The Artist Draws Piercing Worship From Fans

The Artist (formerly known as Prince) Saturday, Sept. 27, The Gorge

This is what it sounds like when Prince performs live.

Oh, oh, oooh my God! I want to seeeee hiiim! Oooooooooh MY GOD!

As The Artist gyrates his hips against the top of his grand piano, repeat and increase volume: Oh my God!

As he gyrates his hips against the piano bench: Ooooh my God!

As his hips thrust against the stage floor: Oooh my … (incomprehensible shrieking and screaming.)

The unnamed woman with the overworked “Oh my Gods” behind me certainly wasn’t alone in her piercing worship of the little man with the immense talent. And on some level, The Artist (as the Princely one is now called) probably deserved such hysterics when he performed at The Gorge Saturday night.

During a nearly two-hour-long set, The Artist played host and main attraction to a masterful funk rock party that proved - ego and eccentricity aside - he is a consummate performer as well as an accomplished musician.

Stacked between the opening volley of “Jam of the Year” and the closing favorite, “1999,” The Artist took the audience through three outfits, two encores and two dozen songs.

His musical salvo spanned from 1983’s hit “Little Red Corvette” to “Face Down,” off his 1996 triple-CD release, “Emancipation.”

There was little to the stage set up itself - some fancy lights, some golden dragons - The Artist instead relying on his own charisma and musical mastery.

The pared-down approach worked.

For “Purple Rain” he gracefully ripped out raw lead on guitar (built in the shape of the curvaceous symbol that is his name.) He warmed over the piano (lilac purple) for a cool-down session of “Diamonds and Pearls” and “The Beautiful Ones.” He played bass (a growling solo during “Face Down”) as well as a smaller keyboard slung from around his neck.

The crowd stood, eyes glued to the impish figure as he spun, danced, dropped into the splits (more hysterical screaming). Dressed in green, then red, then white tight pants and matching flowing shirts, The Artist oozed with the sexuality that has been his trademark since songs like “Darling Nikki” first titillated teenagers in the 1980s.

The Artist absorbed the audience into his show, urging the crowd to wave their hands, to sing the lines that have been burned into their heads during his 19-year career.

“I love you baby, I love you so much,” he sang during “Girls and Boys.” “Maybe we can stay in touch,” the crowd sang back.

Although hits like “When Doves Cry” and “Raspberry Beret” drew some of the most passioned response, The Artist did not spend the night siphoning off his past glory. Instead, he broke down older hits, jammed and rebuilt them into a rock and soul melee that pulsed, sweated and screamed like the fanatics in the audience. Shortened and funked up, “Purple Rain” melded into “Little Red Corvette” and then segued into the newer “Get Yo Groove On.”

In the end, it would seem, The Artist was right when he sang out the lines: “This is the jam of the year.”

, DataTimes