Let's Go Crazy. The Best of Prince. Shows, Clips, Stories, Concerts, Everything. Enjoy.

There have been a ton of great postings about Prince since his untimely and tragic death two weeks ago. Ricki and myself chimed in with a couple thoughts ourselves, but here is a shortcut guide to some of the best of the rest. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did putting it together. R.I.P. Prince.

Now.... Let's Go Crazy - Colin G

Prince was so amazing, I proposed that he just be given the Super Bowl halftime show as a regular gig. In fact, I suggested the whole event be renamed "Prince's Annual TV Blowout with Special Guest Football Game." 

Super Bowl halftime shows are almost always worthless. A few pop stars who capture the current pop-music mood lip sync their hits, and two days later we barely remember the game, let alone the uninspired halftime show. But not the Super Bowl XLI halftime show, in 2007.

And then there is this too..

Prince - Baby I'm A Star (live, 1984) Rest in Peace, Prince!

fair use for ... well ... just to know how spaced out people work ... and a good laugh for the masses.

 

Bob Mould's eulogy for Prince

The Day Prince's Guitar Wept the Loudest - New York Times

Ok, the previous story was behind the scenes of Prince's famous solo during the George Harrison tribute at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Three things before we post the clip. 

1) Without the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this moment never happens. So pipe down rock hall haters.

2) Before Youtube, the ONLY place you could see this was at the actual Rock and Roll Museum. I know because they had this continuous loop of induction ceremony highlights playing and suddenly this clip popped up. I was flabbergasted by it's greatness. I gathered everybody up and said, "You HAVE to check out this clip of Prince playing While My Guitar Gently Weeps." We waited patiently the 30 minutes or so for the clip to come up again and it was better than the first time I saw it. We waited the loop one more time to see it again. 

3) Even before Prince passed away, if you googled "World's Best Guitar Solo," this is what would come up first.

4) Hell, let's make it an even four. The red hat looks bad ass with that Telecaster.

Prince, Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne and others perform "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at the 2004 Hall of Fame Inductions. http://rockhall.com/ ⁍ Buy "While My Guitar Gently Weeps": https://goo.gl/8sEuNp ⁍ Buy the Rock Hall of Fame Vinyl: http://goo.gl/fVR2Go ⁍ Buy the Rock Hall of Fame 3 DVD set: http://goo.gl/W7mKXa Visit us!

FULL SHOW from First Avenue 1983.

Perhaps the most significant time capsule of all live shows, the legendary August 3, 1983 benefit gig at First Avenue was the first time anybody on the planet would hear several soon to be career defining staples all at once.

 

Prince covering "Creep" at Coachella.

Featured in Time Magazine: http://time.com/4140876/prince-radioh..., The Verge: http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/8/9873886/prince-creep-radiohead-cover-coachella-youtube, Fuse.tv: http://www.fuse.tv/2015/12/prince-rad..., Music.Mic: http://mic.com/articles/130011/you-ca..., Slate: http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2..., Entertainment Weekly: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/12/08/..., US Weekly: http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainme..., Esquire: http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/..., Billboard: http://www.billboard.com/articles/new..., and countless others. STATEMENT FROM RADIOHEAD: "Well, tell him to unblock it. It's our ... song."

 

We were recording at The Loft with Watershed in 2014 when Biggie said, "You guys have to take a break to check out Prince on SNL. I taped it." Needless to say, it was way beyond what normal people do. The point being, I remember exactly where I was when I watched this. Like 9/11, but groovier. I really liked the records he put out around this time.

Farewell to a great musician and artist who has left us too soon. Just one of his many great performances over the years. Instead of doing the usual two songs on SNL, Prince did a single 8 minute set. Enjoy. This is a TRIBUTE post.

This interview with Larry King is classic. "So when did you start referring to yourself as the artist formerly known as Prince?" "Uh, Larry, I don't refer to myself that way. Others do."

Prince appeared on a December 10, 1999 episode of CNN's Larry King Live and talked about his career, his new album and why he changed his name.

Eleven songs you didn't know were written by Prince.

