purple rain

Happy Saturday readers! I woke up this morning excited to write. But first, coffee…and music.

Let’s get into this week’s Music is Magic, oh what a magical weekend it was. If you know me in real life, or follow me on any of my social media platforms, you’ll know that my love for Prince is one that has only grown over the past 30 years.

Last weekend…more specifically, April 21st, was the one year anniversary of Prince’s death. I can’t believe it has been a year already. When I think of the moment that Nicholas called me at work, I stepped outside of the classroom to take the call and he told me that it was being reported that Prince died, my heart breaks all over again. I wanted to break down and cry right then and there. I was at work so I really had to hold it together until I went home for lunch, even as the texts from friends and family started to trickle in. It was when I was home that I sat and cried for my absolute favorite musician. The TV news reports made it even more real that he was gone.

The tributes that followed only affirmed what I already knew: There will never be another like him. From the San Francisco Giants playing Prince’s music throughout AT&T Park before first pitch and between innings, to the Eiffle Tower lighting up a glorious purple, it all warmed my heart.

Okay, back to last weekend, my town’s oldest and most beautiful theatre (theatER? theatRE? I’ll be proper today), The historic Fox Theatre, was showing Purple Rain. I knew that we had to be there. I had a feeling that it was going to be an experience that I would never forget. I sure was right.

I ran into friends that share my love for Prince Rogers Nelson and instead of feeling sad, it felt more like a celebration of his life, as a theatre full of people sang and danced to every song and hooted and hollered for Prince every time he showed up on the screen.

Hanford’s Fox Theatre 4/21/17

Before the people…

With my love Nicholas

My Prince loving soul sista Krystal

Twinning with my friend Athena

I was only 2 ½ when Purple Rain first hit theatres so it wasn’t until I was 7 that I was able to watch it. It was the first time I can recall being told to cover my eyes (for the famous Lake Minnetonka scene, of course). Enamored and amazed with this man dancing and doing the splits all over the stage, he had me at “Dearly Beloved…” A facial expression for every emotion and the inventor of “side eye” as far as I’m concerned.

We live close to the theatre, so we made the walk there and back. It was such a beautiful night. And just like the first time I saw it, I’ll never forget it.

The next day was Record Store Day and we have now made it a tradition to go to the record stores on this day to not only support local record stores, but to check out some limited RSD releases (they only had 3 of Prince’s ‘Little Red Corvette’ picture discs, that were of course snatched up by the time I got to front of the line) but they had a few other of his maxi singles on vinyl, so I picked up ‘Pop Life’.

I know I talk about Prince and his significance to my life quite a bit. Some can’t understand how people can mourn the death of an artist because we didn’t know them personally. I think the Purple One said it best:

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! As always thank you for reading,