Yesterday afternoon, David and I were very fortunate to attend the taping of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at NBC Studios in Burbank, CA. I managed to get a couple tix to the show via Prince’s just launched new website/fan club LOTUSFLOW3R.com and we were able to attend the taping:

I was very pleased to learn that they treated the fan club folks very well … we were seated right in front of the performance stage so we had a great view of Prince’s performance of the song Ol’ Skool Company from his new album MPLSoUND. The taping was pretty straightforward, they filmed everything in the hour that the show airs and we had a blast. I’m not a huge fan of attending TV show tapings but this one was really fun. I remember when I was younger, living in Detroit, and I wondered what it would like to be a part of a live studio audience. It’s a pretty neat experience … living in SoCal has a lot of fun rewards like this. This afternoon, my friend Daniel invited me to go back to the second of Prince’s appearances on The Tonight Show so I’ll be making my way back to Burbank in a few hours for the taping. Cell phones are big no-no inside the studio so I’ll tweet what I can, when I can for those of you interested.

I do have to give a shout-out to Pink reader Wesley who I got to meet at NBC yesterday … it was my pleasure and a nice surprise to meet her :)

Also, I might be able to offer some tickets for YOU to attend tomorrow’s taping of The Tonight Show for Prince’s third and final appearance on the show. I don’t have the info yet but I’ll be updating THIS POST with the deets should tix become available for me to give away. Stay tuned!!

UPDATE! Okay, if YOU live in Southern California and YOU can get yourself to the NBC Studios at 3000 W. Alameda in Burbank, CA tomorrow afternoon by 2:45pm PT then you have a chance to attend the taping of The Tonight Show where Prince will perform the third of his 3 dates on the show. Tomorrow’s performance will be extra special as he will be performing on the outdoor stage. Here are the requirements to enter for the tickets:

You should be 21 and must be able to get yourself to the studio on your own. Bring photo ID as your name will be on a list. Check in is at 2:45pm PT

I have 2 sets of 2 tickets to giveaway, courtesy of LOTUSFLOW3R.com … all you have to do to enter is send me an email at pinkisthenewblog@gmail.com with the subject line: Prince Tickets and I will randomly select two names to each receive a pair of tickets :) Voila! Much love to the folks at LOTUSFLOW3R.com for this great giveaway. Send in your emails, I’ll pick the winners by 6pm PT tonight. Good Luck!

Yesterday evening at approximately 7pm PT, Prince launched his new website LOTUSFLOW3R.com for all of his fans to play with. For the price of $77, folks who signed up at the site were allowed access to the site which offers all three of his new albums — LOTUSFLOW3R, MPLSoUND and Elixir by Bria Valente — for immediate download as well as a vault of photographs and video clips (including his Coachella performance last year). I was very happy to pony up the membership fee for the site … here are a few screencaps of what the site looks like:

Trust me, I realize that paying $77 for access to a website is not easy for everyone but this is the way that Prince has been running his official websites for years now. It wasn’t that long ago that fans who paid a membership fee were given access to NPGmusicclub.com which was his last venture to disseminate music to his fans (and is no longer available online). In addition to all the music and video that is available on the site, members were also given the opportunity to purchase tickets for his three concerts this coming Saturday night and were also afforded free tickets to the Tonight Show tapings that he is doing all week long. That is how I got my tickets to attend tonight’s taping. While not everyone may be able or interested in participating with Prince’s site in this way, I am happy to do so. I’ve been a fan of the man’s work for far too long and I have learned that this sort of access to premium content and first dibs at concert tickets is well worth the price of admission. Should news or important information be released on the site, I’ll do my best to pass along the info. I’ve been jamming to the three albums all morning long as I plan for my 5 upcoming Prince shows this week … thus far, I’m very pleased with my membership.

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Yesterday evening, I was given the amazing opportunity to preview Prince’s two new albums, LOTUSFLOW3R and MPLSoUND, along with the debut album, Elixir, by his new protégé Bria Valente. I was invited to hear all three albums in full ahead of their release online at LOTUSFLOW3R.com and exclusively at Target stores next Tuesday. As you might imagine, I was very excited and anxious to get to hear the new stuff from Prince:

