Musicology Live 2004ever - Prince 2004

2004

Concert tour

I’m not supposed to be here. But here I am.

In what was Prince’s first arena tour of North America for ten years, Musicology Live2004ever Tour was bolstered by the unanticipated success of Prince’s album Musicology. Musicology Live2004ever Tour was likewise a considerable commercial success, selling 1.47 million tickets and grossed $87.4 million across its six month run comprising 90 shows. Copies of the CD was distributed to every attendee on entry. Performed in the round on an X shaped stage, Prince was wheeled to and from it sat hidden in a tall travel case. The band were located on three recessed platforms abutting the stage positioned in the apex of the cross; Blackwell on drums on one, with the keyboards Neto and Howard occupying one each. The fourth was an empty space for the techs and access to the area below stage. Prince made his entry on stage via a hydraulic trapdoor set into the apex’s floor, cloaked with dry ice and light. There was additionally a slip pole for Prince to exit down off stage in dramatic fashion.

Like the album, Musicology Love2004ever Tour was a celebration of musicianship and the heyday of R&B, soul and ‘old-school funk’. Its audiences were dubbed by Prince his True Funk Soldiers, and families were encouraged to attend. Each show began with a video of Alicia Keys inducting Prince into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame at New York’s Walforf-Astoria on 15 March 2004. Moments later, Prince makes his entry, opening the show with Musicology. Musicology Love2004ever Tour was a US only tour, save for two dates played at Toronto, Prince’s adopted home town since buying a home there to live with his second wife Manuella Testolini in October 2002. Indeed, Prince recorded much of the Musicology album at a studio in the city.

2004 became a momentous year for Prince and produced a wave of publicity, prompting the extension of Musicology 2004ever Tour from one to three legs. The tour opened in Reno on 27 March, although the official premiere was not until its next date, the 29th. The tour premiere was staged at the Staples Center, LA and was simultaneously broadcast by satellite on screens across the Regal Cinema chain in 32 US cities, advertised as “Per4ming his hits live 4 the last time” – a tease marketing all Prince’s tours post 1993.

There was much buzz about Prince at the time of Musicology 2004ever Tour, which opened two weeks after his induction into the Hall of Fame. Just prior to that, on 8 February, he was opening act for the 2004 Grammy Awards ceremony, partnering with Beyoncé to perform a medley of his hits. There were further TV appearances, starting on 12 February for the Tavis Smiley Show. Then the tour’s press conference at El Rey Theater, LA on 24 February saw Prince play a 45-minute preview of the tour. On the 26th, Prince played Jey Leno Show as the first tickets went on sale. The retail version of the album followed on 20 April. This coordinated activity was because 2004 was significantly the 20th anniversary of the release of Purple Rain and Prince was eager to reassert his musical legacy. These events, coinciding with Musicology 2004ever Tour and its ensuing success in the US are largely attributed to rejuvenating Prince’s late career. The concerts proved so successful, two whole legs were added to meet demand and continued through to September. Raking in $90 million, Musicology 2004ever Tour was the highest grossing tour of 2004 and made Prince the highest earning musician of the year, outperforming Madonna ($54.9 million) and Metallica ($43 million). The tour also received Billboard’s Top Draw Award, and Pollstar’s Concert Industry Awards for Best Stage Production and Major Tour Of The Year.

The backing band the NPG remained unaltered from 2002’s One Nite Alone… Tour, albeit augmenting the line up with two additional members: Mike Scott, returning to the NPG on guitar following his long absence from the band since last appearing with Prince on 1997’s Jam of the Year Tour; and Chance Howard accompanying Renato Neto on keyboards. Sax legend Maceo Parker rejoined the touring lineup from 22 April 2004 onwards. Maintaining the focus on musicianship, the format incorporated a bluesy solo acoustic set which Prince played several choice hits on a purple Taylor 612 CE guitar. The acoustic set was usually played as the first encore – a microphone fixed to Prince’s seat to allowed him to turn and face the audience on every side. The stripped down acoustic set proved so well received, it gave Prince the inspiration to develop the concept further with his Piano & A Microphone Tour of 2016. After the acoustic set, the band returned to the stage to close out the show with Purple Rain, Prince playing solo on his purple symbol guitar. The light rigging unfurled purple streamers for Purple Rain, and lowered a ring of pearls for Insatiable. The band were each given solos to showcase the artistry of live music. Select audience members were pulled up onstage to dance during a funky Life O’ The Party. The full concert averaged 140-minutes in length. In a shift from his previous One Nite Alone… Tour in which avoided performing Prince’s main hits and drew on the rarer quarters of his catalogue, only few songs from his latest album were performed as Musicology 2004ever Tour focussed on the greatest hits and setlists were more restricted in variation. This contributed greatly to the success of Prince’s 2004 tour and would influence his subsequent concert residency at Las Vegas and London throughout 2006 and 2007. Like One Nite Alone Tour, NPG Music Club members enjoyed pre-sale tickets, with the general sale following usually two days later. Tickets were reasonably priced and ranged between $50 and $80.

On 20 April, Prince played a 40-minute concert at Webster Hall in New York, which was filmed for an MTV special titled The Art Of Musicology, and aired also on BET on 28 April. Tragically, the concerts planned for 28, 29, 30 June 2004 were rescheduled to July owing to the accidental death of drummer John Blackwell’s two-year-old daughter Jia having drowned in the family’s home swimming pool. Musicology 2004ever Tour Prince’s biggest tour since becoming an independent artist, in all, 90 concerts were performed. All dates sold out.