty silly --- especially when the stage is huge. With the way my luck runs, he will always favor the opposite side of where I'm sittting, so I'd never see him. The $25 seats up in the rafters were just fine with me. My main objective was to get into the building and enjoy the music --- which would sound just as funky no matter where my seat was. Even though its the Forum and the show is "in the round" there's really not a bad seat in the place. So sitting on a higher level with a birds-eye view of the stage where I could see everything, and an unobstructed view of the huge screen was worth every penny of the $25.
• Aside from my vertical-impairment, another thing I don't like about stadium shows is that I don't get to sit with my friends who are hardcore fans just like me. Nothing sucks more than watching a Prince show "alone" without your friends around you AND beings surrounded by casual fans who don't know any songs other than Purple Rain, Raspberry Beret, Kiss, and Take Me With U. THANK GOD I got a ticket with my girl DEB and we happily discovered that we were surrounded by other real fans --- not anyone we already knew, but hardcore fans nonetheless. I still missed my usual Prince crew, though. It's just not the same.
• Ran into Jello Shots, Peji Pej, Heidi, Cindy, Dorothy, and Julie while wandering the Forum foyer before the show.
• Ran into my ex-bf who, after 11 years, still can't come over and say a proper "hello" and be polite enough to introduce me to his wife. All I got was a nod in my general direction. I guess some people just never mentally graduate from HS. And on a side note, of ALL the doors he could have walked into at the Forum, he had to walk into the the one right in front of the souvenir stand I was in line at. What are the odds? WTF?
• Why is the Symbol Tambourine $80??

The opening act for this night was The Escovedo Family. They did material from their new CD --- which I now have a signed copy of -- THANK YOU, JELLO SHOTS! for hooking me up! All the E's were funking it up Latin-style --- including Miss Zina Escovedo doing some salsa and samba dancing for us! I'll never get tired of seeing Pops and the family. Never.

Setlist: (9:20pm)

• When I Lay My Hands On You - Renatto came out and began the show with an instrumental melody...Prince came out to all points of the stage to take a gander at the audience...teasing us with just a change in expression and crawling around the stage Alphabet St. style.
• Crimson & Clover
• Take Me With U
• Guitar
• AnotherLoverHoleInYoHead/Rock Lobster Guitar riff
• Shhh - This song still gives me goosebumps.
• Mountains (!!!!!) (with Sheila E.)
• Everyday People (Sly & Family Stone cover)

***Prince talks about the W2A tour and supporting the Forum as a venue because of it's rich history and all the greats who have been there.***

• Nothing Compares 2 U (with Shelby J.)
• Raspberry Beret/Cream (full version)
• COOL (Time cover)/Wanna Be Startin Something (homage to MJ)
• Let's Work
• U Got the Look (with Sheila)

ENCORE 1:

• Let's Go Crazy (long synth intro by Morris Hayes)
• Medley: Let's Go Crazy/Delirious/Let's Go Crazy piano (extended version from movie)/Guitar/1999
• Little Red Corvette (slowed down version with "Slow Down" chant)

ENCORE 2:

• Purple Rain

(ends 11:20pm)

ENCORE 3: (11:36pm)

• "Sample Teaser Medley": When Doves Cry/Hot Thing/Nasty Girl/Black Sweat/SOTT/TMBGITHW/Darling Nikki/4ever In My Life/I Would Die 4 U

• Kiss (Prince dances on the piano)

ENCORE 4: (11:53pm)

• Controversy (with Sheila)/Housequake chant

Fantastic show with a almost completely different set list from opening night. I'm hoping this means he'll be changing it up considerably from show to show.

4 encores? Pretty F-ing amazing.

Aaaaand I'm spent.