2008 Woodie Awards
Funkier than thou
Elizabeth Sinclair-Smith
Date created: 9/29/04 Section: ENTERTAINMENT
And if the music wasn't good enough alone, there was the incredible stage show. Rising to the center of the smoke-covered X-shaped stage that doubled as a catwalk, Prince looked like a demigod. He also proved that men in high heels are truly the best dancers. Occasionally, he brought members of the audience up to dance with him, including a young boy who did his best to shake what his momma gave him, and shake what the band gave him (a tambourine).
If anyone came to the show expecting ass-less leopard print pants and stage humping, then they came for naught. In recent years, Prince has toned down his sexier-than-thou image-he's a man of God now. As a result, the audience saw three modest costume changes, complete with a curtain of pearls, a confetti drop, and smoke machines, all of which the audience lapped up.
Still, that doesn't mean he can't get nasty. After all, you can take a man away from the nasty, but you can't completely take the nasty away from Prince. Two audience favorites, "D.M.S.R." and "Little Red Corvette" fell into such a category, yet were probably the raciest songs of the evening. This contrast was reflected in what songs from his vast and expansive career he performed that night--a balance between the older, hyper songs and the funky, yet laid back sounds of his more recent material.
Ultimately, the two best parts of the show were of this same mixture: The living legend Maceo Parker and Prince's grand finale encore of "Purple Rain."
Parker is an amazing talent that every man, woman and child should see, ASAP. Having played with James Brown, The JB's, Parliament, Funkadelic, and Prince himself, Parker has more than earned his stripes. Whether sprinkling the various songs of the evening with a cascade of joyful noise or holding down the stage while Prince went to change costumes, Parker's every heartfelt note was thoroughly enjoyable.
Eventually, at the end of the night, the moment everyone had been waiting for came. Prince re-emerged from beneath the stage one last time to play the grandiose rock ballad "Purple Rain," and before the time he even hit the first chorus, there wasn't one person in the crowd that was not singing along. Prince would not have it any other way, commanding everyone to keep going, and neither would the crowd, savoring every last note.
If anyone came to the show expecting ass-less leopard print pants and stage humping, then they came for naught. In recent years, Prince has toned down his sexier-than-thou image-he's a man of God now. As a result, the audience saw three modest costume changes, complete with a curtain of pearls, a confetti drop, and smoke machines, all of which the audience lapped up.
Still, that doesn't mean he can't get nasty. After all, you can take a man away from the nasty, but you can't completely take the nasty away from Prince. Two audience favorites, "D.M.S.R." and "Little Red Corvette" fell into such a category, yet were probably the raciest songs of the evening. This contrast was reflected in what songs from his vast and expansive career he performed that night--a balance between the older, hyper songs and the funky, yet laid back sounds of his more recent material.
Ultimately, the two best parts of the show were of this same mixture: The living legend Maceo Parker and Prince's grand finale encore of "Purple Rain."
Parker is an amazing talent that every man, woman and child should see, ASAP. Having played with James Brown, The JB's, Parliament, Funkadelic, and Prince himself, Parker has more than earned his stripes. Whether sprinkling the various songs of the evening with a cascade of joyful noise or holding down the stage while Prince went to change costumes, Parker's every heartfelt note was thoroughly enjoyable.
Eventually, at the end of the night, the moment everyone had been waiting for came. Prince re-emerged from beneath the stage one last time to play the grandiose rock ballad "Purple Rain," and before the time he even hit the first chorus, there wasn't one person in the crowd that was not singing along. Prince would not have it any other way, commanding everyone to keep going, and neither would the crowd, savoring every last note.
