Prince Plays Three Shows in Minneapolis

Nobody ever really thinks about Prince anymore -- such is the ephemeral nature of rock stardom -- but this doesn't seem to have fatigued him. This past weekend, Prince played three shows in Minneapolis (his home town) over the course of 12 hours. He began on Saturday at Macy's, managing to cram 9 songs into a 45-minute set to promote his new cologne. ("Minneapolis, I am home," he announced triumphantly after the first song). That night, he played Target Center arena and, later, First Avenue, the club he made famous in Purple Rain. (This was his first appearance there since 1987). The First Avenue set didn't begin until 2:45 a.m. on Sunday, irking police officers who had to work past the club's normal 3 a.m. closing time. Police Sgt. E.T. Nelson commented, "I think it's very arrogant of him to think he can hold us here like this. The law is the law for everybody." Nevertheless, the Minnesota governor and Minneapolis mayor both issued proclamations honoring the home-grown star, and fans flocked from all over the country to see him.