Fans react to Prince's solo concerts at Paisley Park

January 22, 2016 at 12:44PM

Fans traveled to Paisley Park from all over the world to see Prince's first-ever solo concerts on Thursday night. Here is what some concertgoers thought of their experience.

"He gives so much back to fans that he keeps you wanting more. He's not your typical rock star. This is so intimate. To see him stripped down is wonderful."

• Debra Nava, 56, of Isleton, Calif., who was sitting on pillows in front of the stage with her 34-year-old son at what was her 53rd Prince show

"You never see the same show twice with Prince. This [first show] was another epiphany. A musical autobiography. He has a knack for making you feel that he's playing just for you"

• Claudia Avila-Batchelor, 42, of London and the Dominican Republic who has seen Prince 30 times

"I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked it. I can't imagine him doing this in big venues. The one thing that amazed me [was] that in the intimate moments about him and his father, people laughed. That was sad to me."

• Dan Knopfler, 52, Seattle, who has witnessed a half-dozen Prince concerts

"The first one was mind-blowing. He was strangely open and autobiographical. This [second] one was more of what I expected."

• Danielle Ricciardi, 44, of Dallas, who has experienced 70 Prince shows and wore three layers of leggings on Thursday

"This was a happy surprise. It feels so much more intimate in this setting."

• Carrie Baney, 45, Duluth, whose first Prince concert was the Purple Rain Tour

"I liked the concept of the first show. The second one sounded better and I liked it better musically. It was definitely worth it."

• Martin Bachmann, 47, of Zurich, Switzerland, who spent $2,300 on his trip to Minneapolis and had to renew his passport on two day's notice. He has attended 215 Prince concerts since 1986

JON BREAM

about the writer

about the writer