Prince @ The Forum: Nuit Dix-Huit

[SET LIST — PRINCE @ the Forum | May 27, 2011]


Opening ::: NIKKA COSTA!!!!
833pm
LIKE A FEATHER
NYLONS IN A RIP
KEEP PUSHIN'
EVERYBODY'S GOT THEIR SOMETHIN
CAN'T PLEASE EVERYBODY

923
Lights come down...new lightning sequence on stage Prince solo entrance, goes directly to the piano for...
Sample Teaser Medley:
WHEN DOVES CRY (whole song)/NASTY GIRL/SIGN OF THE TIMES/TMBGITW/ALPHABET ST./4EVER IN MY LIFE - full first verse and chorus/DARLING NIKKI/HOT THING (messup on lyrics)/I WOULD DIE 4 U


DMSR
POP LIFE (Renato on keys... Band costume change)
MUSICOLOGY/PRINCE & THE BAND (Prince rips shirt open!!! Woot!!!) Maceo Parker on horns!!!!
SHHH (prince hasn't picked up guitar yet) into U WILL B WITH ME back into SHHH extended

Renato on the THE LOVE WE MAKE piano into --- Prince on guitar (finally) --- into TAKE ME WITH YOU
ANOTHERLOVERHOLEINYOHEAD/ROCK LOBSTER ext. ending
PEACH!!!! (Where's my Miko at?? LOL)
(Special Forum talk) into 1999
COOL (Girls sing Don't Stop Till U Get Enough - homage to MJ)
LET'S WORK
U GOT THE LOOK

Break :::
MAKE U FEEL MY LOVE (all girls)
PURPLE RAIN (10 mins long)


ENCORE :::
NIKKA!!!
Beat to CONTROVERSY into LOVE BIZARRE w/ NIKKA and MACEO
CONTROVERSY/HQ chant
Prince pulls an older lady up to dance -- Can U say "GlamSlam Granny???" --- no hotpants, but she was rockin' a leopard print dress!

Celeb sightings --- from crowd pulled onto the stage:::
Holly Robinson Pete
Lisa Kudrow
Celestina -- the Dancer from Musicology & Black Sweat videos --- she was WORKING IT!!!

ENCORE :::
DISCO HEAT
BABY IMA STAR!!! (freaking FINALLY)
KISS


ENCORE 2 :::
NOTHING COMPARES 2 U (with Shelby J)

-------

On NIKKA:
FINALLY!!! After weeks of rumors, she opens for Prince. I happen to LOVE Nikka. Truly, she's the only other artist out there that I would follow like I follow Prince. She's quite a bit easier to "follow" since her diehard fans are faithful, but few compared to Princely standards. I don't have to wait in line for hours on end to get into a venue or to see her take the stage. It was quite exciting to see her in "Prince's House" although a bit bizarre to see her hauling ass across such a huge stage. At one point, as she was strutting down the long catwalk that makes up the bottom of Prince's symbol, she realized that she still had another 50 feet to go and she says into the mic, "Hang on babies, mama's comin!!!" LOL I actually prefer her in a more intimate venue --- especially since the people surrounding me had no idea who she was. "Please stop asking me who she is. Her name is NIKKA COSTA. Google it when you get home."


On MACEO:
Maceo is a legend. And it's always great to see him. Although the addition of him and Mike Phillips late into the LA run was very reminiscent of the MUSICOLOGY tour.

On the AFTERJAM:
I was once again blessed with the opportunity to get into the club. But the crowd was rather large and the afterjam was already underway by the time I got in. Nikka was playing sans Prince and she was rocking the joint. The sound was particularly bad tonight in the club. I'm not sure if it was always this bad, or it just sounded that way because I was way in the back dancing by myself. About 3 songs or so in, Prince sweeps in, flanked by security...sweeps back out after about 2 minutes...and then the show stops abruptly and DJ Rashida starts spinning again. Not sure what happened there, but I'm guessing Prince decided to move the jam session to his house. After dancing for another hour, the club started clearing out and we called it a night.

Prince @ The Forum: Nuit Quatorze

[SET LIST — PRINCE @ the Forum | May 14, 2011]

OPENING ACT ::: AMEL LARRIEUX

941p ---

Renato long intro
Mike phillips on sax into
WHEN I LAY MY HANDS ON YOU
Prince appears laying on stage

LAYDOWN
DREAMER
WELCOME2AMERICA back into
DREAMER
ALWAYS IN MY HAIR
FUTURE SOUL SONG Mike on sax
PURPLE RAIN!?!?!? WTF???

GLAMOROUS LIFE (Sheila E.)

