Perple Rain’s Purple Rain

Oct. 14, 2009

midnight

It only takes a song to snap us back tothe past. The emotional chord that music strums within us is the reason weconnect certain tunes to significant moments in our lives. They become ouranthems, our soundtracks, and when we hear them later in life, they take us ona vivid trip down memory lane. Whether or not it’s intentional, cover bandscapitalize on this connection. It’s a symbiotic relationship in its most basicform: Tribute bands can depend on a built-in audience and showgoers know whatthey’re going to get.

This Friday, Perple Rain will be bringingPrince’s Minneapolissound to the Northern Lights Theater at Potawatomi Bingo Casino. Fronting thetribute band is Gabriel Sanchez, who has been impersonating the Rock and RollHall of Famer for almost five years. “Audiences can expect a high-energyperformance, complete with costumes, props and choreographed routines,” Sanchezsays. The frontman has been working out twice a day to prepare for the physicaldemands of the hour-and-45-minute show.

Backing the Prince look-alike is vocalistGwen "G Minor" Miner, Nathan Kaddatz and Lisa More on keyboards, BradWilson on guitar, Jon Ianni on bass, Mike Gourlie on drums, and dancersJennifer Bollinger, Keshia Williams, Nevaeh and Kaitlin Daugherty. Perple Rainis dedicating the Potawatomi show to their costume designer Rozzy Alexander,who passed away in 2006.

It’s easy to understand why Sanchez andhis band pay tribute to Prince. The 51-year-old singer, songwriter, musicianand actor is considered one of the greatest artists of all time. They can pickand choose from his massive library of several hundred songs that span themusical spectrum, from New Wave, folk and rock to R&B, soul, funk, bluesand hip-hop. His purported five-octave vocal range, complete with a meanfalsetto, is a challenge to sing, as much as his intriguing character is toimpersonate. Simply put, embodying Prince makes for a fun night.

Perple Rain will cover an expansiveselection of Prince’s early career, ranging from one of his first hit singles,"I Wanna Be Your Lover" from the self-titled album Prince, to “Cream,” off Prince’s 13thalbum, Diamonds and Pearls. Inaddition to playing all the hits, the tribute band will play the entire Purple Rain album from 1984, which spent24 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Billboard 200. Songs like “Let’s Go Crazy,”"Little Red Corvette," "Raspberry Beret," "Kiss,""Gett Off" and even "Batdance" have a life beyond thestudio where Prince recorded them because his fans have taken them as theirown.

Seeing a tribute band like Perple Rainisn’t a replacement for experiencing the real thing, but it does offer its ownunique advantages. One, it’s free. Two, the audience gets to witness true fansparticipate in the sincerest form of flattery: impersonation. Perple Rain’s 9p.m. show at the casino promises to be, as Prince says, a party that’s meant tolast.