FULL Concert Lovesexy Tour 88. Amazing. (Duh)

Tremendous concert back then. I visited the show in Dortmund, Sept. ,9th 1988, when it started to change my life forever. In heartful remembrance to PRINCE, who left us much too soon. .... enjoy it, friends. "until the end of time"! ##### due to blocking I had to cut out the PurpleRain sequence at aprox.

And last but not least, the artist kills it on the Muppet Show

Uploaded by VampyreBarbieDoll on 2016-04-21.

I Cried So Hard Listening To Bruce Pay Tribute to Prince, I Had to Pull Over - by Colin Gawel.

Editor's note: The following was something I wrote after the passing of Prince. I decided not to publish as it's pretty obvious nobody needs to hear my thoughts on the subject. In fact, I was going to delete it until Ricki C. talked me into posting it. So here you go. For the official Pencilstorm prose on Prince, click here to read Ricki C's excellent story. - Colin Gawel

 

I'm not qualified to write about the passing of Prince and I'm not going to spend much time doing it here. Of course, I was a fan. Everybody was a fan. But I am no Prince aficionado. I knew the hits and followed along the best I could through the years. An occasional Prince bender to get caught up on all that I had missed. I was lucky enough to see him perform live one time. Needless to say, it was jaw-dropping. Whenever Watershed played Minneapolis, we would stop by Prince's store and look through the windows. The way you stop in front of Graceland to take a look. Or stare at the full moon on a clear night. 

But, back in the mid 80's, I wore big, clunky blue radio headphones on my paper route and was bombarded with cuts from Purple Rain and Born in the USA on a daily basis. PRINCE and BRUCE were the soundtrack to the Reagan era before I even knew what that was. I suppose Madonna would be the other big name, but as a boy heading into puberty, you might say I was watching her more than listening.

To hear that Prince had passed, it was a body blow. Way more intense than the passing of any other musician of my lifetime to this date. And I like I said, I don't even consider myself a truly hardcore fan. But driving home from the coffee shop today listening to BRUCE pay tribute to PRINCE, the tears started flowing. CEO's and politicians come and go, but they are always replaced. When Prince goes, we do not get to vote on a new Prince. Nobody gets promoted, it's just empty space. 

Ok, this probably doesn't make much sense. But neither does the passing of Prince. I suppose my strong reaction is because If Prince can go, anybody can go. Enjoy today. Put on some big blue headphones and crank up some tunes. Life is short. Clicking post.........now. - CG

Uploaded by Stan Goldstein on 2016-04-24.

Need a Laugh This Weekend? Check Out the Studio 35 Comedy Film Festival

by Pencilstorm Contributor Wal Ozello

Looking for a laugh this weekend? I mean a huge, belly-laugh all weekend long? With lots of beer?  Look no further than the Studio 35 Cinema Comedy Film Festival starting Friday night at 8pm. It will be hysterical. We sat down with Festival Director, Tim Baldwin, to get the 411.

Pencilstorm: Why a comedy film festival? Why Columbus?

Tim: Well, I've been wanting to do a film festival for a while, and talking with Eric Brembeck, the owner of Studio 35, we decided to finally pull the trigger on one last year.  We went around and around with a genre, but realized that comedy works best at the theater, especially when drinking beer.  So... comedy!  Seemed like the perfect fit.

Pencilstorm: Why should I go? Is it going to make me laugh? Is there a clown? Will you amuse me?

Tim: You should go for many reasons - features and shorts from around the world that you won't see anywhere else.  On a big screen, with an audience, drinking great draft beer from our 40-tap draft line.  It will make you laugh.  Some might just make you smile (not everyone loves decapitated heads talking to each other, I did), but it's a great time.  It's also a way to support a local business, a local community.

Pencilstorm: Tell me about Studio 35. How is this venue the perfect place for a comedy film festival?

Tim: It's perfect because its a big screen, cold drinks, and good people. 

Pencilstorm: This is an International Film Festival… where did you get some of your submissions from?

Tim: We received shorts and features from Canada, England, Russia, Romania, Hungary, and my favorite film (opening night movie) is from Peru.  My favorite short was from England.  And of course, America. 