SOMEWHERE HERE ON EARTH
Mike on sax
Lyrics I LOVE U BUT I DON'T TRUST U
TAKE ME W U
RASP BERET
CREAM
COOL (girls sing DON'T STOP TILL U GET ENOUGH)
Halle Berry dancing on stage

LETS WORK
YOU GOT LOOK

BREAK :::
Amel Larrieux come out to sing --- not sure what song it is...
Musical break
NOTHING COMPARES TO U (with Shelby J.)

CONTROVERSY
HQ CHANT

ENCORE:::
Sample teaser medley:
WHEN DOVES CRY/NASTY GIRL (Halle dances)/SOTT/TMBGITW/LOVE w/ BLACK SWEAT lyrics/DARLING NIKKI/I WOULD DIE 4 U
IF I WAS UR GIRLFRIEND (Prince messes up lyrics)
INSATIABLE
SCANDALOUS
ADORE


ENCORE:::
KISS
PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC (Once again, Prince pulls Cody Breedlove from the VIP section to do vocals --- GO CODY!!!)
INGLEWOOD SWINGIN

Celebs get pulled on stage to dance --- Susan Sarandon & Chante Moore gets on the mic.

———

On Amel Larrieux:
I can't say how happy I was to finally see Amel perform LIVE. I've been wanting to hear her sing MAKE ME WHOLE for years!!! As I expected, she was lovely, soulful, and beautiful. Her band was great as well and I especially appreciated that her daughter was in the band. I love that younger generations are exposed to REAL MUSIC and can carry on the legacies of the great musicians that are among us. Sadly, most of those around us weren't familiar with Amel and only when she did TELL ME - the song that Groove Theory was most famous for - did the crowd really respond. Upon further research, I'm happy to report that (according to Wikipedia) Amel and Bryce have reunited the original Groove Theory and are working in the studio once again. I look forward to more great things from them!

Prince @ The Forum: Nuit Treize

[SET LIST — PRINCE @ the Forum | May 13, 2011]


OPENING ACT ::: Janelle Monae

10pm --- Prince takes the stage
DMSR
MUSICOLOGY/PRINCE & THE BAND (Mike Phillips on sax)/back into MUSICOLOGY
SHHH/U WILL B WITH ME
GLAMOROUS LIFE (Sheila E.)
SOMETIMES IT SNOWS IN APRIL intro into TAKE ME WITH U (w/ Janelle Monae)
RASPBERRY BERET/CREAM (Prince messes up on lyrics)
COOL (girls sing DON'T STOP TILL U GET ENOUGH)
LET'S WORK
U GOT THE LOOK (Prince messes up lyrics again - rips out earpiece from his ear and throws it on the ground...ends song early and leaves stage.)
QUESTION OF U (instrumental - just the band w/ Mike Phillips on sax, long solo) into THE ONE into U WILL B WITH ME
CONTROVERSY
PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC (Prince pulls Cody Breedlove from the VIP section to do vocals --- GO CODY!!!)
WHICH WAY IS UP
DISCO HEAT (Shelby J on vocals)
"LATIN GROOVE (with Sheila & Mike Phillips) back into
CONTROVERSY/HOUSEQUAKE CHANT

Renato stays on keys...Prince returns amidst lots of fog so all we see is his silhouette...
LET'S GO CRAZY/DELIRIOUS back into...LET'S GO CRAZY/1999
LITTLE RED CORVETTE/SLOW DOWN chant
Mike Philly continues playing even after song ends and goes into...


PURPLE RAIN

ENCORE :::
SUPERSTITION!!!!!!!!!!! WITH STEVIE WONDER!!!!!!!!!!!!
Prince leads Stevie out to center stage...and hands him the mic...
Stevie does a little "Happy Birthday" on his harmonica and then does some vocals EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT chant into
SUPERSTITION
Then Sheila and Prince lead him over to the keyboards where he continues singing the song and playing the keys. (OMG!!!)

INGLEWOOD SWINGIN'
(Bunch of friends get pulled up on stage to dance --- Miko, Cody, Cheryl Dr. Funkenberry, etc)
FANTASTIC VOYAGE/LOVE ROLLERCOASTER

ENCORE 2 :::
Sample teaser medley:
WHEN DOVES CRY/NASTY GIRL/PARTY ALL THE TIME/SOTT/TMBGITW/BLACK SWEAT/DARLING NIKKI/I WOULD DIE 4 U
IF I WAS UR GIRLFRIEND
INSATIABLE
SCANDALOUS
ADORE

———
On Janelle Monae:
I was very excited to see Janelle Monae perform live. After seeing random TV appearances and music videos, I knew she was going to bring a special energy to the place. Not to impune either Esperanza Spaulding -- She was fascinating to watch. In my opinion, her style of music seemed a bit out of place in a venue as large as the Forum. I'd have loved to see her in a smaller jazz venue...a more intimate space.

