(no subject)
So, it's been an eventful last few days.
I took my second golf lesson today. I'm getting better, and hope not to look a fool at our company golf tournament mid-september. Yes kids, I'm learning to golf, and I need professional help. =)
Much more interesting than the above, I saw PRINCE last Wednesday at the ACC in Toronto. This article nicely describes the setlist (etc)
PRINCE
Air Canada Centre, Toronto
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TORONTO -- School was definitely in, as Prince completed the second of two sold-out shows at the Air Canada Centre last night.
Touring behind his latest release, "Musicology," Prince treated fans to 140 minutes of ripe R&B grooves, pop melodies and guitar infused rock.
After being rolled to the centre stage inside a giant black box, Prince appeared in a purple suitcoat and white shirt and pants.
He launched into the title track from "Musicology," punctuating its old-school funk grooves with cries of "Toronto are you ready for me?"
He promptly followed with three songs from his 1984 rock-funk-soul album "Purple Rain." As streamers fell from the roof, the crowd was in a frenzy as it practically chanted the words to "Let's Go Crazy," "I Would Die 4 U" and "When Doves Cry."
And after such an old-school beginning, the true joy of this night was the seamless way Prince turned songs like "I Feel 4 You" into seamless party tracks. Current dance hits like Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" found their way into songs like "Dance Music Sex Romance."
He even stopped running up and down the stage extensions to pause "Controversy" so he could hand out pizza to revelers in the front row.
Then after a short break that featured saxophonist Maceo Parker singing "Georgia on my Mind" in a tribute to Ray Charles, Prince returned.
Dressed completely in red and sitting on a barstool, Prince began to belt out nine acoustic renditions of some of his most popular songs.
The crowd gleefully sung along to a pocket full of condoms and a love that wouldn't last on "Little Red Corvette" and then the singer asked for the "ladies help" on "Peach" eventually ceding the chorus to thousands of screaming women.
And while it certainly was a treat to hear "Sometimes it Snows in April" from 1986's "Parade" album, the highlight of the acoustic set was heard on the stripped down version of "Alphabet St."
Absent of its traditional drum and guitar loop, Prince teased the audience with winks and smiles as he tore through a bluesy rendition.
Clearly basking in the love of his Toronto audience, Prince invited fans to continue singing along on "Raspberry Beret" and urged the sold-out audience to change the last line from "I think love her" to "I think I love you," to which the singer replied, "I love you too."
After this there were some truly jaw-dropping moments: On "7," Prince led the crowd in another sing-along during which his New Power Generation band reappeared; later, a funked up version of "Sign O The Times" gave way to a torrid rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love."
Female fans were invited onstage to shake their stuff during "U Got the Look" and stayed cavorting with the singer for "Life 'O' The Party," "Soul Man," "Kiss" and "Take Me With You."
Prince took a short break and returned for an encore that featured the sultry "Call Me Name" followed by the show-closing "Purple Rain." Bathed in purple light and dressed in blue, with his purple symbol-shaped guitar, Prince sang the tune with a renewed emotion urging fans to "love somebody."
Eventually, the singer yielded the "whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo's" to the fans, who continued singing long after Prince had finished blowing kisses and left the stage.
from a local newspaper (I forget which) nicely describes the setlist and mentions the AMAZING musicians that I got to see. We were seated in Row 1, Seats 1 and 2. Ok, fineI only took up one seat, and I was standing in front of it the whole time. The front row tickets were a surprise though, all we knew was that we had "randomly assigned" floor seats, available for purchase to fan club members. When we got there to pick up our tickets, we found out that we had SCORED! The stage was basically a big X, and we were on the "West" side on the floor in the nook of one of the corners of the X. We were no more than 4 feet from Prince or one of his musicians for most of the show. I used to write Prince off as a creepy guy, but DAMN can that man sing, and play guitar, and smile his crazy little face off. Yes, he's a bit of an odd duck, but you have to respect his talent. Anyway, Maceo Parker's solo's was a real treat, and the drummer did this one particularly memorable drum solo which involved a brief segment of "silent drumming" with his drumsticks stopping just a hair above the drums and cymbals. Er.. hard to describe, but very impressive looking stuff.
Anyway, that's my public news for the day. Cheers all!