Dates… times… when should I be there?

Friday Night - April 29th
6pm Opening Night Party starts, $10 gets you the movie (my favorite movie "Just Like in the Movies" from Peru), soft drinks, and amazing food sponsored by LaTavola.  Also gets you a 10:30pm performance by the amazing #Hashtag Improv Comedy Group. 

Saturday- April 30th
4:30pm Shorts Program #1, 7pm Ohio Filmmakers Shorts Program,  9pm The feature "Dumbbells" from the USA and 11:30pm Late Night Comedy Classic SPACEBALLS, sponsored by Harpoon Brewery$5 gets you all day.

Sunday - May 1st
4pm   Feature "Billion Star Hotel" from Romania, 6pm Shorts Program #2, and 8:15 Closing night Feature "Non-Stop to Comic Con", featuring Columbus native Adam Young, who will be attendance and will do a Q&A afterwards.  Hopefully!  $5 all day.

Pencilstorm: Can we see a preview of the show?

Tim: Watch this:

Prince (in very few words) - by Ricki C.

I was born in 1952, making me chronologically OLDER than rock & roll itself.  Further, I have now lived through five complete decades of rock & roll and two partial decades.  The 1980's were - by far - the WORST decade of music I spent ten years in.  In fact, if I really had to break it down, Prince might have been the ONLY truly POPULAR artist of the 1980's I really liked.  (And I'm talking widespread, mass, man-on-the-street popularity here, not The Replacements or REM popular.)  Michael Jackson?  Don't make me fucking laugh, Prince portrayed more rock & roll heart and talent in any ONE of his guitar solos than Jackson did in his entire career.  

So when I was driving home today from the cancer clinic where my sister gets her chemotherapy treatments and CD102.5 was playing "The Cross," my first thought was, "Wow, this is a weird programming choice, even for No Repeat Thursday."  And when the DJ came on and said Prince was dead at 57 I just thought, "Jesus, that can't be right."  I can deal with Bowie and Glenn Frey and Buffin from Mott The Hoople being gone, they were all older than me.  But Prince was only 57 and - to paraphrase an old Rolling Stones bootleg - "Live'r than I'll ever be."

Prince was brilliant.  He was a born performer, played KILLER guitar, and wrote so many great songs he could just farm them out to other acts (The Time, Vanity 6, Sinead O'Connor, Sheila E, The Bangles, etc.) when he got tired of scaling the charts himself.  (And let's face facts, if Prince never did anything cooler than making it with Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles, he'd STILL be one of my Top 5 Rock & Roll Heroes.)

I don't know what he died of, I really don't care, I just know my world is a little quieter, and a lot less rock & roll than it was yesterday.  - Ricki C. / April 21st, 2016

 

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band paying tribute to Prince, 4/23/2016 

 

 

Record Store Day 2016 Wrap-Up - by Scott Carr

Record Store Day 2016 is officially in the books. Saturday April 16 was one of the biggest shopping days for the record buying community and vinyl fans were out in full force. On a normal Saturday when you walk into a local indie record shop you will find people calmly milling around digging through bins of records looking for a lost gem and discussing why Pink Floyd's records with Syd Barrett are the only ones that matter. The scene is a little different on Record Store Day. On RSD shops open bright and early and typically have a long line of customers waiting in line to come in and snatch up exclusive limited edition albums released specifically for the event. Some people wait in line all night long. Once the doors open there is a constant stream of people coming through the door all day long. Most shops add additional staff for the day and offer extended hours to handle the additional business.

By all accounts this years RSD was the most successful yet. Local shops reported having huge lines all day long and record sales. 

So, you are probably wondering what all the fuss is about surrounding RSD exclusive releases. I have compiled a list of titles that came out on RSD that I think are some of the best. Keep in mind there were probably around 400 releases that were released on RSD and these are just a few that I think are among the best.....

Cheap Trick - At Budokan - The Complete Concert.

Finally available on vinyl for the first time! Cheap Trick's classic Budokan concert in its entirety. This is a release that I have been hoping would happen for awhile now. I actually told someone a few years back that this would be a perfect RSD release and here it is. The Record Store Day Gods were listening, now maybe we will see an official release of the Wicked Lester demos. If you love the original At Budokan, this one is twice as good.