As expected, Janelle didn't disappoint. She and her band were on an entirely different plane — wonderfully energetic, crazy weird, and playful. At one point, everyone on stage was supine with Ms. Monae still belting out lyrics. It was all very interesting to witness.

On Prince:
This being the 9th show I'd seen at the Forum, I have to admit that I'm getting quite tired of the setlist. As with the Musicology tour, I've gotten to the point where I'm identifying songs even before he's started playing them. And the $25 I'm paying is truly for that ONE random song he may or may not decide to throw at us. And amazingly enough, even with monitors everywhere flashing lyrics at him, Prince still manages to mess up on some of his songs. What??? I suppose he's allowed some missteps here and there...and his band is bound to miss a cue every once in a while. But still — after seeing this show so many times, (sadly) the errors are easier to notice.

On Stevie Wonder:
Just when I thought I was through and this show was going to blur into my memory along with the other shows I'd seen thus far, Prince throws me a bone. When the symbol lights started flashing to the driving beat of the ever familiar SUPERSTITION, we all lost our minds. Seeing Stevie Wonder play live and in person was one of the items on my musical "bucket list." Watching Prince lead the great Stevie center stage was just EPIC and I swear, even after he had left the stage, I could still feel the beat of the song resonating throughout the place. His presence made that night UNFORGETTABLE!!! In a word? WOW.

But wait...there's a little bit more...

Prince @ The Forum: Nuit Dix

[SET LIST — PRINCE @ the Forum | May 7, 2011]

Opening Act ::: Esperanza Spaulding

950pm

DMSR

POP LIFE

MUSICOLOGY

PRINCE & THE BAND

SHHH/U WILL B WITH ME

Break ::: GLAMOROUS LIFE (Sheila E.)

TAKE ME WITH U

NEVER B ANOTHER FOOL (Special Guest: Nicole Scherzinger)

"INGLEWOOD" SWINGIN'/FANTASTIC VOYAGE

PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC/LOVE ROLLERCOASTER

THANKUFALLETINMEBEMICELF

RASPBERRY BERET/CREAM/COOL (girls sing DON'T STOP TILL U GET ENOUGH)

RUDE BOY (by Rhianna --- Shelby J. on vox)

MAKE U FEEL MY LOVE (Liv, Shelby, Elisa, & Ida w/ Cassandra on keys)

PURPLE RAIN

ENCORE :::

Lgc Morris long note intro...

LET'S GO CRAZY/DELIRIOUS/1999 (Prince screws 2nd verse)

CONTROVERSY/HOUSEQUAKE chant

ENCORE 2 ::::

Sample Teaser Medley ::: 

WHEN DOVES CRY/NASTY GIRL/SOTT/TMBGITW/DARLING NIKKI/SINGLE LADIES/I WOULD DIE 4 U

IF I WAS UR GIRLFRIEND

KISS

ENCORE 3 :::

LOVE BIZARRE

Prince @ The Forum: Nuit Neuf

[SET LIST — PRINCE @ the Forum | May 6, 2011]

Opening Act ::: Esperanza Spaulding

Prince comes out to jam on guitar with her. 

Show begins at 10pm

LAYDOWN

SHE'S ALWAYS IN MY HAIR

FUTURE SOUL SONG (I don't quite understand the Twins wrapping Prince up in that veil. It's just weird.)

PURPLE RAIN (Seems out of place so early in the show ... No confetti cannons --- is he out of purple confetti???) 

GLAMOROUS LIFE (Sheila!!! I'll never get tired of seeing Miss E!!)

RASPBERRY BERET/CREAM/COOL (with Don't Stop Till You Get Enough)/LET'S WORK/YOU GOT THE LOOK

MISTY BLUE (Shelby hits that last monster note, lays mic on ground midnote and walks away --- awesome!!)

Prince on keys.... 

Sample Teaser Medley :::

WHEN DOVES CRY/NASTY GIRL/SINGLE LADIES/NASTY GIRL/SOTT/TMBGITW/DARLING NIKKI/I WOULD DIE 4 U/HOT THING/ALPHABET STREET

LOVE BIZARRE (with Sheila, of course)

LOVE ROLLERCOASTER into PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC

CONTROVERSY

ENCORE 1 ::: 

KISS (Prince in black plays his bass and goes into FANTASTIC VOYAGE)

ENCORE 2 ::: 

IF I WAS UR GIRLFRIEND

NOTHING COMPARES 2 U (with Shelby J.)

ENCORE 3 :::: 

"INGLEWOOD" SWINGIN' (Chant Moore on mic!!!!)

