Some of the Prince cohorts missing at least year's Celebration at Paisley Park, including Sheila E. and fDeluxe (aka the Family), are on the newly announced lineup for the four-day marathon of All Things Prince, happening April 19-22.
A "supergroup" of alumni from various Prince bands including New Power Generation -- but not the lineup currently on tour as NPG -- will also perform. Some of those players are already on the lineup as part of the previously announced "Prince Live on the Big Screen" concert at Target Center on April 21, where musicians will accompany unreleased video of the late Minneapolis rock legend performing live.
Even though the second-year lineup is less star-studded than last year's Celebration roster -- which included the Revolution, Morris Day & the Time, George Clinton & P-Funk and another NPG configuration -- tickets for the 2018 Celebration are $50 more expensive. Four-day passes have been bumped up to $549, and VIP passes cost $1049. There's also a $30-$45 "service and facility" fee tacked onto each one.
The passes are on sale now via OfficialPaisleyPark.com.
Like last year, passes will be sold in alternating "blocks" that move patrons in and out of the studio-turned-museum in timed segments. They also include access to the April 21 event at Target Center, which will be in lieu of concerts at Paisley Park that day (Saturday), the second anniversary of Prince's death from an opioid overdose at his studio complex in Chanhassen.
The passes -- which sold out last year -- will also once again include Paisley tours and panel discussions with more of Prince's associates. Among the speakers scheduled this year are: Prince's ex-wife Mayte; collaborators/proteges Shelby J and Cassandra O'Neal; dancers Maya and Nandy McClean; former NPG players such as Kirk Johnson, Kat Dyson, Adrian Crutchfield and BK Jackson; photographer Nancy Bundt, and most of the artists down to perform, including Sheila E. and members of fDeluxe.
Formed by Prince as the Family in 1985 and best-known for the original recording of "Nothing Compares 2 U," fDeluxe features his former girlfriend Susannah Melvoin (sister of Revolution guitarist Wendy), longtime saxophonist Eric Leeds, the Time's drummer Jellybean Johnson, and Paul Peterson of the locally renowned Peterson family (also formerly of the Time).
Both fDeluxe and Sheila were part of the tributes to Prince in the Super Bowl Live concert series on Nicollet Mall last month, when fDeluxe also played some well-received shows at the Dakota.
