It all started out with an after dinner get to know you question, "Living or dead, who would you want to play a concert for you at your birthday?" A few days later we are buying tickets to visit Paisley Park.
Flashback time: Dig if you will the picture... it's 1984. A shy and socially awkward 11 year old at summer camp - YMCA horsemanship summer camp to be precise - gets handed this cassette tape:
Of course we all took turns listening to it over and over on our walkmans and dancing along to "I Would Die 4 U" in our cabin after lights (were supposed to be) out.
This was my official introduction to Prince. Of course I had heard Little Red Corvette and 1999 on the radio, but listening to Purple Rain that summer solidified my love for his music and sparked an on-going love for his work and talent.
Even though I grew up in North Dakota and had made many trips to Minneapolis, MN, and even though he was literally performing on a regular basis just 4ish hours away from me, I never took the time to go see Prince play in concert. It was always one of those "Maybe next time..." deals and then there was no more "next time". Boy do I wish I had!
Flash forward to summer 2022: Dig if you will the picture... several of us sitting around visiting after the inaugural ceremony for our doctoral program and the question (above) was asked... and a common thread (a love for Prince) was discovered between many of us in the doctoral program. And then, we found out Paisley Park was only a 50 minute drive from where we were staying... plans were made and tickets were purchased! (My only regret - not getting the VIP 3 hour tour!)
The tour took us through his downstairs living quarters including an office, one of his recording studios, and his dining area where he loved to watch basketball games. Two of the rooms that left a huge impression on me were temporary installations. One was an art gallery of previously unreleased pictures of Prince and the other was an impressive display of his collection of custom made shoes. We were not allowed to take pictures during this part of the tour.
The final room of the tour was set up as a concert or club venue. The stage was arranged to match a performance and a huge screen in the background played videos from a few of his concerts including the Super Bowl halftime Purple Rain performance and a snippet from his last ever performance. It was a profound experience that I will never forget and the closest experience I will ever have to actually see him playing a concert.
This was a truly unforgettable experience and I can't wait until I can go back again next summer!
“To create something from nothing is one of the greatest feelings, and I would—I don’t know, I wish it upon everybody. It’s heaven.” ~ Prince