Dearly beloved, we were gathered in a place called Paisley Park for a once-in-a-lifetime night with Prince, a piano and a microphone. Billed as a “Gala Event,” this was Prince’s first night of solo shows EVER, and I was there for this historic occasion thanks to an invitation from the artist himself. Yes, seriously.
Arriving at Paisley Park for my first visit ever for the second of two shows, I walked through the VIP entrance and the powerful, aromatic scent of incense filled the air, which was already tinged with the palpable excitement and anticipation from fans who had traveled from all over the world to be there.
I opened the door to the performance area and walked into a sea of darkness lit only by candles strategically placed on stage and with a spotlight focused on Prince. Draped in purple (or maybe it was raspberry?) loungewear and donning a perfectly picked out afro, he sat in front of a microphone at a purple baby grand piano with a screen displaying colorful swirling graphics behind the stage.
All eyes were on Prince. Watching him play was watching a master at work. He tickled the ivories like the virtuoso he is and stripped down his hits and fan favorites, transforming each song with arrangements that were more intimate and immediate on the piano. This approach was pure genius. Watching him play at times felt as though we were given a bird's-eye view of his private moments reflecting on life via his music. We journeyed with him through years of turbulent and jubilant passion, love and longing on a setlist that was emotional, joyous, socially conscious and righteous.
The setlist went back and forth through Prince’s catalog from back in the day through today. HITNRUN Phase One jam “1000 X’s & 0’s” segued flawlessly into “Call My Name” before he broke into the show-stopper "Purple Rain," with a chorus of hundreds of background singers joining him. Heartfelt performances of "The Dance," "Te Amo Corazon, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” “How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore” and "The Ladder" followed as Prince was fully in his feelings and got us into ours. After a break where he acknowledged being overwhelmed with the emotion the songs evoked, he briefly stepped off stage only to reappear with his signature mischievous grin. He proceeded to set the stage ablaze with a piano jam session that had the crowd roaring with applause and singing along to “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” “Raspberry Beret” and “Starfish and Coffee.”
One of the standout moments of the show was a performance of “Dear Mr. Man” with updated references to the Flint water crisis, proliferation of gun violence, need for gun control and upcoming presidential election. Prince continued making a statement with his music on "Unchain My Heart" and "A Case Of U" before revving the audience up again with more sing-alongs on "Kiss" and "Black Sweat." At one point everyone's singing was a little off-key trying to hit his high notes (as if), and Prince hilariously clowned us, saying "You didn't hit that right."
Prince ended this powerful night of music with "Free Yourself," which elicited more singing along from the audience, before exiting the stage in a plume of smoke. We continued singing long after Prince left the stage, hoping for an encore with our serenade. Prince was done for the night, however. Although he didn't return to the stage, no one left disappointed.
- Advertisement -Prince's Piano and A Microphone Gala Event at Paisley Park was a magnificently curated and intimate experience that those who attended won't ever forget. I surely won't.
