As we walked through the doors of the Pepsi Center in Denver Colorado, what awaited us was a live performance by one of the true giants of music history. The artist formally as Prince and yet again known as Prince roared on stage. This entrance dropped the jaws and panties of nearly every woman in the arena. Suffice to say by the time the concert was over, nearly half the men were ready to drop trow also and pay homage to one of the most charismatic performers of our or any other time. As a friend of mine noted, for a man all of 5’4’’, Prince has a unique ability to hold thousands in the palm of his hand. And held us, he did as the performance was peppered with Prince classics along with old school funk reminiscent of such luminaries as the Commodores, Parliament with George Clinton, and the Ohio Players. The show reached a fever pitch but was later ratcheted down by some unbelievable jazz. After the mellow interlude the crowd was a buzz as Prince ascended the stage for an acoustic set featuring some of his greatest songs. Dressed in a purple crushed velvet suit that only he could pull off Prince took the audience down an acoustic path of hits such as “Cream”, “Sign o’ the Times”, and “Money Don’t Matter 2 Night”. Another intermission was followed by funkified renditions of “Raspberry Beret”, “1999”, and “Take Me With U”. The lights dimmed as a single solitary curtain of purple glowed slightly signaling that the master would be back momentarily. The show ended with a crescendo as Prince busted out with his best and most famous song, “Purple Rain”. All stood mesmerized, as Prince dazzled with stunning guitar play. As the show drew to an end, and the crowd exited the Pepsi Center every one was still amazed at having seen and experienced a true living legend at his finest. The fact that this was probably Prince’s last concert tour made the experience all the more memorable and a once in a life time occurrence. Although the tickets were $75 a pop the show was worth every penny. In passing, I would like to thank Prince for being one of the most ground breaking and influential artists of the last twenty five years. Michael Jackson may have received more fame and notoriety but no one compares to Prince for shear charisma, talent, and musical virtuosity. The debate will rage on about who was the best musical artist of our generation…my vote goes to Prince.
