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Saturday, February 26, 2011
MUSIC REPORT
Prince Still The Mega
Royalty,
In "America" And The World
Prince on Thursday night during his "Welcome
2America" tour
at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.
Omar P.L. Moore
by
Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com
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Saturday,
February 26, 2011
OAKLAND, California
To say that Prince is a megastar goes beyond stating the obvious. On
Thursday night he showed why he's the world's greatest living entertainer and
one of five or six all-time great artists on the third and final night of this
stop on his "Welcome 2 America" tour. The tour began in December in New
York City at Madison Square Garden, with Oakland as the second city on the tour.
Almost two hours before the iconic, 50-something rock-and-roll Hall of Fame
genius -- who still looks 23 -- took the stage at the Oracle Arena, music videos
of vintage performances from his forerunners played on large oblong screens.
Tina Turner in the 1960s. Wilson Pickett's "Night Of 1000 Dances".
Mavis Staples. Santana, in his younger, more vital days with "Black Magic
Woman". These legends are among Prince's heroes and she-roes, and they
also served as a message to his fans that he knows where to pay some of his
respects.
On the stage before almost 20,000 screaming fans of various ages, Prince
transcended and electrified, with unrivaled energy as palpable and invigorating
as any of the frenzy of the adoring throng that accompanied it.
His Royal Badness, as he is known among some of his most loyal and avid
followers, paced himself through almost three exciting hours with precious few
breathers, if only to accentuate his generosity to newer, upcoming artists, as
well as more enduring, familiar ones, like Sheila E. (who played homage to
Santana's rousing "Soul Sacrifice") and Larry Graham, bass player for Sly And
The Family Stone. They enjoyed and basked in their renewed glory on the
stage.
One of the best and most complete concert shows in Prince's repertoire, "Welcome
2 America" was everything and more.
If Thursday's event had been a concert movie on IMAX the results may just have
been as earth shattering. The acoustics were second to none. The
synching of music and lighting were as pinpoint as even the most lukewarm fan of
concerts, and Prince specifically, could hope for, and the artist's supporting
cast each made a distinct and memorable impression. You could see
teleprompters of the lyrics for the songs in a couple of areas, and such is a
common occurrence, especially when you've written countless songs which haven't
yet been released or performed live in a dozen years or more.
Prince played rock, funk, glam, pop, soul, R&B, ballads and medleys from the
80s. He also played five different instruments, sang, danced, ran and
admonished the audience playfully. "Stop tweeting and be here!", he dared.
He interacted, played, teased, loved, seduced and yearned, all night long.
Prince on Thursday night during his "Welcome 2America"
tour in
Oakland, California.
Omar P.L. Moore
From afar he taunted a celebrity, after bringing a young, eye-catching lady on
stage who danced unselfconsciously, engaging the VIP floor section -- fans who
paid $1000 to be close to their idol. "This ain't Kim Kardashian!" Prince
declared, referring to the reality television star who famously showed
reluctance to dance on stage at Madison Square Garden earlier this month when
called upon by Prince to do so. That night he told Ms. Kardashian to "get
off the stage." (Reportedly, Prince later gave Ms. Kardashian a second
chance, and she ended up dancing, not needing to be told a third time.)
On Thursday the stagecraft was singular and unmistakably Prince. Neon
colored outlines of Prince's distinct hieroglyph from his "Artist Formerly Known
As" days dominated at center stage of the arena where the NBA team the Golden
State Warriors play.
"Purple Rain", "Kiss", "Little Red Corvette" all played to rapturous applause,
as did many others of the thousands of Prince songs that the artist has written
and perfromed. (Alas, there was no "Raspberry Beret", "When Does Cry" or "Betcha
By Golly Wow!" to be found on this night. With "Kiss" there was an updated
variation to one lyric line: "you don't have to watch The Kardashians to have an
attitude.")
In the night's biggest highlight, Prince, facing the audience, played his guitar
with one hand and the piano -- which was behind him -- with the other hand, both
at the same time, for about a minute and a half. The act recalled the
great Jimi Hendrix, except even more adventurous, showing a virtuoso ease that
has catapulted the diminutive Minnesota native to the top of the music artist
tree over the 30-plus years of his evolving and seemingly indefinable career.
As restless in his pursuit of different planes of artistry as Miles Davis,
Prince showed his curiosities and indefatigable qualities, both as maestro and
mischief-maker.
Many of the younger fans in attendance weren't around when he starred in several
films, some forgettable, others not -- and directed one ("Under The Cherry
Moon".) Like Elvis Presley, but even more so than the late rocker, Prince
wore an array of hats but played his way into each fitting, and effortlessly.
One didn't have to know all of the words to every song or even dance as
suggestively or rhythmically as Prince, but all in attendance on Thursday knew
they got the show of a lifetime.
"Thank you, Oakland, we'll be back very soon!", Prince promised. "Will you
be here?"
It was obviously a rhetorical question, but the sated fans packed inside
Prince's church of rock on this purple rainy damp Oakland night were adrenalized
and compelled to answer, and with fervor.
________________________________________________________
Slideshow:
Prince at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California - "Welcome 2 America"
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