grey marble

July 15, 2004


Prince [2]

Yesterday afternoon Simone called. B.B. King's was hosting the Musicology afterparty. Doors opened at midnight, and Prince was to put in an appearance. She asked me if I wanted to go. I thought about it for a moment then said yes.

I was shooting stills in New Jersey for Eric Lin's thesis film, Fishkill. It's the film with which he's planning on graduating from NYU. At its most basic, the film is about two brothers who begin the process of reconciliation and mutual understading. One of the leads has a recurring role on Third Watch. I asked Kit if he was a principle. She said no, he plays a doctor.

The shoot went well, though long. Clouds hung over the set all day, and in the late afternoon, the rain came as well. I managed a ride back to Manhattan and found myself at home nearing nine. I should have napped.

At midnight I lined up in front of the club. Simone and David arrived just as I neared the door. We walked in and they had drinks. Then we waited. And waited.

Prince arrived around two. He sat in the V.I.P. section with friends and musicians. The DJ stopped playing and the monitors came to life with video footage from that night's concert. The set was the same, but the costumes were different. David was amazed at how tight the band was. Nearing the end of the first segment, Simone leaned over to me. "He didn't play this for us!" The camera cut to Sheila E as she started to sing "The Glamourous Life." The crowd went wild. In the club, people shouted and scremed, and when the song was finished, lights started flashing in the room. She stood up from her table and acknowledged the applause. Then the video Sheila E and Prince descended into the stage. In the club, she smiled and waved.

Onscreen, Maceo began playing "It's a wonderful world" as the DJ reappeared on stage. The videos faded to black as he began to play and the crowd booed. The DJ stopped and spoke into his microphone, "You all set me up," he said, then walked off to find the club owner. The crowd started chanting for Prince, as he stood surrounded by people in the VIP section. Soon, he made a break for the exit. The DJ came back looking dejected. Slowly, he grabbed another record and put it on the turntable. He looked off to the side of the stage, then leaned into his microphone. "Prince has left the building," he said, then gently tunrned up the volume. The crowd made for the door. It was 3.40 in the morning. Posted by eku at July 15, 2004 12:45 PM
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