Prince @ The Forum: Nuit Huit

[SET LIST — PRINCE @ the Forum | May 5, 2011]


THURSDAY 5/5/2011

Opening Act ::: CHAKA KHAN
Surprise Guest ::: WHITNEY HOUSTON

928pm [Prince & the band decked out in Black and Purple]

Renato on keys::: long intro into...
THE LOVE WE MAKE
SHHH
COOL (with girls singing DON'T STOP TILL U GET ENOUGH - homage to MJ)
LET'S WORK (Ida and Prince on bass)
GIVE IT TO ME BABY bassline only (Prince on bass says, "Rest In Peace, Rick James") and goes back into LET'S WORK
U GOT THE LOOK
QUESTION OF U (guitar intro into)/U WILL B WITH ME (Improv or new song??)/THE ONE
Renatto on keys vs Prince on 6-string.
MUSICOLOGY (Prince pulls Whitney onto stage to sing 2nd verse. She doesn't know the lyrics so she leads the crowd into a "Yeah" chant instead.)
I LIKE FUNKY MUSIC chant with guitar line from Ohio Players song??
PRINCE & THE BAND
STRATUS (??)
ARMS OF AN ANGEL (Shelby J)
NOTHING COMPARES 2 U (w/ Shelby J)
SOMETIMES IT SNOWS IN APRIL (Full Version!!!!)
TAKE ME WITH U
RASPBERRY BERET (Cedric the Entertainer comes up to stage to sing...Prince yells "Security!!!" when Cedric starts to reach for his guitar.)
GUITAR
CONTROVERSY
HOUSEQUAKE chant

Morris long key intro
LETS GO CRAZY/DELIRIOUS/back into LET'S GO CRAZY
1999
LITTLE RED CORVETTE/"SLOW DOWN" chant (Prince plays guitar behind his back)

PURPLE RAIN

ENCORE 1:::

Sample teaser medley:::
WHEN DOVES CRY/NASTY GIRL/SOTT/TMBGITW/ALPHABET ST./LOVE BIZARRE/DARLING NIKKI/SINGLE LADIES/I WOULD DIE 4 U

IF I WAS UR GIRLFRIEND
KISS
(Celestina Aladekoba from Black Sweat video comes up on stage to dance)

Show ends at midnight.

Prince @ the Forum: AFTERJAM | April 30, 2011

When I said, "Wait, there's more...." I wasn't joking.

Word has gotten around that Prince throws an afterparty after every show. And since these parties are usually VIP & Celeb A-list only, I had no delusions or intentions of even trying to get in to any of them.

Imagine my surprise --- after witnessing my favorite show of the tour (thus far) --- when I found myself INSIDE THE CLUB after the show. I am still not entirely sure how I was able to get in. A friend of a friend of a friend hooked us up...and when my friend said, "Follow me and don't ask any questions," I did. And next thing I knew, I was escorted through a curtain and into to the afterparty.

Several celebs we saw on stage were already milling about. Maksim from DWTS and his partner, Kirstie Alley...Taraji P. Henson...Juan Escovedo...et al. On my way past the bar, someone yelled out my name and I wondered for a split second, "Who the hell knows ME??? I'm no one special." Turns out, it was my Hanaa, whom I met at one of the LA Live shows. I hadn't seen her since 2009 and I was very surprised and flattered that she remembered me. With her was her friend Carmen.

And after introductions were made, we made a beeline for the "stage" to "mark our spots" just in case Prince played. He hadn't played at any of the 6 previous afterparties...and tonight turned out to be LUCKY # 7 for me because he actually "floated" in behind me to step onto the stage and begin a jam set.

SETLIST:***

• Let's Work --- Extended Groove
• Endorphinemachine (instrumental)
• She's Always in My Hair
• The Walk (instrumental)
• Future Soul Song
• Sweet Thing (Marva King on Vocals)
• Brown Skin (Liv Warfield on Vocals)
• Bambi!!!! (instrumental)
• Laydown
• Which Way Is Up

Prince comes back to jam to the track DJ Rashida is playing ---

• OUTSTANDING by the Gap Band
• Stratus --- extended JAM

Dj Rashida plays

• We Want The Funk

and Prince and Liv return to lead us in the chant...

Cody, off to the side starts us on the FREAKS ON THIS SIDE chant....

And Prince ends the evening by bestowing the tambourine he's playing on the hotness to my left.

