Prince & The New Power Generation took over the 20th Anniversary of the Essence Music Festival and it was EPIC!
Check out the details below.
Prince announced to the crowd wearing PURPLE,
“We are gathered here today to get through this thing called life!”
He opened his set to launch the celebration for the Essence Festival and it’s twenth year of existence. This is the first time Prince has performed for the festival in ten years. The crowd was electric and everybody was ready to see his royal highness perform.
Prince is known for not playing his older music in concert sets; but he dropped that requirement and took us back down memory lane from the introduction of “Let’s Go Crazy,” to the final rifts of “Purple Rain”. The night was truly magical.
Prince made a special cameo appearance during Janelle Monae’s rendition of “Let’s Go Crazy” earlier in the concert series.
Prince closed the festival’s main stage with a litany of his hits, including “Kiss,” ”Raspberry Beret,” ”When Doves Cry,” ”Controversy,” ”1999,” and a slowed-down version of “Little Red Corvette” and “Nothing Compares to You.”
Ten years ago, Prince headlined the 10th anniversary for the Essence Music Festival, reuniting with Morris Day and The Time, guitarist Wendy Melvoin and former protegé Sheila E. The high-energy show ended with an emotional performance of Prince’s mega hit “Purple Rain.” In 2014, he again ended his show with “Purple Rain,” to the delight of the crowd.
Singer Lianne Le Halvas joined him in a duet on “Sometimes It Snows in April,” before New Orleans’ own Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews contributed a soaring solo. Andrews jammed the final portion of the show, which included covers of “The Bird” and “Jungle Love,” made famous by Prince associates, Morris Day and The Time and Shelia E’s “Glamorous Life.”
He left the stage, telling the crowd, “Good night, New Orleans.” For at least two minutes, the stage stayed dark before the familiar strains of his signature song, “Purple Rain,” wafted through the air and his silhouette returned. Prince announced,
“Thirty years ago today this was the sound, You can sing if you want to.”
And the crowd graciously complied!
Earlier in her set, Janelle Monae danced and strutted across the stage, working up a sweat as she entertained the crowd with her songs, “Primetime” and “Electric Lady.”
When guitarist Nile Rodgers took the stage, Monae joined him for a performance of “We Are Family,” led by Kathy Sledge, who with her sisters “Sister Sledge” made the song famous.
Chic ran through their top hits, “Everybody Dance,” ”I Want Your Love,” and “Le Freak.” Prince also joined his set, playing guitar on their song, “Dance, Dance, Dance.”
The band’s last song was “Good Times” and Rodgers invited members of the audience to join them on stage to dance along for an old school dance party.
The NIGHT WAS PURE MAGIC! Thanks Essence Festival for a good good time!
Check out the photos below.
PHOTOS: NPG Records
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