“Prince” Tribute PURPLE REIGN Soars With New Resonance

Dearly beloved
We are gathered here today
To get through this thing called “life.”

Electric word, life
It means forever, and that’s a mighty long time
But I’m here to tell you
There’s something else
The afterworld…

“I was stunned….didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to get up” said tribute performer Jason Tenner upon learning of the untimely death of superstar funkmeister Prince. “The calls and texts were pouring in, and I couldn’t deal with it. But we had a show to do that night”.

And indeed, they put on a show…one that brought the crowd to its feet. That evening (April 21st), with the venue packed to capacity, Jason and his Revolution Tribute Band started a housequake that shook the rafters of Westgate Las Vegas. Much like Prince frequently did in clubs throughout his career, Tenner and crew jammed a second unscheduled set, open to the casino, that rocked way into the early morning.

As you would expect, fans and curious were suddenly clamoring to relive the glory days of Purple Rain and the music that defined a generation. Demand was so great that Purple Reign temporarily moved from the Westgate Cabaret into the massive International Theater (recently vacated by Twisted Vegas). Two months later, ticket demand is still exceeding the capacity of its original location. Tenner would like to see it return permanently into the big auditorium, but there are legalities to be worked out.

I was privileged to sit down with Jason after a recent performance. He’d coincidentally just returned that afternoon from a road trip to appear at Spirit Mountain, the locals casino near my home in Salem, Oregon. We chatted casually, sharing memories of the Purple One throughout the years. Jason was surprised that I’d recognized one of the lesser-known songs in the set, but having seen Prince in concert several times throughout the decades, I was well acquainted with most of his material.

Tenner’s Prince-like natural speaking voice and body language frequently had me doing double-takes, not only during Reign but throughout the interview. It was exciting to talk with this gifted man about the unique path that Prince took; one echoed in the words of character “Billy” in the film Purple Rain (“Look around you. No one’s digging you. Your music make sense to no one… but yourself”). That story line actually took front and center in the little-seen 1990 sequel Graffiti Bridge, and eventually in real life.

Fans line up to pay tribute to Prince at Westgate’s “Purple Reign.”

The irony isn’t lost on Tenner, who agrees that Prince eventually pushed away his own fans with the direction that his music took. “He stopped performing the type of things that made him popular…the things that people loved. But he never slowed down.”

Still, there are countless chart-toppers that people love and know by heart: “When Doves Cry”, “Kiss”, “Raspberry Beret”, “Controversy”, “1999”, “Little Red Corvette”, “Darling Nikki”, “Baby I’m A Star”, “I Would Die 4 U”,, and of course, “Purple Rain”. I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

Unlike Michael Jackson, who released only six laboriously-produced studio albums (and a small handful of endlessly-played singles) in the last three decades of his career, the extremely prolific Prince recorded thirty-nine full-length releases. Hundreds of hours of additional material are rumored to exist in the vaults. And while MJ’s songs were a hodgepodge of unrelated (and usually lightweight) subject matter, Prince focused on deeply human elements like love, faith, pleasure and most often…sexuality.

Prince’s talents went beyond stage performance. He wrote his own material, often played every musical instrument on an album, produced the work of others, launched the careers of many other artists and acted as a mentor.

“He’s one of the last true performers we had. So many, like David Bowie, have died recently. Today’s audiences don’t have anyone to look up to…very few real artists. Today’s “stars” just assemble playlists of other people’s material and press “play”. What will this generation have to look back on? What will be their legacy?”.

The cast of Purple Reign knows a few things about genuine talent. Far from being a glorified karaoke session, Reign is as close as you could get…and ever will again…to a genuine Prince concert. All of the musicians and singers perform live, recreating scenes from the movie (and songs from other albums) with stunning authenticity.

In addition to Prince and the Revolution, fellow Rain alumni Jerome Benton with Morris Day and The Time come alive with the songs “Jungle Love” and “The Bird”. Apollonia 6/Vanity oozes eroticism with “Sex Shooter” and “Nasty Girl”, with several comical moments sprinkled into the mix. A pair of gorgeous dancers kick and writhe throughout the songs, adding the element of erotica that Prince was famous for. It’s all assembled so seamlessly that you’ll think you’re with the original cast, partying like it’s 1984.

Tenner told me that since Prince passed on, the show has gotten more emotional for everyone. This became very apparent during the final number. As the first guitar licks announced the anthem “Purple Rain,” people started to sob, others got to their feet, waved their hands and sang along. The group experience brought tears to my own eyes, driving home the reality that another music legend is truly gone.

But Jason Tenner will continue to keep the Minneapolis sound alive. Along with the resurgence of his tribute show, Tenner’s got his own Prince-infused solo music career to keep the “shockadelica” alive. Check out his single “Shake” by clicking here. You can learn more about Jason, the man, by visiting JasonTenner.com.

Purple Reign performs at Westgate Las Vegas, Wednesday through Saturday at 9 pm. Audience members must be 18+. Tickets start at $49 plus service fee and can be ordered here. Goldstar.com has a discount offer starting at $35.oo, good through the end of June.

Photos: Sammasseur

sammasseur

A fitness buff and Vegas fan. Sam enjoys shows, bargains, and cheap healthy eats.