Prince announces surprise solo shows in Oakland
Prince has announced that the first North American date of his Piano and a Microphone tour will take place Sunday, Feb. 28 at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland.
The singer-songwriter is set to play a pair of back-to-back shows, at 7 and 10 p.m., revisiting his hits and rarities, as well as tracks from his 39th studio album, “HITnRUN Phase II,” in an intimate solo setting.
At a stop at the Arts Center Playhouse in Melbourne, the 57-year-old singer dedicated his set to Denise “Vanity” Matthews, his long-time protege who died at a hospital in Fremont on Feb. 15, filling the concert with songs and stories about the Vanity 6 front woman.
Purchasers will only be able to redeem their tickets in person the night of the show using the ID and credit card used to purchase the tickets, and must enter the venue at the time they present their information.
Tempo, keys, all those things can dictate what song I’m going to play next, you know, as opposed to, ‘Oh, I’ve got to do my hit single now, I’ve got to play this album all the way through,’ or whatever.
While Prince has made a habit out of playing last minute shows around the world in recent years, the Bay Area date may have special significance.