/c
I took my second golf lesson today. I'm getting better, and hope not to look a fool at our company golf tournament mid-september. Yes kids, I'm learning to golf, and I need professional help. =)
Much more interesting than the above, I saw PRINCE last Wednesday at the ACC in Toronto. This article nicely describes the setlist (etc)
PRINCE
Air Canada Centre, Toronto
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TORONTO -- School was definitely in, as Prince completed the second of two sold-out shows at the Air Canada Centre last night.
Touring behind his latest release, "Musicology," Prince treated fans to 140 minutes of ripe R&B grooves, pop melodies and guitar infused rock.
After being rolled to the centre stage inside a giant black box, Prince appeared in a purple suitcoat and white shirt and pants.
He launched into the title track from "Musicology," punctuating its old-school funk grooves with cries of "Toronto are you ready for me?"
He promptly followed with three songs from his 1984 rock-funk-soul album "Purple Rain." As streamers fell from the roof, the crowd was in a frenzy as it practically chanted the words to "Let's Go Crazy," "I Would Die 4 U" and "When Doves Cry."
And after such an old-school beginning, the true joy of this night was the seamless way Prince turned songs like "I Feel 4 You" into seamless party tracks. Current dance hits like Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" found their way into songs like "Dance Music Sex Romance."
He even stopped running up and down the stage extensions to pause "Controversy" so he could hand out pizza to revelers in the front row.
Then after a short break that featured saxophonist Maceo Parker singing "Georgia on my Mind" in a tribute to Ray Charles, Prince returned.
Dressed completely in red and sitting on a barstool, Prince began to belt out nine acoustic renditions of some of his most popular songs.
The crowd gleefully sung along to a pocket full of condoms and a love that wouldn't last on "Little Red Corvette" and then the singer asked for the "ladies help" on "Peach" eventually ceding the chorus to thousands of screaming women.
And while it certainly was a treat to hear "Sometimes it Snows in April" from 1986's "Parade" album, the highlight of the acoustic set was heard on the stripped down version of "Alphabet St."
Absent of its traditional drum and guitar loop, Prince teased the audience with winks and smiles as he tore through a bluesy rendition.
Clearly basking in the love of his Toronto audience, Prince invited fans to continue singing along on "Raspberry Beret" and urged the sold-out audience to change the last line from "I think love her" to "I think I love you," to which the singer replied, "I love you too."
After this there were some truly jaw-dropping moments: On "7," Prince led the crowd in another sing-along during which his New Power Generation band reappeared; later, a funked up version of "Sign O The Times" gave way to a torrid rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love."
Female fans were invited onstage to shake their stuff during "U Got the Look" and stayed cavorting with the singer for "Life 'O' The Party," "Soul Man," "Kiss" and "Take Me With You."
Prince took a short break and returned for an encore that featured the sultry "Call Me Name" followed by the show-closing "Purple Rain." Bathed in purple light and dressed in blue, with his purple symbol-shaped guitar, Prince sang the tune with a renewed emotion urging fans to "love somebody."
Eventually, the singer yielded the "whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo's" to the fans, who continued singing long after Prince had finished blowing kisses and left the stage.
from a local newspaper (I forget which) nicely describes the setlist and mentions the AMAZING musicians that I got to see. We were seated in Row 1, Seats 1 and 2. Ok, fineI only took up one seat, and I was standing in front of it the whole time. The front row tickets were a surprise though, all we knew was that we had "randomly assigned" floor seats, available for purchase to fan club members. When we got there to pick up our tickets, we found out that we had SCORED! The stage was basically a big X, and we were on the "West" side on the floor in the nook of one of the corners of the X. We were no more than 4 feet from Prince or one of his musicians for most of the show. I used to write Prince off as a creepy guy, but DAMN can that man sing, and play guitar, and smile his crazy little face off. Yes, he's a bit of an odd duck, but you have to respect his talent. Anyway, Maceo Parker's solo's was a real treat, and the drummer did this one particularly memorable drum solo which involved a brief segment of "silent drumming" with his drumsticks stopping just a hair above the drums and cymbals. Er.. hard to describe, but very impressive looking stuff.
Anyway, that's my public news for the day. Cheers all!
/c