I posted tweet updates on my Twitter profile for every song on every album just to give y’all a taste. Overall, I really liked Bria Valente’s album … her songs reminded me a lot of Prince’s work with Nona Gaye in the late 90’s. Altho Prince’s religious conversion has hindered his ability to get too sexy with his collaborators, you can still hear the soul of Prince’s best work from the 80’s across all three albums. His guitar work is still in top form, these albums will sound amazing when performed live. Personally, if I had to pick a fave, I think MPLSoUND is my fave — there are a lot of funky tracks on that disc. I cannot wait for all y’all to hear the tracks for yourselves. Click HERE to read the tweet updates that I posted yesterday of my initial thoughts on the music. As some of you may know, Prince will be performing for 3 nights in a row on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno this week. My very good friend and fellow Prince fan Daniel has invited me to attend the Thursday taping with him. Additionally, I will be attending Prince’s 3 concerts in a row (at the Nokia Theatre, the Conga Room and Club Nokia) this coming Saturday night here in LA. I’m so excited :) I missed out on the ticket sales on Sunday (cuz I was preoccupied with travel) but I managed to get tix to all three shows on eBay. The tix were a bit more expensive than face value but having seen Prince in concert before, I know he is totally worth the money.

I have to give a big shout-out to my boy Zack from Michigan who I got to meet at SxSW this past weekend:

He works with the Javelins back home in Detroit and it was my pleasure to meet him :)

Tonight, David and I have a pretty cool thing to go to … but I don’t want to talk about it until it actually happens. Tho, I will prolly be updating my Twitter all night long ;)

Yesterday I received an email from Prince’s new online presence at LOTUSFLOW3R.com that suggested that he might be putting on a string of performances in the LA area “from the 24th [of March] on”. Here is the message that was sent out:

At first, I assumed that Prince might be gearing up for a few guerrilla shows around town, perhaps at a Target store or two (you may recall that we learned last week that Prince has teamed up with Target for the exclusive rights to retail his new albums LOTUSFLOW3R and MPLSOUND as well as the debut album Elixir from his new protégé Bria Valente) but according to THIS site, Prince will be appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno for three nights in a row starting on March 25th:

The one and only PRINCE will be on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno for 3 STRAIGHT nights. It will be March 25th, 26th, and 27th. We also received this note from a no-name reporter:

I had a feeling this might be part of the fun stuff starting March 24th and put in a call to the Tonight Show.

My gut tells me that there will be something going on on the 24th before Prince takes up residency on the Tonight Show. Don’t be surprised if we get late-breaking word that the Purple One is perched atop a Target store somewhere in LA putting on a live concert. I’m just sayin’.

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Target has announced that they have teamed up with Prince to be the exclusive retailer of his new albums LOTUSFLOW3R and MPLSOUND as well as the debut album, Elixir, by his new musical protégé Bria Valente. In fact, Target will sell all 3 albums together for the low, low prince of $11.98:

Prince has found an outlet for his latest collection of songs, recorded without a major label, by partnering with Target for a three-disc set, the retail chain said on Monday. The album will be available at Target stores March 29. The collection has two original studio albums called “LOTUSFLOW3R” and “MPLSOUND” and a third disc titled “Elixer” by his latest protege, the singer Bria Valente. The three-disc set from Prince, which will sell for $11.98 at Target, is the latest instance of a recording artist partnering with a major retailer to release an album. Anglo-Australian rock band AC/DC released their chart-topping album “Black Ice” in October exclusively through Wal-Mart stores and rock icon Bruce Springsteen gave the retailer exclusive rights to release an anthology of his greatest hits in January. Prince in recent months sought to showcase his latest recordings as he worked without a major label, as he premiered songs for a Los Angeles radio station and on the Internet. Prince has previously tried out alternative ways to distribute his music. Copies of his 2007 CD “Planet Earth” were delivered with British newspaper The Mail on Sunday. Prince, whose hits include “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry,” was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and he has won six Grammy Awards.

Now this is a great deal. I had a feeling that Prince would be working out an exclusive deal with a retailer but I guessed it would be Amazon.com. I LOVE that he’s chosen to work with Target — my fave store ever. I really didn’t anticipate that all three albums would be bundled together and for such a low price! Altho he gave away his previous album, Planet Earth, for free in the UK I am not at all bummed he is not doing the same thing here. Three albums for $12 is a pretty good deal. Woot!! I can’t wait to pick up this new bundle of Prince music at my friendly neighborhood Target store come March 29.

