About 1,500 Prince fanatics descended on Minneapolis Sunday to see a reunion of Prince & the Revolution -- without Prince -- at First Avenue, where they famously made the 1984 movie "Purple Rain."

Some clubgoers were disappointed that Prince never showed (even though some of his gear was reportedly ready for him). The "Purple Rain"-era Revolution played for more than 90 minutes, with guitarist Wendy Melvoin handling most of the lead vocals. Even though the musicians had only a couple days of rehearsal, the Revolution found its funky groove with ease.

"I'll take a tight team over nine virtuoso musicians any day," judged Questlove, drummer of the Philadelphia-based Roots and the DJ for the post-concert party. The self-proclaimed No. 2 Prince fanatic said events "like that don't happen every day."

"It was magical," bassist Brownmark said after the concert. "I hope it'll happen again."

This was the first true Revolution reunion since they disbanded in late 1986. It was organized by drummer Bobby Z to commemorate his recovery from a near-fatal heart attack in February 2011. The concert featured guitarists Melvoin and Dez Dickerson, keyboardists Lisa Coleman and Dr. Fink, bassist Brownmark, saxophonist Eric Leeds and, of course, Z. The love and camaraderie onstage was obvious. "We're sentimental and we're nostalgic," Melvoin declared.

Adding immensely to the evening was Questlove's after-party DJ set. For three hours, he displayed his encyclopedic knowledge of the Minneapolis Sound by spinning Prince obscurities, Time and Sheila E favorites and even Stevie Nicks' "Stand Back" (which featured Prince). Only a guy who would make his own Time T-shirt featuring the first names of all seven original members would be dedicated enough to come up with three compelling hours of Purple music that kept the dance floor full.

Last week, Rhymesayers revealed a new Brother Ali release, "The Bite Marked Heart." The free seven-song download features another solid lineup of melodic, laid-back beats from Jake One and Ant, as well as Ali's trademark flow and lyrical honesty. The songs feature a twist in Ali's style, however, with much more attention given to the beautiful women he sees around him, plus reflections on the strains of marriage. The new, dare we say libertine-leaning lyrics -- which includes a song about posing as a waiter to flirt with a guest -- is a little odd to hear from Ali. Still, the tracks come off as smooth as the sampled, synth-rich rhythms that pulse beneath his rhymes. The new release prefaces "Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color," the next studio album from Ali, set to drop this year. "The Bite Marked Heart" is available for free on www.rhymesayers.com.

"The good news is that he is sharp and aware, his speech is fine, and all of the nurses and doctors have commented on his unique sense of humor," Chrissie Dunlap added. "The bad news is that he cannot move the right side of his body and will be in for some serious rehab. "

Dunlap went from working as a janitor at First Avenue to appearing on MTV and opening for Tom Petty after he joined the Replacements in 1987. In the mid-1990s, he released two critically praised and still cult-loved solo albums. Dunlap regularly gigs around town at Palmer's Bar and other low-key places. He celebrated his 60th birthday in August at Kings Wine Bar, where his bandmates from the '90s showed up to back him as a birthday surprise. "Let's do it again on my 70th," Slim declared at the end of the set. All those in attendance agreed to hold him to that.

At this rate, Grammy-winner Justin Vernon's next record should be titled "Q: Are We Not Memes? A: We Are Bon Iver!" Vernon's act spurred yet another brouhaha last week when pop megastar Justin Timberlake impersonated Vernon on "Saturday Night Live." The sketch featured a fictionalized Vernon strumming a comedic cover of "Holocene" for Beyoncé and Jay-Z's newborn daughter, Blue Ivy. "But Bon Iver, we were just about to put our baby to sleep," protested Beyoncé-via-Maya Rudolph. "Trust me. This will help," an indifferent JT deadpanned before singing himself to slumber.

The real Justin Vernon was ecstatic over the late-night ribbing. As he tweeted moments later, "Holy shit, I was just watching 'SNL,' and JT did a Bon Iver hilarious thing! Also, Maya Rudolph saying 'Bon Iver' is enough. I can die now!" He added: "JT was playing that guitar part well! I was red-face-embarrassed but laughing my ass off the whole time!"

Timberlake held up a "I Bon Iver" sign during the show's closing credits, another mainstream coup for the indie Wisconsin group.

To tide fans over, Summit will release its next small-batch Unchained beer, Dunkel Weizen, on March 5. Release parties are scheduled for Hell's Kitchen (March 6) and the Hole (March 8).

Here are the three finalists in Vita.mn's third annual Are You Local? contest, picked through a combination of popular vote and Vita.mn staff selection. And the contestants are (in alphabetical order):

The Japhies: These young throwback rockers started throwing themselves across local club stages last year but are just getting around to making their debut full-length album.

Prissy Clerks: Reverb-packing indie-rock band led by Clara Salyer, who fronted Total Babe while still in high school until the guitarist went off to front Howler. One of her new bandmates is Howard Hamilton III of Red Pens fame.

Xavier Marquis: A Minneapolis native with Lupe/Kanye-esque flavor who spent a little time in the Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis camp, he is starting to play around town with a six-piece live band.

With its Columbia Records deal at an end, Motion City Soundtrack is starting its own label -- and not just to issue its own upcoming record. The band's company, the Boombox Generation, will debut with a series of 7-inches/digital singles by younger acts produced by different Motion City members. Bands include Gold Rush, Brick + Motor and A Great Pile of Leaves. MCS will host its own showcase with them at South by Southwest next month