Prince tribute orlando

A Shows I Go To Tribute to The Purple One | “You Got Prince’d”

by • May 9, 2016

Dearly inebriated, we are gathered here today to honor the legend of Prince Rogers Nelson. Let’s tell our Prince stories. The internet has been brimming with larger than life stories about Prince since his untimely passing, each sounding more fantastic and unbelievable than the next. The title of this tribute, and its opening line, come from a story Michael Che of Saturday Night Live told comedian Pete Holmes on his You Made it Weird podcast.

After SNL’s fortieth anniversary show, the cast and a host of luminaries in show business gathered for an epic after party. Jay-Z was there, Chris Rock, Dave Chapelle, Paul McCartney–a who’s who of entertainment. The stage was set up for a jam session, and many of the incredible entertainers in attendance obliged. Taylor Swift jammed with Paul McCartney. McCartney returned the favor by singing background vocals on “Shake It Off.”

As the night wound down, Dave Chappelle leaned into Jimmy Fallon and mentioned that Prince was in the building. Fallon, a tick enlightened from the festivities, took the stage and called out Prince. The crowd parted, fog filled the room, and Prince entered from the back as if floating on a purple cloud. Taking the microphone to a starstruck room full of the most famous people in the world, right after Paul McCartney played, Prince greets the room with the words, “Dearly inebriated,” and then launches into “Let’s Go Crazy.”

The room went nuts. Jay-Z, Rhianna, and Chris Rock all stormed the stage in euphoria. A former Beatle became an afterthought. It is an amazing story like so many others about the man. Holmes and Che took to calling the phenomenon of Prince showing up and owning things as “Getting Prince’d.”

In tribute to his legacy, Shows I Go To asked our writers when and how they got Prince’d. Maybe they made out with a beautiful stranger to “Purple Rain,” or lost their virginity to “1999.” Perhaps “Raspberry Beret” is their go-to Karaoke song. Here is what they told us about getting Prince’d.

SIGT Prince Tribute Party – June 4 in Orlando!

Jason Earle:

The bar was nondescript and probably would not have commanded much of my attention in Orlando or Jacksonville, hell in any American city. Via Medaglie d’Oro in Rome, just down the street from il Residence, was an oasis for the homesick, green traveler who loved the idea of cultural immersion a lot more than its practice.

Its name escapes me and does not matter. The Falcon, I believe, but it could have been called Dolly Parton’s Torpedo Saloon for all I remember. We drank wine, because that’s what you do in Italy. And did so in mass quantities, because that’s what you do in Italy. The patrons were a healthy mix of expats, kids studying abroad like me, and locals. Our Italian was horrendous, their English just as bad. The common language was Prince.

The place would light up into a euphoric dance party whenever “Raspberry Beret” came on the speakers, which could happen upwards of four times a night. Michael Jackson, The Eagles, Bowie–they would all provide a short tolerated break–but it was The Purple One who commanded the room in absentia.

As I write this, Prince has passed across the great hazy divide just hours ago. Nothing shocks us in 2016. We are at a place in time where Western popular culture is losing luminaries at a head-spinning rate. The ones that sting the most are those who bridged gaps. Bowie was a hero for queer folks of all stripes. Prince, an androgynous black man, covers those bases plus race, at a time when being an androgynous black man was not particularly easy. He was always true to himself, be it defying stereotypes or standing up to the big record companies.

Be good to each other, “dearly beloved.” There may not be another Prince, but the universe cannot take how he made us feel.

There may not be another Prince, but the universe cannot take how he made us feel.”

Ron Grant:

Kids don’t truly realize it while it’s happening, the music that eventually goes on to become the soundtrack to their lives. When we’re kids, we just go with the flow. And whatever sounds good to us, we dance and nod our head to and remember. For me, music introductions came in many forms, but mainly through family reunions in Detroit, and at my sister’s friend LaShonda’s house after school.

I was raised on adult R&B, old school, and quiet storm music; so at those reunions, I’d be exposed to everything from Aretha Franklin to Earth, Wind, & Fire, to Sade, to Anita Baker. Over at LaShonda’s house, it was The Box music channel and eventually, MTV where me, my sister Veronica, LaShonda, and a rotating cast of characters would watch any and everything from Dr. Dre and Snoop to Aerosmith, Nirvana, Wu-Tang, Biggie, and on and on. Prince came early in that mix for me when I was six or seven years old.

I first heard “1999” at one of those same family reunions in 1988, right after Sade and Anita Baker. At the time, I didn’t even know what the categories of dance music, rock, R&B, funk, and soul meant! But I knew this sounded like a bunch of different things melded together. And it was catchy as hell. Later that year, I finally saw the video for “1999” over LaShonda’s house and was shocked at the tiny, purple-clad, feminine-looking guy surrounded by smoke, lasers, and his band of New Wave misfits. Like …”THAT’S him???!”

