He's as versatile and indefatigable as a classic vaudeville trouper, and he has such outsize charisma that he can make his audience shout with just a flick of his hips.

 

Twelve hours later and my ears still ring as if Big Ben was jammed between my cerebellum and eardrum.  (I have this visual of Jerry (Tom and Jerry) in my hear just banging away all up in that piece.)  Prince has taken over the top spot of best concerts attended, ahead of Van Halen, ahead of Ben Harper, absolutely amazing. 

 

Legends are legends for a reason.  He was before my time and unfortunately, during his last media visible records with Time Warner in the early 90; I was an alternative loving teen dismissing any notion of a metro sexual gone overboard.  I recognized maybe three songs of the entire set and yes, it was the best show of my life.  Veteran rock stars, and I emphasize the word tar?  if able to maintain health and choral ability through the years, know how to put on an auricular masterpiece.  No need for over the top visuals and flare, ironic considering his demeanor, Prince brings back musicology, literally.  Live musicians banging out funky beats crisper than James Brown.  Jam solo that make you wonder why you ever attended any synthesized show previous and just good ole man and a guitar woong the audience with his rock stardom.

 

A packed house went ballistic at the first site of Prince, but you could feel the male audience a little hesitant to bring back cheering for an over the top flamboyantly feminine Prince.  Women, on the other hand, were taken captive at the first glimpse of the hairy-chested man wearing a red and black vertical split suit in high heels.  Annie quoted very time his hips moved, I just wanted to be his? But by blasting out hit after hit, everyone in the room seemed to file back 10+ years to sing word for word with every falsetto-ed word, every distortion-ed chord and every emotional whine.  Sooner or later even the men realized, this guy was not over the top, his style was not antiquated for the new millennium, this was Prince the rockstar and he could do whatever he wanted. 

 

The two and a half hour set was split into 3 sections and an encore.  After a romping opening, he proceeded with an intimate, house lit, solo acoustic act joking and wheeling with the emotions of the crowd, which were at his feet.  Again, annoyed that I could not sing along with the songs, I sat there watching the crowd love him.  Slowly you began to realize that this was the man that started it all.  He was the Webster definition of sex and rock.  He wore the original tacky chain around his neck.  As for his style, no one ever criticized Axl rose for white spandex bike shorts, so why bash Prince flared jeans and heels?  One man on a swiveling stool serenading the audience only to have the audience praise him by singing back to him.  Yes, you are awesome, rock on.

 

A dance party segment ensued with audience women on stage dancing while Prince finished off the show.   Microphone-Gun in hand, dancing with the women, and getting the crowd on their feet, he looked energized throughout the entire performance and seemed like he didn want it to end and the encore proved that it never did.  His music will never end.  Playing the purple ign?guitar, the soulful Purple Rain ended the encore with a repeat of the last chorus making its mark that this song will live in everyone hearts forever.

 

 

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extra ticket to central park summerstage tonight

guster/benfolds/rufus wainwright....anyone interested?

 

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