Prince @ Butter, NYC 6/17/06
Stereogum reader (and good friend) Colleen joined less than two hundred members of the New Power Generation Fan Club to see the artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince in the wee hours of Saturday morning. The gig was at Butter, a super-chic restaurant in downtown Manhattan. Which means Paris Hilton was there. Security was tight on pics, but here’s a recap of the lucid email Col sent in when she got home (at five in the morning).
People flew from around the world to hear just three songs at the Purple One’s Good Morning America taping at Bryant Park earlier that day. But the so-called "after party" was a marathon. "They started at 1:20 AM, took one break, and ended at 4. I honestly thought they were gonna play all night. I wish they did!" said Col.
Prince is pushing 3121, so he’s into charging dollar amounts rearranging those numbers. If you managed some Internet tickets, you were paying $121.03. If you just showed up to Butter, you got by at $312.10. Cash. “Worth every penny, and the plane trip,” said Hiro, Japan's #1 Prince fan.
Joining the NPG Club members were some fancy faces: Paris Hilton ("she came skipping in, literally; I almost puked, and people wanted to boo") Jay-Z ("not as ugly in person; arrived in a Maybach"), Beyonce ("she looked good!"), Nas, Kelis and P. Diddy ("he ordered a bottle of Courvoisier for a bevy of models across the restaurant, looking like a pimp in his big sunglasses").
A bit more from Colleen:
Jay Z and Beyonce left right before end of the first set, at which point ?uestlove was only with a couple of people in his booth. So I asked him if I could sit there. And he said yes! So I watched the end of the first set and all of second sitting next to him (and right where Beyonce was sitting - the seat was still warm - ewww). Even sitting here, you could only see his head up. But it was unbelievable.Oh and when he sang "Satisfied," I think nearly every woman came as close as possible to having an orgasm without being touched. I know that sounds crude, but I swear to god, there was some swooning and fanning oneself for that song.
Note to self: learn how to sing "Satisfied."
The show ended with ?uestlove on drums and Prince inviting the crowd on the "stage" to do 80’s dances. "So the whole stage and the whole audience started doing the snake, and the bird, and the crab – it was so much friggin fun. He is such the performer. I’ve never seen anything like it."
Setlist provided to Col by a Prince look-alike in the crowd ('cause if there's one guy getting the set list right, it's gonna be that guy).
SETLIST
Peach
Te Amo Corazon
4 Ever
Everyday(?)
The Ride
I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) [Aretha Franklin]
Love Changes
The Chain [Fleetwood Mac; new lyrics]
Come Together [Beatles]
When A Man Loves A Woman
Redheaded Woman
Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) [Sly and the Family Stone]
Play That Funky Music (White Boy)
Partyman
3121
Lolita
Satisfied
Black Sweat
Kiss
Joy In Repetition
If I Was Your Girlfriend
Jam (w/?uestlove; lots of 80’s dancing)
Posted at 2:39 PM in Concert
Tags: Beyoncé | Jay-Z | Prince
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"a super sheik restaurant" - so it was an Arabian restaurant? Or did you mean "chic" but had no idea of the origins of the word you were trying to use?
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omg so totally rad! that orgasm bit is so true -- he's ridiculously sexy. so glad to read this, so wish i was there. *sigh*
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Even with the correct word, i don't think i'd call Butter "super-chic." I mean, Puff Daddy hangs out there but it's not hard to get in. It's also not very good.
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i love ?uestlove.
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They probably didn't even plan the gig, he just showed up and all of the celebrities and all of his fans just migrated there on instinct like the Capistrano swallows and he started playing because he can do that because he's Prince and you aren't, be-otch. Did he make his guitar play itself again? What a pimp. He could make me orgasm just by singing. He's just that damn good.
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I can vouch for the skipping entrance, and her exlamation of "BUTTAAAAAA!" while she pranced in.. Paris Hilton really knows how to play the role of Paris Hilton to the hilt, it was sort of impressive. She looked much better in person (at least that night) than Lindsay Lohan, which I never would have expected.
The jam at the end was "Ecstasy" by Barry White, and also included "Be Happy" by Mary J Blige and "The Bird" by The Time..
"4 ever" was "Forever in My Life" from Sign of the Times
"Everyday" was Sly Stone's "Everyday People"
"Redheaded Woman" was Tamar's "Red-Headed Stepchild"
Also missing from that list is my favorite part of the show, their sick, sick, sick rendition of "Anotherloverholenyohead" The section where they did "the chain" and "come together" was also totally mind-blowing.
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Now that's some mp3s that we need right there. That "Anotherlover...." does sound fantastic!
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wow, now that would be a dream to attend. sigh
i miss colleen!
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When people like Diddy and Paris Hilton show up at something like this, the spectators have a moral obligation to bum rush them as soon as they step through the door. Yeah, I know they have security and stuff... but if everyone rushes at them together, they won't be stopped (take a cue from United 93).
And imagine if this is what happened EVERY time Paris or Diddy made a public appearance. If they *knew* that everytime they showed their face in public, they would be severely beaten, THEY WOULD STOP SHOWING UP PLACES SIMPLY FOR THE SAKE OF BEING SEEN THERE.
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SONOFABITCH.
i went to the bryant park show and the sound was shit. not worth the 9 hours i waited in line.
a bandmember told me before i left that the aftershow would be at butter but i didnt get an email from the npgfc until later that night.
those who scoff at the price have never been privvy an intimate prince show. worth it.
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that man can play the guitar. and he did make his guitar play itself - it was so cool.
i've never had more moments of pure joy at a gig before. it was a phenomenal experience. worth the price and more. and yes, it would be nice if men would learn how to sing "Satisfied" (or just put it on in the background, Prince will help you out) ;)
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Joey, are you suggesting to Slap them in Public? Good idea.
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luooz ugaruc
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luooz ugaruc
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luooz ugaruc
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