Note - Cheap Trick also released a limited edition 10" record for Record Store Day this year called Found New Parts which is sort of a sequel to their 1980 Found All The Parts. The new ep features songs from the band's latest record Bang Zoom Crazy...Hello along with one exclusive track called "Arabesque." Not as exciting as the Budokan release or even 1980's Found All The Parts, but a must for Cheap Trick fanatics..

Fleetwood Mac - The Alternate Tusk

Just as the title implies, this release is an alternate version of the entire Tusk album from Fleetwood Mac. Previously only available as part of the deluxe box set of Tusk, this is the first stand-alone vinyl version of the alternate version of the album. Of all the Buckingham/Nicks era Fleetwood Mac albums Tusk is without a doubt my favorite and is often considered their masterpiece. 

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - Kiss My Amps Vol. 2

RSD exclusive release featuring deep cuts, hits, and handpicked covers from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. Recorded during their 2013 tour and sounds as good as ever. This release is a follow-up to Petty's 2011 RSD Black Friday release Kiss My Amps Vol. 1 that was recorded during The Heartbreakers 2010 Mojo tour. 

Note - Record Store Day also saw a release from Petty's band Mudcrutch. A limited edition single featuring two songs from a new Mudcrutch album that will be released later in the year. 

Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers - Vive La Revolution: Live Paris 1977 At The Bataclan

Tom Petty's Heartbreakers weren't the only ones with a limited edition release for Record Store Day. Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers see the first official release on vinyl of show that was recorded at the last date of their 1977 European tour. The show was to be the soundtrack of a film but the film never got produced. Terry Chimes of The Clash fills in on drums as drummer Jerry Nolan had left The Heartbreakers prior to this show. 

(editor's note: The 1970's were definitely the last decade that you could have TWO major bands in the same genre of music with the same name and the situation got settled without lawsuits.  You've gotta kinda love that fact.)

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Sinner

Joan's 2006 Bob Rock-produced album Sinner released on vinyl for the very first time. Limited edition clear vinyl with a download card featuring bonus material. Most of the songs on this record originally appeared on Joan's Japan-only release Naked in 2004, but many are different mixes. Joan delivers some of her strongest original material in some time and Sinner also features excellent covers of Sweet's "AC/DC" and The Replacements "Androgynous." Joan has done several Record Store Day releases in the past and Sinner is one of her best.

Those are just a few of the official RSD releases that caught my eye this year. It's also worth noting that local Columbus artists were well represented with their own RSD releases, including two new singles on the Lost Weekend Records label from The Electric Hand and Mr. Tiger, and Pat Dull's Break Up Records released their third installment of the Columbus Blood compilation series featuring exclusive tracks from some of the best bands in the city.  There was also a new single from The Girls. 

Lydia Loveless also made an appearance on a new RSD release. The 12" single for a song called One Voice brings Lydia together with Norah Jones, Aimee Mann, Suzanna Hoffs, Neko Case and Brian May. The song is from an animal welfare documentary called A Dog Named Gucci. Yes, you read that correctly: Lydia Loveless is on a record with Brian May from Queen. That's pretty cool.

Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH  bands Radio Tramps andReturning April.  Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.

Chris goes through many of this year's Record Store Day exclusives.

Provided to YouTube by Sony Music Entertainment Come On, Come On (Live At Budokan: The Complete Concert) · Cheap Trick / 廉價把戲合唱團 BUDOKAN! (30th Anniversary) ℗ 1978 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment Released on: 2008-11-11 Associated Performer, Producer: Cheap Trick / 廉價把戲合唱團 Guitar: Rick Nielsen Composer, Lyricist: R.

Tusk is the 12th album by the British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Released in 1979, it is considered experimental, primarily due to Lindsey Buckingham's sparser songwriting arrangements and the influence of punk rock and New Wave on his production techniques.

