prince / united center / chicago, il / 09.25.2012

The cluster of lights on the right side are pointing at the tip of the love symbol-shaped stage, which was coming right at us. 

Prince was fantastic tonight!! I couldn't get many decent pictures during the set because security was relentless in halting any photography. Nevertheless, this is our view of the stage just before things got started. We were really close - closer than we were for McCartney. Closer than I've ever been for a world-famous rock star in my life, actually. Almost on the floor - Section 106, Row F! We could see his face, his hands, his feet, and his Hohner guitar, which he frequently played the hell out of. There was no 45 minute interval before the final encore, either - just a really bloody tight, fun show. I feel so damn fortunate. Within 20 minutes I was trying to decide if it was the best show I had ever seen, simply on the convergence of Prince's raw talent, his place in history, and my proximity to it all.

Some iffy pictures of Prince playing that piano and a short video clip from when he told everyone to take out their phones will be posted tomorrow, which isn't that exciting but I'm too pooped to do it at 2 in the morning.

UPDATE:

Prince at the purple pianosynth, approximately 50 feet away from our seats.

Bummer this is the best pic I could get when he was literally 25 ft away and shredding at other points in the show, but security was merciless. Lucky I have this.

At one point he told everyone to take out their phones and "light the place up!"

Turn the volume almost entirely off. 

After instructing everyone to take out their phones, here you see P do a call and response that ends up being tepid. He points out it that was because everyone was staring at their phones. You hear me honk out a laugh as he instructs us all to put the phones away and sing along. I did as I was told.