Because even when Prince goes minimalist, it's seems, his shows still turn out to be brilliantly, jubilantly, spontaneously excessive.
Funny too, with his entertaining array of smirks, and the occasional need to strut that stage with the red lights in his high heels flashing with every step.
The show started with I Would Die 4 U and ended triumphantly one and a half hours later with Nothing Compares 2 U.
In between, he reminded not only of his influence on text messaging, but that he's had so many hits he could ignore some or just patch others together into something strange and new.
A few songs in on Little Red Corvette swerved into Dirty Mind and out again.
Elsewhere, electro-funk songs of old like Girls & Boys or Controversy became stomping piano workouts. And his touchstone anthem Purple Rain, played as the final song before the encores, took flight despite the lack of its original searing guitar.
True, the swelling synthesized strings triggered, presumably, by his piano, did feel like a little too much icing on some of the cake, though you could understand the decoration on boudoir ballads like Condition of the Heart.
But when Prince stood to tickle a groove from the ivories, it was just infectious.
"My Daddy gave me rhythm," he said referring to his jazz player father as he broke into another syncopated rumble.
It was one of a few moments which suggested another line of parentage - Prince, lovechild of Little Richard and Nina Simone.
He sang up a storm too. There were falsetto ballads aplenty, but the performance of the night was the overdriven vocal on song-of-the-night Thieves in the Temple.
That set him up for the encore run which also included Raspberry Beret, and a mass singalong Kiss.
Yes, some Prince unplayed classics maybe didn't suit the format.
There were some new songs and one or two for the diehard follower only- it's been hard keeping up with his output in recent years due to his troubled relationship with the recording industry and internet.
Otherwise, though, one Prince, one microphone, ten fingers, 20 songs and 88 keys added up to something unforgettable.
The setlist of Prince's first show*
I Would Die 4 U
Little Red Corvette/Dirty Mind
I Feel 4 U
Controversy
Condition of the Heart
Most Beautiful Girl in the World
Forever in My Life
RockNroll Love Affair
Breakdown
Pop Life
Black Muse
Girls and Boys
Cream
Thieves in the Temple
Encores
Raspberry Beret
Starfish and Coffee
Black Sweat
Kiss
Purple Rain
Nothing Compares 2 U
*May not be 100% definitive
Correction: An earlier version of this review had the concert duration and two and a half hours not one and a half.
nzherald.co.nz