Highlights best shared via bullet point:

• The stage wasn't really a stage more than it was a 5-6 inch step up platform. It was like watching him play in the corner of a living room. It was about 7-8 people wide, and the room was rather long and narrow. Starting from the far left (stage right) the front row was made up of Taraji Henson, Miko, Me, Hanaa, and 3 other people I didn't know.
• His mic stand was right in front of me and Tamiko and the half circle of pedals for his guitar was just behind a few feet away. The man himself was about 2 feet away from me for most of the performance. (HOLY SHIT!!!)
• Most of the celebs that attend these parties, don't really know his music very well. I think Prince appreciates it when people DO know his songs and he seemed to feed off of us because we knew the lyrics to every song he played --- even when the jam was instrumental, we were singing along. Several times, Prince would smile and turn his mic towards us. We were singing into his mic--- very cool cuz it felt like we were singing for him.
• When Prince did come towards the mic, he'd swing around and come at it sideways...so I had to back off to keep from getting hit in the head with the neck of his guitar --- If he'd have smacked me, I wouldn't have been mad at him. I'd have cherished the black eye and bruises to the right side of my face. Prince "War Wounds"??? LOL
• Several times during the night, I went from staring at his hands on the guitar to looking up at his face...and every time, I found him looking directly at me...and I'd smile and nod...and he'd smile and nod back. It was the best conversation I ever had!!! I felt connected to him...Somebody pinch me, cuz I KNOW I must have been dreaming.
• He was so close to me, I could smell him ——— Incense and Flowers. Mmmmmm.
• Watching his hands on the guitar and keyboards was mesmerizing. I'd swear he was being guided by an unseen force. I don't exaggerate on this. He is TRULY GIFTED..a MUSICAL GENIUS...Does this man EVER hit a wrong note??? EVER???? He's not even looking at the keys...he just puts his hands down and he's always on the right note. Hell, I need to look down at the keys when I'm playing the freaking chopsticks. The instruments are like an extention of his being....again, not exaggerating.

By the time we left, I was floating to the car and drove home on autopilot. I drove in complete silence --- not wanting to mar the experience with any other music...I was letting the events of the past 2 hours sink in...and wondering...WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED???? I can't believe that I just had that amazing experience. I've witnessed his shows from the front row...I've been close to him before...less than 4 feet and at eye level...But this experience beats any other HANDS DOWN. Making eye contact with him...having him smile and nod back at you??? UNREAL.

I have no idea how I'm going to top this night. I don't think I should even try.

GAME OVER.

"This is not music....this is a trip."

***Since cameras & cellphones were strictly forbidden during his performance, I couldn't very well pull out my cell and start jotting down the song titles as he was playing them. Special thanks to Dr. Funkenberry for tweeting the songs from the back of the club. The set list above was compiled from his posts through the course of the night.

Prince @ the Forum: Nuit Sept

[SET LIST — PRINCE @ the Forum | April 30, 2011]

No Opening Act tonight

Show begins at 9:06pm

• DMSR
• Pop Life
• Renatto Jazz Break
• Musicology
• So Far/So Pleased (with special guest, GWEN STEFANI!!!) --- Never in my life thought I'd hear this song with them together!!! Was kind of hoping they'd pull out WAITING ROOM as well.
• Question of U intro into/The One/Cockeyed Woman
• I Feel 4 U with Elisa, Shelby & Liv singing the chorus from "If I Could Get Ur Attention" (song Prince wrote for Taja Sevelle) -- this one had me racking my brain...I couldn't place the song at first. He reached WAAAAAAY back for that one!!! (Also given to Mayte Garcia and recorded for her album, Child of the Sun, but never made it onto the final track list.)
• Controversy
• Love Rollercoaster/(Housequake chant)
• Glamorous Life
• Nothing Compares 2U
• Medley: Take Me With U/Raspberry Beret/Cream
• COOL (girls singing chorus from Don't Stop Till U Get Enough - homage to MJ)
• Let's Work
• U Got The Look

Encore 1 :::

• Whole Lotta Love (by Led Zeppelin with special guest NIKKA COSTA!!!!) OMG!!! --- It was a bit weird seeing Nikka on such a large stage...considering I've always been right in front of her at the Roxy when she plays. She's LUMINOUS!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE HER!!

Prince goes to piano:

• Something in the Water (Does Not Compute) (slowed down version)
• Strange Relationship
• How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore (with Shelby J)
• If I Was Ur Girlfriend

Encore 2 :::

• Kiss (Full version Prince jamming on keys)
• Purple Rain

Encore 3 :::

• Sexy Dancer Intro into Le Freak (by Chic --- sung by Elisa, Shelby & Liv)
• Play That Funky Music
• "Inglewood Swingin"
• I Like Funky Music

Encore 4 :::

• Sample Teaser Medley: When Doves Cry/Nasty Girl/Party All the Time (by Eddie Murphy)/Single Ladies/SOTT/TMBGITW/Darling Nikki/Hot Thing/Black Sweat/Love (OMG!!!)