Official video for Androgynous. by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts http://www.joanjett.com http://www.facebook.comjoanjettandtheblackhearts https://twitter.com/joanjett Buy on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/joan-jett-the-blackhearts/id916203

Baver Answers Colin's Spring Football Questions

Colin: I cannot remember a season with so many starters leaving at the same time. Is it just me or is this exodus unprecedented? 

Baver: It’s absurd: OSU’s 9 guys leaving early just missed LSU’s record of 10. I remember when it first dawned on me last summer that Ohio St was going to lose a ton of guys early; I was thinking, “This could be crazy….maybe as many as 5 or 6 guys.”  LOLOSU’s 6 returning starters are the fewest in the nation for 2016; no, can’t remember the Bucks ever having that few.

Colin: Along those same lines, the schedule for 2016 includes road games at Oklahoma, Wisconsin (night), Penn State (night) and MSU. Once again, is it just me or is that our toughest road slate in recent memory? 

Baver: It can’t get much tougher. And will the Oklahoma game be at night? The Wisky & State Penn games are back-to-back; gonna be tough traveling to Happy Valley after playing a physical team like Wisconsin. And Sparty is again the week prior to scUM which didn’t work out so well last year.

Colin: Playing at Oklahoma so early in the season is a HUGE test for a group this young. Which position groups are you most concerned with heading into this game?

Baver: For that game? #1 concern: WR; #2: OL; #3: LB. Austin Mack and Torrance Gibson will eventually be studs, but I don’t think any wide-out will be in the groove that early in the season. O-line? 3 new starters that may or may not be able to do the job. LB? When Dante Booker replaced an injured Josh Perry last yr against State Penn, Saquon Barkley ran wild. Booker should be solid at some point, but I’m taking a wait and see approach at that Will LB spot. But, Urban has said Worley has really come on (replacing Lee) at the walk-out spot.

Colin: Which positions do you feel will be ready for that challenge so early in the season?

Baver: #1: QB (if that counts), #2: D-line, #3 ??? It’s so early, OSU is so young, and the Sooners are so good….I don’t think many of the units are truly going to being ready for OU. Thank God for Urban, as you know he will have the guys as motivated as humanly possible for the Sooners. Obviously JT is going to be ready, and I don’t think there is as much of a downgrade at D-line (from ’15) as most think. There is still plenty of experience and depth there.

Colin: When Virginia Tech beat us in 2014, the wide receiver's inexperience and inability to beat one on one coverage was a big reason why. Who do you see stepping up to make sure this doesn't happen again?

Baver: Mack is as advanced as they come for an incoming frosh. He will be a starter right out of the chute and “maybe” he and JT are in sync enough at that point to challenge Oklahoma’s D vertically. With Corey Smith and Noah Brown having caught few passes in their careers and both missing 2015 with injuries, I don’t have a lot of confidence there….at least against OU. Word on the street is that Mack is light years ahead of Gibson as a pure receiver. So, other than catching the Sooners napping with his ridiculous speed, I don’t think Gibson plays a huge role against Oklahoma. Hope I’m wrong….maybe the light bulb goes on for him in August.

Colin: Do you feel like they have got the offense play-calling situation hammered out and are we going to miss Chris Ash?

Baver: With the play calling? Yeah….maybe not Tom Herman level, but A LOT better than what we saw prior to the Michigan game last season. Ash? Yes and no. He was a great DC, but hard to see a downgrade with Greg Schiano now calling the shots on D.

Colin: How badly are we going to miss Zeke?

Baver: A lot early on, but Mike Weber will eventually be an All-Big Ten back. Love his bowling ball style.

Colin: If we didn't have J.T. , would this be a 6 loss team?

Baver: Nah….Urban wouldn’t let that happen. And I am buying the Joe Burrow hype. Loved what I read about him when OSU was recruiting him….loved what I saw on TV in the HS playoffs….loved what I saw in the spring game….and loved his demeanor in the post-game press conference. The kid “gets it.”

Colin: At this point, what is your best guess on W-L for the 2016 Ohio State Buckeyes?

Baver: 10-2. Right now, I see a loss in Norman, and 3-1 against the group of Wisky, PSU, Sparty and scUM. I do think Ohio St will be very tough for anyone to beat come November and thereafter.