Photo by Cindy Ord / Npg Records

Prince

Back in November, Toronto became abuzz one morning with word that Prince would be performing at the storied Massey Hall that very night. Fans lined up around the block for tickets, radio stations and blogs hyped the surprise event, and Purple Fever took the city by storm. But a few hours after the hoopla had taken root, the concert was announced to be nonexistent. The queue of frenzied would-be concert-goers and their elation quickly dissipated, with confusion and much disappointment roundly felt. This bit of unfinished business was finally forgiven, however, when Prince brought his Hit & Run Tour to town in May for a pair of gigs.

With an evening performance already in the rearview, an ecstatic audience filed into the Sony Centre for the late show. The nature of this particular tour, during which Prince announces his appearance two days before it occurs, made for a surreal atmosphere as the varied crowd buzzed about the spectacle to come. With the sweet sounds of the recently departed B.B. King pumping through the speakers as warm-up music, the vibe was scintillating. Toronto’s own Donna Grantis, the guitarist for Prince’s backing trio 3rdeyegirl, welcomed everyone and reiterated the mantra of no photos and no phones that the theater staff had already hammered into the patrons’ heads. This night was about the experience of being there, not the digital mementos that Prince clearly disdains.

The Minnesotan man himself soon emerged, kicking off a two-hour extravaganza of wall-to-wall hits, with snippets of other artists’ work snuck in here and there. “Let’s Go Crazy” diverged briefly into Edgar Winter Group’s “Frankenstein” before “Raspberry Beret” signaled the first of many spirited sing-alongs. In perfectly Canadian fashion, Prince said “excuse me” before his guitar solo in “The One.” His mix of genteel playfulness and unadulterated pop charisma made for non-stop entertainment, as he relayed flawless falsetto and made his exceptional chops look like child’s play. His playing was fiery, his singing sublime, and his command of the room was downright hypnotic.

“Controversy” and “Little Red Corvette” both came with extended jams, Prince requesting low lighting and imploring everyone to dance along with the former, then taking the dynamic down to a hush during the latter. Grantis took the spotlight during “Nothing Compares 2 U” and the whole place was in hysterics for “1999.” There was no let up from band or fans as the whirlwind event overflowed with joy.

“Toronto, you need to be careful with me. I have been known to break curfew,” Prince cooed as the encore began. “Kiss” and “When Doves Cry” did nothing to settle the ruckus as every last drop of enjoyment was squeezed out. Seated behind his piano, Prince mixed between the beats from a dozen of his album cuts and then shared a quick verse of Elvis Presley’s “Love Me Tender.” A cover of “Cool” by The Time brought the proceedings to one final funky climax, and before anyone could catch their breath, “Purple Rain” was capping things off in all its anthemic glory. The Sony Centre shook with the applause of Prince’s admirers, his transgression of last year’s fake surprise show washed away in a sea of love created by this year’s real deal. To spend time with a living legend, it was well worth the wait.