Allie Norton/Collegian
I was just departing from the concession stand line when Prince came on stage and opened with his 1980s hit single ‘1999.’ Frosty beer in one hand and greasy hot dog in the other, I did an excellent balancing act while running upstairs in my heels to get to my seat.
As somewhat of a wannabe Prince follower, unlike my concert partner, I couldn’t sing along or even pretend I knew the words to his songs, but damn, does that guy know how to put on a show.
It felt like a fairy tale, where he was the Prince and I was the princess and the Save Mart Center was our castle. Save for the nonexistent carriage ride waiting after the show, this was my Disney-tale moment. It put Kate Middleton and Prince William’s Royal Wedding to shame.
A little dramatic, I’ll admit, but makes sense in my book. There was one point during the concert where I looked over to see my roommate bawling her eyes out when Prince belted “I never meant to cause you any sorrow, I never meant to cause you any pain.”
I got a little sentimental also, but the water works just weren’t happening for me.
I think one of my favorite parts was when he asked the audience to grab their cell phones and call the special person in their life and to “tell them they’re at the greatest place in the world.”
I didn’t call anyone. As fate would have it, that special person in my life was standing right next to me.
I’m so romantic.
I always find one thing really tacky when it comes to concerts. I’ve only been to a couple but every one that I’ve been to the artist is guilty of it.
It’s that line when the artist yells the name of the city they’re in when I lose all the magic in my heart. It seems like a cop out to get the crowd going for an otherwise uneventful show.
I have this vision every time this happens.
The artist is on a vault about to get lifted on to the stage, completely in the zone and ready to put on this show. When the vault begins to move upwards the artist turns his or her head and asks, “Wait, what city am I in again?”
In my vision it’s ALWAYS Taylor Swift, and to me it makes me feel like the artist is a fake.
When I go to a concert I want to feel like I am in dream. I don’t want to be reminded that I’m stuck in Fresno.
Prince was definitely guilty of this–even putting the word “Fresno” in one of his songs. I let it slide because he played ‘Little Red Corvette,” and, for once, I knew the words to the song.
Had he not played that song, I would have written him off like he did ‘Erotic City.’
I still think it’s a shame.