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NeoSoul Review



 
New Power Soul (September 25, 1998)

by Paul ryneski


NEW YORK

My friends and I decided to meet at 8, the start time of the Newpower Soul concert, because concerts never start on time. This time, however, the concert started on time, or at least before I arrived at my seat at 8:20 pm. We just caught the tail end of Larry Graham, the New Power Generation, Candy Dulfer and Graham Central Station playing "You Can Make It If You Try", but arrived just in time for "Free" featuring Chaka Khan in a gigantic cape and Prince, carrying the cape behind her. She looked like Batwoman with her tight black outfit. Larry Graham, GCS, NPG, and Candy Dulfter all wore white Huggy-Bear style suits. During "Free", lasers projected an image above the stage of two wrists breaking out of chains, a la the Emancipation cover. Chaka energized the crowd whenever she broke out in soulful screaming and moaning. Chaka and Prince left the stage when the song ended. Before playing "Everday People," Larry referred to the last time he played MSG with Sly and the Family Stone. He followed that song with a mean bass solo and even came out into the audience to play. Larry & co. then broke into "The Jam," with Mayte coming out to fan him with a towel. Larry left the stage, but NPG keyboardist Morris Hayes called him out for one more song. Larry tried to get the crowd to raise the volume in the Garden for "I Want to Take You Higher." It wasn't a complete success, but he's come a long way in appeasing the Prince audience from the time he started opening up for Prince.

 

After a brief intermission, Chaka came out with her own band for her set. Prince gave her a very flattering intro from backstage. Her band was all dressed in black. She didn't have the giant cape on, but appeared to have some veils attached to her arms and back. Her set was as follows: "Once You Get Started," "I Feel For You" (joined by Prince), "You Got the Love," "Sweet Thing," and "Tell Me Something Good." Doug E Fresh came out to rap an intro to "Higher Love," which Chaka sang in a very reggae-ish style. She closed her set with "Spoon" and "I'm Every Woman." On the last song, two children joined her on stage and one of them even sang lead for a bit. Chaka did not explain who they were.

 

Morris Hayes was watching Chaka's set from the sound system in the middle of the Garden. Felicia Collins also watched the whole show from there. She's part of the CBS Orchestra on Late Show with David Letterman. She will be playing with her own band at LeBar Bat in NYC at the end of October. I asked Morris where the aftershow would be. He told me Trammps, but the announcer told the whole audience that too at the end of the show, so I decided not to try to get in, assuming Prince would be resting for the Atlantic City show.

 

A big symbol drape hid the stage during the intermission. The backdrop changed from a green cloudscape with a doorway to headstone with LOVE written on it (similar to Chaka's album cover) to a large light-brite symbol and a miniature lightbulb decorated black drape. The chinese dogs were also placed at the edge of the stage. Above the stage was a sign that read newpower soul festival 1998. Above that sign was a series of colorful triangular flags with words written on them from left to right: faith, goodness, peace, god, patience (can't read my own writing on this one), joy, kindness. Two giant images of Prince bookended the stage, on the right was the cover photo for newpower soul, and the left was a waist up picture of Prince in red, like on one of the t-shirts for sale.

 

After the intermission, it was time for the man who rocks the hardest. It started with a housebeat, a remix of "Come On." Doug E. Fresh came out after the drape went up and began Push It Up as laser lights spelled push it up and jam of the year above the stage. On the right side of the floor, Prince arose to join in "Push It Up." He descended after his rap and then appeared behind the stage and began "Jam of the Year," complete with Rosie Gaines's recorded growling vocals. He then launched into "Talkin' Loud and Saying Nothing," and introduced Candy Dulfter. Around this time, some woman started selling bootleg pictures to the audience. She was not an authorized seller or employee of MSG. An extended version of "Let's Work" was followed by "Delerious." Then inflated legs came down from the ceiling (legs like the ones on the back cover of Newpower Soul). Prince played rockabilly-style on piano during the rest of "Delerious" and did some miming just as he performed it on Vibe. The crowd finally came alive during "Purple Rain." The audience's singing finally reached an audible volume. He asked the crowd's permission to play his guitar before starting the extended solo. It was probably the longest version of "Purple Rain" that I had heard since the Purple Rain tour.

The lighting turned red for what else: "Little Red Corvette," complete with video choreography. He then led the crowd in "I Would Die 4 U," with instructions to point above to God, as he must have learned that people thought he was singing about himself when the song was originally released. He introduced Rhonda on bass and Kirk on drums, but no one else for the rest of the night. He then began mocking doubters, imitating them saying "He's not successful, he can't sell that place out." He even mentioned Elton John's recent comments and referred to him as a friend. Then expressing pain like a target of Ken Starr, he complained about lies and said let's talk about a man being dragged by a truck and kneepads in the Whtehouse. He introduced the next song as being from his most unsuccessful record. It was "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man." During the intro he said this is heaven on earth for me. The song closed with a Santana-like guitar solo as the laser lights showed his symbol guitar flying towards the viewer. Candy re-emerged playing a sax solo. Then Mayte came out dancing dressed in numerous veils to the intro of "The One." She continued to dance as Prince came back out to sing the song. In the meantime, he changed from white to red. He continued the vibe with "Do Me Baby" interspersed with "Scandalous" and "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore." He then did "If I Was Your Girlfriend," as he performed it on on Oprah.

 

He sat down at the piano and began "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" by himself. Only Morris joined in with organ. After a little of Beautiful Girl, he started "Adore," then "Diamonds and Pearls," then "The Beautiful Ones." He started playing "Darling Nikki," but walked away. The crowd was so loud it drove him back to try again. Again he walked away after a couple of measures. The crowd went wild and made him go back. He started singing it, but did not say masturbating or grind. And when the crowed finished that verse he stopped and said he was going to tell our mommas.

He went back to the piano to do "Nothing Compares 2 U." The whole NPG joined in. He closed the show with "Take Me With U" and "Raspberry Beret," just like it was performed on VH1, complete with "Mr. Happy" outro.

 

The crowd of course demanded more. Doug E. Fresh came out and told us how he explained to Prince that when he came to NYC, he had to do some ol' skool. Kirk had the sample box and began playing the instrumental of "Erotic City." Prince came out in black and said he wasn't doing that. Kirk then began "Pop Life." Prince gave in and sang to that music. Kirk then started "Sign o the Times." Doug began rapping "La-Di-Da-Di" over that music and did the beat box thing, followed by a face off with Candy. Kirk then played "I Wanna Be Your Lover," which Prince sang. Kirk started "Adore," but Prince didn't want to go there. The show ended with the band playing "Freaks on the Side" and "Come On." For "Come On," lots of people were invited onstage. Before Prince left, this one guy and Prince did a high five. Prince then put out his hand for another five and the guy slammed his fist against it. Prince acted as if his hand was hurt. I'd kill the guy if he actually did damage Prince's precious guitar and piano playing fingers. Then the guy kissed Prince, and Prince gave a look of mock horror.

 

When I left the show, I went to the souvineer stand where Prince's people were racking up the money. I bought a $15 dollar single of "2gether" featuring some remixes. The tambourines were sold out. T-shirts were expensive, except for Chaka's stuff, which were about half the price of Prince's stuff. I saw people buying KamaSutra, Crystall Ball, and Emancipation, sales that Soundscan probably won't tally. It may not have been a sell out concert, but it was a profitable night of neosoul and rock and roll.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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