Gazette’s 1997 review: Prince pranced for Cedar Rapids

Going at the time by the moniker of The Artist Formerly Known as Prince, the musician performed in Cedar Rapids in December 1997. Diana Nollen, then a freelancer and now a staff writer for The Gazette, filed this review of that performance:

By Diana Nollen

CEDAR RAPIDS - If you're a Prince fan and didn't go 2 The Concert at the Five Seasons Center on Saturday night, kick yourself. Real hard.

Forget the hype, forget the quirkiness - the genius who is The Artist Formerly Known as Prince reigned supreme as he rained his purple passion over the 6,232 subjects in attendance.

Billed as the 'Jam of the Year,” this sounds as if it could have been a self-indulgent, narcissistic evening for The Artist, who keeps reinventing himself, his name and his sound. Instead, it was vintage Prince at his sensuous, sophisticated best.

The classy staging featured his name/symbol in gold on the back curtain, as well as one suspended over the arena floor as a light grid, with black and gold orbs on either side of the stage and white art deco palm trees behind the band.

As masterful as he is at music, he's equally adept at playing the audience. His energy apparently knows no bounds, as he struts, slithers, slinks and teases mercilessly through more than two hours of his greatest hits, and a couple of new cuts tossed into the mix.

He's just a power-packed dynamo.

And that voice. So rich in seductive baritones when he speaks, and so spine-tingling when he soars through his trademark falsetto.

He plays the guitar and grand piano with equal aplomb. In 'Purple Rain,” one of his most significant career-making hits, he coaxed sounds out of his guitar I didn't know existed. Set against a star curtain and bathed in a purple wash of light, fog swirled around his feet to create a mood of melancholy elegance.

The wash switched to red, and he was off and running through two other early hits, 'Little Red Corvette” and 'I Would Die 4 U.”

He graciously included plenty of jam time for each member of his band, The New Power Generation, as well as showcasing his own tremendous instrumental improvisational talent. With a gospel flair, they launched three encore sets with covers of oldies 'I'll Take You There” and 'The Way You Do The Things You Do.” Three overwhelmed female fans got into the action, too, being invited onstage to 'get funky” and dance for the crowd.

The entire show opened on a funky beat, with the stylistics of Larry Graham and Graham Central Station. The flashy bassist of ‘70s superstars Sly and the Family Stone now fronts a terrific ensemble of Rock ‘n' Roll Hall of Fame instrumentalists. They play that slick, finely-tuned good-time music, including Sly hits 'Everyday People” and 'Family Affair.”

The party at the Five wrapped up with The Artist's signature tune, '1999,” before moving to his 'after party.” He stages one in each tour town to raise money for his Love 4 One Another charity, aimed at building a school, clinic and day-care center in Minneapolis.

The Artist came into Confetti's, 4810 First Ave. NE, around 1:30 a.m., sat atop the indoor double-decker bus with his stylish entourage and waved to fans. Taking home all the proceeds from a $15 cover, The Artist raised $6,700 there, Confetti's owner Jim Carroll said.