Picture it: June, 2004. An e-mail I just barely missed asked me a life-changing question and granted me one of the luckiest breaks I’d ever received as a new journalist and freelance contributor at The Dallas Morning News: “Lorrie, ______ isn’t feeling well, do you think you could cover the #Prince show tonight?”
WHUUUUUUUUUUUT?!? Is this a trick question?!?
I didn’t respond with that, of course, but the following is my review of the one and only live show where I witnessed the late and lamented game-changing musician Prince. Dozens of fans gave me mad love after this review appeared and I learned that #ThePurpleOne—-or at least someone on his team—-posted the review to his exclusive website afterwards. It was a night I will never ever forget and I will cherish the memories and his music forever. We love and miss you Brother, rest in eternal peace. #blackbloggers #journalism #musicology #princerogersnelson

Professor Prince taught Musicology in April; the scholar laid the hits down nice. But so many students missed that first session, he had to come back twice.

Friday night’s sold-out crowd at American Airlines Center expected a royal return, and that’s exactly what it received. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, who turned 46 Monday, showed no signs of age or wear as he presided over two electrifying hours of Funk, Blues and Rock 101.

A video of Alicia Keys’ spoken tribute to Prince at last spring’s Hall of Fame ceremony preceded his arrival; he rose from the center of the cross-shaped stage to deafening applause in a fringed, hot-pink suit, crisply coiffed and color-coordinated from head to toe. After he and the New Power Generation opened with – what else? – “Musicology,” his connection with the audience began with a single exclamation: “I’m baaack!”

His best-loved signature jams were fired off in rapid succession. Ribbons and confetti fell from above during “Let’s Go Crazy,” and the classics “When Doves Cry” and “Baby I’m a Star” spliced varying textures and tempos with individual band solos. While Prince didn’t employ the raunchy stage antics of the past – no guitar licking or shirt stripping – he pranced, preened and pirouetted throughout, bouncing the booty harder than Beyoncé during a “Crazy in Love” riff and promising to funk the house down: “I don’t care what you look like now, I’ma shake that do’ loose tonight!”

He and the New Power Generation dug deep in the crates for the vintage funk of “Let’s Work” and “Controversy.” “School’s in!” he told the guitar buffs in the house as even guitarist Mike Scott took notes during his blistering solo.

The evening’s tone grew bluesy toward the middle as Prince proclaimed “love and respect to Mr. Ray Charles,” who passed away the previous day. Keyboardist Renato Neto accompanied Maceo Parker’s poignant vocal rendering of Mr. Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind.” After the performance, Prince returned to center stage aglow in white, delivering folksy, acoustic versions of “Little Red Corvette,” “Cream” and “Raspberry Beret.” “Y’all got to sing,” he commanded to his subjects, who happily obliged. “Don’t lip-sync in here!”

After “Take Me With U,” he and the band exited, but after 10 full minutes of ear-bleedingly loud cheering, chanting and stomping, he returned in a royal-blue suit and a sea of vapor to perform “Beautiful Ones,” “Nothing Compares 2 U” and “Purple Rain,” his silky falsetto drowned out by the echoing croons from the audience.

When Professor Prince finally melted into the darkness, he left his students yearning, yet satisfied. School was out, and the living legend had taught them well.