So Prince Walks into a Bar…
…gets up on stage and starts to play. This is exactly what happened this past week in front of about 300 people.
And it wasn’t the First Avenue, the Minneapolis venue made famous in Purple Rain. It was a small downtown place called the Dakota Jazz Club. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune picks up the story.
Fans who did get into the candlelit performances relished the intimacy — especially on Friday, when he unveiled an all-female backup band and a new heavy funk-rock sound.
Friday’s first show was the most expensive ($250), exhaustive (100 minutes, 25 longer than any other) and most guitar-dominated. And the only show at which Prince didn’t wear sunglasses or have people seated on the main floor. He even played “Purple Rain” on piano.
“We didn’t know what to expect because it was advertised as ‘surprise,’ but it exceeded my expectations,” said Jeff Whitman, 44, of Minneapolis. “Best show I’ve ever seen.”
