How did Prince close out South by Southwest Music Festival’s week-long showcase of rock ‘n roll
By naturally throwing a totally different kind of party: a grooving, brass band-backed funk fest that stretched to 3am and outlasted many fans lucky enough to get inside the exclusive show that also featured A Tribe Called Quest.
As Justin Timberlake and the Smashing Pumpkins headlined other SXSW wrap-ups nearby, Prince prevailed as the toughest ticket on Saturday night by performing for only 300 people in his first appearance at the annual music festival that drew 2200 bands and artists this year.
Prince towered over them all – but his concert at the tiny La Zona Rosa club that sits on the fringe of the SXSW mayhem was no grandiose spectacle. He performed for 2 1/2 hours on a spartan stage behind a giant video board. He contentedly played bandleader instead of superstar, often disappearing backstage for stretches as the band jammed.
“They called our people and said they wanted some funk in Austin,” said Prince, before belting out the last bars of a gentle rendition of