Encore 5 :::

• The Bird/Jungle Love/Love Bizarre (Celebs from VIP areas take the stage)

Okay...so I TOTALLY LIED. Tonight's show put last night's show to shame. THIS ONE is now my reigning FAVORITE (so far). "Something in the Water" and "Strange Relationship" on piano AND TWO different surprise guests??? WHAT???!?!

And he didn't actually play them, but he sampled BLACK SWEAT and LOVE from 3121 during his "teaser medley" --- Could he possibly be giving us a taste of what might be on the set list for next week?? Oh please...PLEEEEEASE say it's so!!!!!!!!! LOVE IS MY JAM!!! I guess I'll just have to go to the next shows to find out, n'est-ce pas?? LOL!!!

But wait!!! There's more................... ;)

Prince @ the Forum: Nuit Six

[SET LIST — PRINCE @ the Forum | April 29, 2011]

Opening Act::: MINT CONDITION

SET LIST :::

(Morris Hayes --- long one-key intro into...)

• Medley: Let's Go Crazy/Delirious/back into Let's Go Crazy extended version/1999
• Little Red Corvette (slowed down version)
• Shhh
• Mountains (Only The One chant)
• 17 Days/(girls sing chorus to Lovergirl by Teena Marie)
• Give It To Me Baby (by Rick James/Prince is on the BASS)
• Everyday People
• Play That Funky Music
• Glamorous Life
• Santana Medley
• Beginning of Question of U into The One/Gingerbread Man (Prince crawling on floor ala Alphabet St. --- guess he's hoping the ladies will buy more tickets)/Cockeyed Woman

• Take Me With U/Raspberry Beret/Cream
• COOL (girls singing chorus from Don't Stop Till U Get Enough - homage to MJ)
• 777-9311 (Prince vs Ida on bass --- and Morris jamming the key line from Computer Blue --- I was told I was hearing things, but HE DID DO IT. Another friend confirmed this.)
• Let's Work
• U Got The Look
• Make U Feel My Love (Elisa, Shelby, Liv, & Ida)
• Purple Rain

Encore 1 :::

• Kiss
• Love Bizarre
• Controversy

Encore 2 :::

Lights come up and Prince is lying down in the middle of the stage.

• Sample Teaser Medley: When Doves Cry/Nasty Girl/SOTT/TMBGITW/Forever In My Life/Single Ladies

Prince basically tried to kill us with the funk tonight. I had a few "non hardcore" friends come to the show tonight and I was SOOO HAPPY that they had a fantastic time. So much so, they want to come back again!!

Prince can play pretty much every instrument effortlessly. And I will always love him on guitar...but when he picks up a bass??? Dude. GAME OVER. I'm done. It's just too HOT for words. Somebody get me a cigarette...damn.

So far, I think this show is my favorite.

***Happy Birthday to Christoball***

Prince @ the Forum: Nuit Cinq

[SET LIST — PRINCE @ the Forum | April 28, 2011]

Opening Act ::: Cassandra wilson

Prince comes out to sing WHEN WE'RE DANCING CLOSE AND SLOW.

SET LIST :::

• Joy in Repetition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! --- Holy Shit!!!!
• Brown Skin
• 17 Days!!!!!/(girls sing chorus to Lovergirl by Teena Marie)
• Shhhh
• Controversy/I Like Funky Music
• Which Way Is Up
• What Have U Done 4 Me Lately (girls do Electric Slide)
• Partyman
• It's Alright

• Make U Feel My Love (Elisa, Shelby, Liv, Ledisi, & Ida)
• Misty Blue (Shelby)

(Morris Hayes --- long one-key intro into...)

• Medley: Let's Go Crazy/Delirious/back into Let's Go Crazy extended version/1999
• Little Red Corvette (slowed down version)

ENCORE 1 ::: Purple Rain

ENCORE 2 ::: The Bird/Jungle Love/Love Bizarre

ENCORE 3 ::: Kiss

ENCORE 4 ::: (beginning at 12:15)

• Play That Funky Music White Boy
• "Inglewood Swingin" (Prince on bass --- HOT HOT HOT!!!!!)/(girls sing chorus from Fantastic Voyage)

ENCORE 5 :::

• More Than This (Roxy Music cover) --- his voice was absolutely GORGEOUS and HEART WRENCHING on this. (((sigh)))

A setlist was posted on DrFunkenberry.com prior to the show, but in usual Prince fashion, he changed a few of the songs up. I was far from complaining though --- he did Joy in Repetition and 17 Days!!! What????

Damn. I have to go to work in a few hours.

Aww Hell, Fuggit.

I can sleep when I'm dead.