So basically, it was the videos that got me Prince’d. Years later, I’d be introduced to his innovation through pieces of art like, “Kiss,” “Thieves In The Temple,” “Get Off,” “7,” “Diamonds and Pearls,” hell, basically his entire catalog of videos. It was really a matter of me being part of the generation of music heads that came after the one Prince revolutionized and dominated. No, I didn’t see him in concert during the ’80s. No, I didn’t get to buy his records when they were initially released to the public. But, Prince basically Prince’d me and my generation in another way that was no less mind-altering and world-widening. Rest In Purple, Mr. Nelson.

SIGT Prince Tribute Party – June 4 in Orlando!

Eric Hasse

When I was a kid I thought I was too punk rock for Prince … Then I saw him live, shredding guitar, tickling ivories, and performing some of the most passionate and intricate songs I’d ever heard. Now my punk rock ass owns most of his work and can never not (try to) sing at least one of his songs at karaoke. Whenever I do, I get approached by at least one woman. Thanks for that as well, Prince. 😉

I had the pleasure of playing a gig at his Miami Beach nightclub which, like his hometown club, was named after its address. I think it was called Club 1220 because it was located at 1220 Washington Ave.

I was approached by Sheila E–an insane drummer who has worked with Prince on numerous albums–after our set and she complimented my drumming. I didn’t know who I was talking to at the time. A bandmate excitedly ran over as soon as she departed and asked what she said. When I told him she said my drumming was solid and made her shake her butt, which is a drummer’s most important job, my bandmate said, “Bro, Sheila E gave you props!”

I guess I was too starstruck by the whole experience of that night to get a grip on what was happening right in front of me. In my defense, she had her hair up and was wearing some sort of business power suit, so she did not look like the Sheila E, the big hair, groove queen behind the monster drum kit that I’d seen in her music videos.

I never got the chance to tell her she was one of my favorite drummers and I never got to meet Prince, but his nightclub was gorgeous. We were treated like superstars when we played there. I never forgot what Sheila E told me. Whenever I play drums, I look around the room and if women aren’t shaking they ass I know I’m doing something wrong.

RIP Prince, in Love & Purple Light,

Eric Haase

Oh, I just remembered another Prince connection! We had a gig opening The Orange Bowl game sometime in the late ’90s. It was my band, Manchild, followed by Fuel, and Morris Day & The Time. I was sitting backstage marveling at the presence of Mr. Day and the charisma of Jerome, but I remember feeling bad because everybody was asking them about Prince and their days battling it out on the stages in Minnesota rather than asking them anything about The Time.

I walked over to Jerome and asked him something about where he got his idea for his schtick with his hand mirror or something like that. Then I talked to their drummer for as long as he let me about the Minnesota groove and if it was the same thing as The New Jack Swing, stuff like that. The Time played some of the baddest funk this side of James Brown and the P-Funk mothership that night.

SIGT Prince Tribute Party – June 4 in Orlando!

Matthew Weller:

My dad isn’t very cool. But in the ’80s, he did see Prince in Detroit–probably the coolest thing he has ever done. I know because he brings it up anytime someone offhandedly mentions The Purple One. A week or so before Prince’s death, he said he liked when I pulled my hair in front of my face because I “look like Prince.” Then he talked about that concert again.

I will never get the chance to see Prince perform, and that’s what I’m most disappointed about. I had this vision of his seeing him wail on an oddly-shaped, purple guitar. He was a masterful guitar player–skip to his solo (3:24) from the night he was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame.

I will never get to see Prince; but about two years ago, I did see the damn-near closest thing. It was the 30th anniversary of Purple Rain‘s release and some of Orlando’s most skilled musicians came together, played the album in its entirety, and looked good doing it. Prince himself was played by Gerald Perez (Maximino) who was decked out in the famous purple ensemble–blouse and all. I’ll let past Matthew (then, Matt) explain it to you:

When the first of two sets ended with the upbeat ‘Baby I’m a Star,’ the crowd felt both sexually and musically satisfied. But, the one moment that’s stayed with me since was during the set’s climax. During the third chorus of “Purple Rain,” right before the guitar solo, the fact that Perez, Avello, Kamm, Ibrahim, Bleu, and Drennon aren’t the real Prince and The Revolution didn’t matter. Every fan that had experienced Purple Rain 30 years prior and every fan since then couldn’t tell the difference.”

But sadly, we can now tell the difference. Tribute shows of living, breathing artists feel triumphant and entirely celebratory. But once they pass, there’s a fog of sadness and remembrance over the entire event. And, next time I see an homage to Prince, that purple fog will roll over everyone in attendance.

SIGT Prince Tribute Party – June 4 in Orlando!

Prince Tribute Party Orlando

Prince Tribute Show Orlando 2016.


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