Publication: Cleveland Scene [US]
Date: May 17, 1997
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Title: "THE ARTIST,CSU Convocation Center"
Reviewed By: Pete Chakerian

The more things change,the more they stay the same.The last time Prince Rogers Nelson sashayed to a Cleveland concert stage he was known as Prince,supporting the quintessential album PURPLE RAIN.That's right.The last time His Royal Badness rocked through town,it was for two blinding snowswept dates at the Richfield Coliseum on December 4 and 5 of 1984.Ronald Reagan was in offic,the seeds of Iran-Contra had been planted,the Cold War was undergoing a "global warming" of sorts and the Challenger explosion was still haunting people's thoughts.And through it all,Prince was the true King of Pop-heading up the Revolution with a potent blend of funk,rock,soul,jazz and R&B and a perpetually dirty mind.

These days,President Clinton is pushing for a cure to the AIDS epidemic,Bosnia is still a controversy,Big Blue is now a threat to the national security of Russia and the Hale-Bopp comet proved once and for all that some people are lost in space right here on Earth.These days,Nelson wants you to think that Prince is dead.Which is complete garbage.His name alternates from time to time,from that genre-bending hieroglyph and the Artist(Formerly Known As Prince).But whatever the man chooses to be called,he is a creative genius;one of the most influential American musicians of the rock era.Bar none.His John Hancock will grace the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and his artistic watermarks will far outlast their respective chart positions.You can bet on it.

Don't believe me?Ask the other 5,000 people in the diverse audience who sold out the CSU Convocation Center "theater" and witnessed the funky Lilliputian's EMANCIPATION in just under 48 hours.This surprise Cleveland gig was but a part of the Artist's three-week "Love 4 One Another Tour," which is raising funds for his children's charity fund. The expectations ran high Saturday night.Stalwart fans waited hours in line through a less-than-ideal lottery/ticket situation,waiting to hear that chameleon from Minneapolis tear the roof off with an explosive,140-minute set.

In accord with the liberating themes of his latest 3-CD set,EMANCIPATION,the Artist presented a fluid,free-flowing performance-one which relied heavily on morphing improvisations and fresh regroovings of select classics.He made a grand entrance from behind his golden-glyphed stage backdrop,preening and swaggering giddily with scepter in hand and craving adulation.The Artist got it,declaring"It's been a while!" near the beginning of the silky"Jam Of The Year."Before the crowd knew what hit them,the Artist had pulled his five-piece band into "Talkin Loud And Saying Nothin',"a sizzling instrumental jam.Running to each side of the stage,he captivated every single fan in the house,encouraging audience participation at every turn.Decked out in gold shades and a key lime green outfit(later replaced with royal purple pajamas),the Artist welcomed the crowd with his patented evil grin,picked up one of his many glyph guitars and launched into a truncated rendition of "Purple Rain"-to which the crowd absolutely wailed. He nearly replicated the Hendrix-like guitar cascades of the 1984 smash,scatsinging with every lick.With help of knuckling bassist Rhonda Smith and drummer Kirk Johnson,"Purple Rain" melted every heart in the house.Guitarists Mike Scott and Kat Dyson helped deliver similarly moving renditions of other classics"17 Days," a medley of "Take Me With U"and "Raspberry Beret,""How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore,""If I Was Your Girlfriend"and a "Scandalous" medley based on "Do Me,Baby."

While his ensemble was full of taut(though mostly anonymous)players,the Artist had enough personality for everyone.He funked it up like George,played bass like Bootsy and jumped up onto his purple piano emblazoned with the word"Beautiful" on the side-entwining saucy choreography,James Brown splits and risque pelvic thrusts together in a funky fertility dance. Relaxed and spontaneous,his delivery of sermons-"The Cross,"the blistering"Face Down" and a cool cover of Joan Osborne's "One Of Us"-engaged the crowd with visions of religious redemption and sexual salvation.

And the Artist made damn sure that every man in the audience knew not to take their lover for granted,via his commentary through THE GOLD EXPERIENCE's "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World,"hte rap-heavy knockout,"Sexy MF" and the set-closer,"Mr.Happy.""Treat your woman rightor they will go elsewhere," he advised.When the houselights came up during a call-and-response rendition of "I Feel Alright," the Artist realized that no one was going anywhere.He then invited some fans up on stage to share in his energy with a dance.Kinder and gentler,maybe.But today's 38-year-old Prince is still rock's ultimate egomaniac and consummate showman.A rose by any other name,indeed.To quote Mike Constantine,one of five lucky Clevelanders plucked from the crowd for the grand finale,"I can die now, man."