Prince @ the Forum: Nuit Quatre

[SET LIST — PRINCE @ the Forum | April 23, 2011]

Inglewood, CA | Night #4 of Prince's 21-Night Stand in Los Angeles —

Sadly, I didn't go to this show, so this set list is compiled from the different Facebook posts and Tweets from friends during the night.

Opening Act: Chaka Khan

Set List:

• DMSR
• Pop Life
• Musicology
• Prince & The Band
• Extraordinary
• Mountains (w/ Sheila)
• Everyday People (w/ Larry Graham)
• Thankufallettinmebemiceelf/Rhythm Nation
• Sweet Thing (w/ Chaka)
• Glamorous Life (w/ Sheila)
• Santana Medley
• Raspberry Beret
• Cream
• Sometimes It Snows in April
• Purple Rain
• Adore
• Dreamer
• Love Bizarre
• Eye Like Funky Music
• Inglewood Swingin

...and after that, I don't what happened. People stopped posting. Internet connection at Forum is sketchy at best. So I'm surprised I was able to get this much info.

:(

I missed Chaka Khan.

Krystina mad?

Krystina REAL mad.

Prince @ the Forum: A Man and his MOUNTAINBIKE?!?!?

[CONCERT REVIEW — PRINCE @ the Forum | April 22, 2011]

Inglewood, CA | Night #3 of Prince's 21-Night Stand in Los Angeles —

The opening act for this night was Mint Condition. Didn't recognize most of what they played. I assume most of it was material from their new album. But they did finish with (Breaking My Heart) Pretty Brown Eyes. Everyone knows that song...hearing it took me back.

Setlist: (9:21pm)

• Beginning Endlessly
• Laydown
• Endorphinmachine
• She's Always In My Hair
• Future Soul Song
• Take Me With U
• Raspberry Beret
• Cream
• Cool (Time cover)/Don't Stop Till U Get Enough (homage to MJ) --- Sheila E. and Cuba Gooding Jr. come out to dance
• Let's Work (w/ America guitar int. --- yes, I heard it, and if you heard it too, you weren't imagining things)
• Hollywood Swingin (Kool & the Gang cover)
• You Got The Look
• Misty Blue (sung by Shelby J.)
• How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore (with Alicia Keys!!!!! --- AMAZING to hear them sing it together!!!)
• Teaser Medley: When Doves Cry/Nasty Girl/Sign O' the Times/The Most Beautiful Girl in the World/Darling Nikki

• If I Was Ur Girlfriend (Prince dancing on piano...WHAT???)

ENCORE 1:

• DMSR (w/ Shake That Money Maker chant)
• Controversy

ENCORE 2:

• Purple Rain

The show seemed considerably shorter than Thursday's show — he ended it rather abruptly — barely a 2-hour show. As with the previous night, there was a private afterparty in the Forum Club. But as with most of his afterparties these days, it was A-list and VIP only. Through the power of the internet and talk on the street, word on his multiple encores had gotten around, so even after the lights came up after Purple Rain, and the techs were climbing down from the lights and set, the crowd didn't make any moves to leave. Most stayed in their seats hoping that he was going to come back out. And it wasn't until 40 minutes later, when Security started motioning for us to leave, that we finally stood up and made our way to the outer foyer.

Out by the consessions stand, I ran into Eric, Kevin, Angel, Jo (from Chi-Town)...and just as we were about to say our "goodbyes," a huge cheer erupted from the crowd still inside the arena. We all ran back inside in time to see Prince circling the arena on a mountain bike --- definitely one to file under "WTF???" After a large lap around, he disappeared backstage again. And we all took this as a sign that he could very possibly take the stage again. So everyone came back in and took any seat they could find --- some folks managed to get on the floor before Security cut off the stream of fans. The rest of us took up Loge seats and sat to wait for what would hopefully be the most amazing encore/aftershow we'd ever witnessed. After another 30 minutes or so, Security started motioning for us to leave again, and we all ended up filing out and leaving without any additional appearances.

It was a great show --- Prince can't really do a bad one. But I kind of felt "cheated" this evening. He doesn't usually end his shows with Purple Rain. I was geared up for more after that song. And after 6 encores the first night and 4 last night, I was hoping to get at least one more song out of him. But sadly, he was done for the night.

The two highlights for me this evening, were hearing FUTURE SOUL SONG and ENDORPHINMACHINE. I'm not a big fan of 20Ten --- but if I were to pick out one song from that album to be my favorite FSS would be it and I'm so happy to have heard him perform it. And ENDORPHINMACHINE???? After learning that he did that song on opening night, I was HOPING to hear it...and now that I have?? There are only two words...Freaking FUNKY!!!

I guess I'm going to have to wait a bit longer to hear the full version of Adore and Extraordinary. I hope he doesn't cycle those out of his set lists. I can't wait until the next round of shows to see what he'll pull out. His catalog is so extensive...anything's possible!

