Prince has always been a man wrapped in mystery. From his turn as "The Artist Formerly Known As" to his reluctance to do interviews he has always maintained a mystique, which is part of his charm. It becomes about the artistry instead of the person, something he mentioned at his December 14th Saddledome show. "Concerts used to be about the experience and having a party," he declared. Which is cool, but on the other hand, quirks like not permitting media to shoot the concert and throwing out anyone caught snapping his picture, adds a different twist.
That is Prince though, and the 12,000+ that packed the Saddledome clearly were there to bask in all things Princely. With reports of a 3 hour plus show in Toronto, mention in the collectable program of 4 hour shows, they buckled in for a lengthy set. Imagine their surprise then when at the 70 minute mark, Prince bid adieu. It was another 10 minutes of the crowd cheering and clamouring for more before a roadie came on stage giving the "cut" signal and the house lights and music came up signifying the end.
That again is Prince. He was late by nearly 30 minutes, and played how long he wanted. With many of those close paying upwards of $600 per ticket to see the show, you could understand feeling a little gyped. What we did get though was pretty incredible, which almost makes it worse knowing what could have been.
Prince's New Power Generation is tight – a primarily female backup in singers and musicians who all had their chance to shine. Many of the songs included lengthy bluesy jams, solos, and covers. An outstanding light show and staging (in the form of his "Artist" symbol) all combined to make for a spectacular Prince experience. Standouts like Little Red Corvette and a wicked version of When Doves Cry featuring just Prince and a synthesizer had the crowd singing along. He doesn't do the same set every night, so there wasn't a feeling of going through the motions. As a frontman Prince is engaging, you can't take your eyes off his tiny form as he dances, plays guitar, and holds the crowd in the palm of his hand. Never have I actually seen a frontman get the crowd to sing the name of the city back to him, but he did. In fact he used the name more in one concert that I have ever heard.
Had ticket prices been cheaper, or had there not been multiple reports of long shows in other cities then Prince would be up there as one of the best shows of the year. Part of what made people thrilled with concert stops this year by artists like Elton John and The Foo Fighters is the length of the shows. To rob Calgary fans of that full experience hurt this reviewers enjoyment of the show.
Prince is Prince I guess. Take the excellent with the bad and continue to enjoy that this charistmatic artist is still able to be so good at 52 years old.