CONCERT REVIEW: The Prince Experience at Slowdown in Omaha

January 8, 2018 Robert Chadwick Concert Reviews Comments Off

BAND (1 of 1) — The Prince Experience at Slowdown on Saturday, January 6, 2018. Photo credit: Dean Birkheimer.

BY DEAN BIRKHEIMER | Go Venue Magazine

OH NO, LET’S GO…

“Music is music, ultimately if it makes you feel good, cool.” – PRINCE

Gabriel Sanchez brought his Prince tribute show to the sold-out Slowdown on January 6, 2018. “The Prince Experience” has been going strong now for 15 years, and don’t kid yourself, this is a tribute band, not a cover band. This show doesn’t just sing songs by Prince, it performs them. Costumes, choreography and some damn fine musicianship result in a great evening of entertainment.

It is obvious that Gabriel has put in a lot of time studying Prince. You immediately see this right from the start as he comes out onto a dimly lit stage, and you hear the words “Dearly Beloved.” Two words and the audience has taken the bait and for the rest of the show, they will not let go. After “Let’s Go Crazy” we are hit with “Raspberry Beret” Again, the crowd’s reaction is frenzied. Later in the show, we hear the intro to “Kiss”. This may have been the best song of the evening; it was just so perfectly done. Gabriel shows off his guitar skills with a superb solo, then “When Doves Cry” is next. The show continues to draw in its patrons and by the time we get to “Little Red Corvette” and “Purple Rain” we all know that we are witnessing a show that is honoring Prince and not simply trying to just copy him. The entire show is elaborate and is simply put…fun.

Gabriel continues to take the show to awesome levels with “I Would Die 4 U” and “Baby I’m a Star”.

Although the lights dim and the stage empties, we know the show isn’t over. The encore is “1999” and boy did we party like it was…well you know the rest. When it was over, we were all on our feet, paying homage to the best Prince tribute band on the planet. Gabriel promised several times through-out the show that he would return to Omaha, specifically The Slowdown. I believe him to be a man of his word and would highly recommend that if you went to this last one, go again and if you missed it, don’t miss it again.