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When I was wondering what to do for my birthday, a friend told me that Prince has a club at the Rio in Las Vegas, where he plays on Friday and Saturday nights. We kept checking in Feb, but the Purple One didn't let the Rio know if he was playing in March until March was already here. I sent a silent request to Prince in February that he please, please, PLEASE play there another month!

When K called in March, he found that Prince had extended his concert there another month, but the ticket prices had doubled to $250! Each! I guess I should have been more specific in my silent request...

Nevertheless, he booked the tickets and we had a spot to see a very expensive show in Las Vegas. The rooms were not cheap last weekend either, the only deal we got was on a rental car for $35 for all weekend, but that was a good deal. But we bit the bullet because, after all, we're not really going on vacation at all this year (other than visiting family in August). This was to celebrate BOTH our birthdays!

We arranged for the kids to be in various places overnight, but that morning I woke up early with the clear signs of a bladder infection. Bah! So before we could leave for Vegas, we spent the morning at the doctor, getting meds for my malfunction. Maybe they heard about my performance last time, when I started crying because the whole ordeal took so long, because the doc gave me a prescription and said he'd call about the lab results. Yay!

And so we were on our way! We made great time and got there in about 4 hours! We didn't leave until about 3 and got there around 7.

I didn't feel like eating much, so we just got ready and headed over to the Rio around 8:30 or 9 pm. They'd told K on the phone to dress up and "no jeans or t-shirts", so he was wearing a tie and a jacket. He looked wonderful. I curled my hair so that it was fabulously curly.

We found our way to the "Club" because we thought we should pick up our tickets, but when we got to the line a lady put a wristband on us, and told us Prince wouldn't be out until midnight!

So we walked across the casino and got a little something to eat and drink while we waited. We looked at gambling, but nothing caught my intrest. I looked at the roulette table for awhile, but I never like to see the green "house" slot come up, as it's not a very good sign.

Around 11 we got back in line, picked up our tickets, and made our way inside. While waiting in line, we noted that K and I were probably the ONLY people not wearing jeans. About shirts, we heard a girl working there tell someone "As long as it's a button-up." Clearly, K was the best-dressed man there. He looked fantastic!

The interior is a big circle, with two rows of booths with tables around the top. Those were the $500/each tickets that include a meal. The rest of us got to stand around in a smaller circle right underneath the stage. We got a pretty good spot near the right side (stage left?).

Once I went to the back to retrieve my boots, which I'd taken off because they HURT from so much standing, but seeing the bottles being dropped on the floor, decided I'd better brave. But making my way back was a bit difficult, as people didn't want to step aside for me to scoot by! Finally they looked at me and recognized that I had indeed been in front of them, but they weren't moving aside for just anyone!

There was a video playing around the sides of the interior, with dancing scenes from old movies combined with scenes from Under the Cherry Moon, and various Prince videos. The closer it got to showtime, the more Prince songs they played, along with other jams from the past. I figured that when they played the video for "When Doves Cry" that he wouldn't be playing that song.

There was quite a mix of people there - all ages (over 21!), lots of different ethnicities. Two tall lesbians were providing a good show for awhile, as they danced energeticly to the soundtrack and stared into each other's eyes. Another lady looked familiar, and now I think she must be New York's mother, from "I Love New York." She had taken her shoes off and was taking up a lot of room.

I took a moment to feel grateful that we had the ways and means to go to something special like this. I appreciate the fact that K and I like a lot of the same things.I felt pretty lucky to be there.

Finally it got to be midnight, and they raised the curtains for the first song - which sounded like the riff from "Soft and Wet" but sequed into another tune. We were close enough to see the little hairs on his chest, and the mole on his cheek. He played a Sly and the Family Stone song, and some other songs I didn't recognize. It was a "Las Vegas" style show, in that he sang some jazzy tunes, and covered some tunes from other people (i.e. "Love Roller Coaster"). He has twin girls sing his backup, and they are just beautiful. Plus they danced up a storm, and were definitely working hard up on stage.

Prince looked like he was having fun the whole time, flirting with the audience as he played. After awhile they brought some people up from the audience to dance along with the band. One guy in a purple hat picked up a guitar and started playing, and the band acted surprised, but we later recognized him as being from the band "Sly and the Family Stone." A white guy in a red hat sang "Play that funky music, white boy" and Prince acted surprised he could sing, but the whole thing was clearly planned all along. It's a show, right?

Then, from out of nowhere (somewhere to my right), OJ Simpson came barreling into the crowd and stopped right next to me! I turned to K, and asked, "Iis that...?" and he said, "Yup." I asked, "Can I kick him?" and he (uncharacteristicly) said, "Yup." I actually even looked down at his ankles, but after awhile I wasn't sure it was him. When I looked over at his face, he looked so old... He was having a great time tho, and dancing to the beat. His jacket was really scratchy against my bare arm. Was it wool?

Then Prince walked out on our side of the stage, and OJ was right in my way! I jumped up and down some more to see over him, and then Prince moved back to the middle and I was OK. Some older guys around us were shaking OJ's hand and slapping him on the back, but me, I was just trying to make sure OJ didn't get in the way of my seeing Prince! Then, just as suddenly as he'd appeared, OJ ran off and was gone. Whew!

Prince looked at his watch and said, "So many hits, so little time..." and the crowd started yelling their requests to him. He played "Let's go Crazy" and of course "Purple Rain", but not many of his old hits at all. K recognized a guy in the expensive seats that looked like George Lucas - he just sat there the whole time wearing a T-Shirt.

Soon it was time to go. Prince had played for an hour and a half, and his dancers needed to rest! He came out for one encore I think, and that was it. After standing and dancing for several hours, we were about ready to go anyway. On the way out I took off my boots again, and walked the rest of the way in my socks. My hair had completely flattened out - either from humidity or the stress of my dancing all night.

It was a great night.

I was glad to see that Prince looks happy. I know he's had some changes and challenges - his little baby died and he got a divorce and became a Jehovah's Witness. So I guess he doesn't believe in drinking or anything anymore. I was glad to see that he's still enjoying making music, and that he seems to be in a really good place.

I think he keeps his show fresh by incorporating people who happen to be in town, etc. My friend's sister went to a show in Feb, and that night he had some players from James Brown's band, and so they played a lot of James Brown songs.



The next day we got up and went to the buffett at the Paris hotel - which I LOVE!! (the buffett, not the hotel) The scrambled eggs are even creamy and light. We filled up, then headed over to UNLV to take some pictures for the Boy.

Then we drove home, and made good time despite a bit of traffic.

Happy Birthday to us!!