That's the thing about Prince...he'll always keep you coming back for more.

Prince @ the Forum: A Blanket Statement Before I Continue...

Rather than write a separate review for every show I intend to see on this tour, let me save myself the time and just lay out the slew of comments I'm most likely to make.

Comments you're most likely to hear from me during the Welcome2America Tour:

• OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• HOLY $#!%!!! HE'S PLAYING THIS???

• Raspberry Beret, Take Me With You, & Kiss?? Well, the regular folks seem to dig it.

• I'm a PRINCE SNOB.

• I WANT Sheila's SHOES.

• That was the BEST SHOW, I EVER SAW!!!

Now that I got that done and over with, here's my blanket statement. I'm going to love every show, simply because it's Prince. And I've seen him enough times to be able to gauge a good show from a bad one just by his demeanor and whatever random songs he decides to play outside of the normal "HITS" that everyone is familiar with.

Furthermore, I'm LOVING this tour because Prince seems HAPPY to play for us. Someone wrote on Prince.org, saying "Prince was playing as if he was trying to win us over" and I have to agree. So far, he's been playing a little of everything for every kind of fan he's got --- from the brand new "I just figured out who Prince was last week on George Lopez" fans, to the casual "OMG I just LOVE PURPLE RAIN!!!" fans, to the hardcore "I have every bootleg, can recite all the lines from all his movies AND have shit even Prince didn't know he did" crazy-ass fans (the category to which I PROUDLY belong) --- he's giving us all a special dose of his unique brand of FUNK. And what's more, he seems to be putting some REAL THOUGHT into his set lists EVERY NIGHT. Its not the cookie-cutter/auto-pilot same set list night after night. EVERY night is different --- from the level of funk to the rare song he'll pull out that you've never heard him play live before --- You NEVER KNOW what he's going to do --- AND THAT'S what keeps me and the rest of my friends coming back over and over again.

Okay...Now that I've done that, I can proceed with writing out the setlists and adding a few comments about each show. :)

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.

Prince @ the Forum: Nuit Un --- Opening Night

[SET LIST: Prince @ the Forum | April 14, 2011]

Prince, as spontaneous as always announced the start of his LA run barely a week before the first show. Begrudgingly, I had to miss opening night because I had tickets to Janet Jackson — my first time ever, seeing her in concert — for over a month. It sucked that both of their LA runs were beginning on the same night. I had a sneaking suspicion that Prince did this on purpose...perhaps to see how quickly he could sell out even with Miss Jackson in town.

It seems likely because I distinctly remember Prince canceling a show and rescheduling it on the same night Madonna was playing. Hundreds of fans then had to choose between them...having had tickets to Madonna already in hand. I'm sure it sucked for Madonna fans back then...as it sucked for us Janet fans. But having seen Prince many times, I decided the world wouldn't stop turning if I missed opening night. And given that I have been wanting to see Janet in concert ever since I was in High School....well, Janet won this battle. (A review of her show is still pending.)

Taken from a friend's email, here's the set list from Prince's opening night at the Forum. A tremendously great sign of a fantastic tour. He apparently did 6 encores...And if I think about it too much, I'll just get madder that I missed it. So I'll shut up now and post the set list.

SETLIST:

1. DMSR Great opening number!!!!!
2. Pop Life
3. Prince & The Band Unexpected song that NO ONE else knows.
4. Extraordinary
5. Uptown
6. Raspberry Beret
7. Cream
8. Cool
(The Time cover) (with Don't Stop 'Till You Get Enough interpolation)
9. Let's Work
10. U Got the Look
Interlude. The girls sang Bob Dylan's (or Adele's) Make you Feel My Love.
11. Purple Rain
12. Let's Go Crazy
13. Delirious
14. 1999
15. The Beautiful Ones
16. Little Red Corvette

ENCORE 1
18. Kiss
19. When Doves Cry / Nasty Girls / Sign Of The Times / Darling Nikki / 777-9311 / Single Ladies

20. If Eye Was Ur Girlfriend
21. Insatiable
22. Scandalous
23. Adore

ENCORE 2

25. A Love Bizarre
(with Sheila E.)
26. Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry cover)
27. Controversy (with Housequake chants)

ENCORE 3

29. The Glamorous Life
(with Sheila E.)
30. Peach (with Sheila E.)

ENCORE 4
32. Dance (Disco Heat)(Sylvester cover)
33. Baby I'm a Star

ENCORE 5
35. Stratus (Billy Cobham cover)
36. Sometimes It Snows in April

ENCORE 6
38. Laydown
39. Endorphinmachine
40. She's Always in My Hair

41. Dreamer (Instrumental)
42. Welcome 2 America