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Clive Davis, famed music mogul, was honored at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards Salute To Icons tribute event which was held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel last night and managed to bring out some of the biggest names in music to honor and party with him. Surrounded by his peers and his discoveries, Davis was sittin’ pretty as the night unfolded. Here are a few photos from the red carpet arrivals last night:

A stunning-looking and strong-sounding Whitney Houston made a triumphant return to the stage at a pre-Grammy party honoring her mentor, music mogul Clive Davis. “I’ve got it, I’ve got it!” Houston, looking glamorous in a skintight leopard dress, sang early Sunday morning as she belted a line from one of her classic hits, “I’m Every Woman.” But more than a lyric, it summarized to the crowd of A-list superstars and top industry execs that the superstar — whose drug use and erratic behavior had caused a shocking fall from grace just a few years ago — was back in top form … Houston’s mini-concert put an exclamation point on a night that included a rousing performance by Kelly Clarkson, an unlikely but magical duet between Jennifer Hudson and Barry Manilow and a rambling monologue by Kanye West. “I have to bow in the presence of greats right now,” West said as he looked out into the crowd, which at one point included Sir Paul McCartney, Prince, Diddy, Rihanna, the Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, Quincy Jones, and other luminaries. “I’m just humbled by your greatness, and also Clive,” West told the audience. Davis, the music mogul who founded labels, signed greats ranging from Houston to Bruce Springsteen to Janis Joplin, and resuscitated the careers of veterans like Rod Stewart and Carlos Santana, was honored by the Recording Academy as an industry icon on Saturday, hours before Sunday’s Grammys. For nearly three decades, Davis’ pre-Grammy party and concert had become one of the industry’s most coveted invites; this year, the Recording Academy took the event over and honored Davis instead. But while Davis got an award, he still held court like it was his own party, acting as the evening’s host as he introduced performers like Stewart, the Kings of Leon and Leona Lewis. Diddy got the often staid crowd on their feet with a moving rendition of his tribute to the slain Notorious B.I.G., “I’ll Be Missing You,” with Biggie’s widow, singer Faith Evans, and a gospel choir. Clarkson got one of the evening’s biggest ovations with her performance of her new single, “My Life Would Suck Without You” and the Joplin gem “Piece of My Heart.” But Hudson was perhaps the night’s biggest star — until Houston hit the stage. Starting with the Super Bowl last Sunday, Hudson has been raising her profile after spending months in seclusion following the slayings of her mother, brother and nephew last October. A smiling Houston performed her hit “Spotlight,” which earned her one of her four Grammy nominations, and got a standing ovation from the crowd. But she raised the bar with a pairing with Barry Manilow, injecting one of his signature songs, “Weekend in New England,” with a lacking ingredient — soul. Afterward, the Oscar-winner joined the audience (and friend Fantasia), stood in the front and danced and sang as Houston performed. Houston started off with “I Will Always Love You,” but didn’t hit the high, sustaining notes that made the song such a dramatic, stirring hit. Instead, she kept her voice at medium power, deciding to croon rather than soar. But as she got into hits like “It’s Not Right, But It’s O.K.,” her voice appeared to get stronger — and louder, and while she never replicated the vocal gymnastics of some of her past work, delivered a mesmerizing performance nonetheless. The 45-year-old, one of the best-selling artists of all time and among the greatest singers, hasn’t made an album since 2002. Then she was was sinking due to drug use and a tumultuous personal life — a far cry from the princess image she cultivated since her debut in the 1980s. But the singer is expected to release an album sometime this year, and unlike other reported returns, this comeback seems to be the real deal. “She was on it, she was happy — she’s back,” said Foxx. “Everybody else watch out.”

This Grammy Awards Salute to Icons affair sounded like a night to remember. I cannot even fathom what it must be like to be in presence of so much talent all in one room. The fact that even Kanye West was humbled, well, that should tell you something. After the jump, check out a bunch of photos that range from the performance stage to the interaction in the audience …

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As y’all may recall, Prince launched a new website at www.LOTUSFLOW3R.com a couple of weeks ago after previewing some new music on the now defunct LA radio station Indie 103.1. This new site promised that fans would be able to LISTEN to new tracks by Prince and special guests, WATCH videos and exclusive content and BUY music, concert tickets and more. In the weeks since, the site has been changed a bit but the clandestine promo for Prince’s new projects has continued. A local LA reporter was invited, personally, to Prince’s home this past weekend to preview some of his new material LIVE. As a result, this reporter was able to hear firsthand what Prince’s new tunes sound like as he played them on HIS piano in HIS living room and walked away from the experience with a pretty amazing story to tell … as well as our first look at the album artwork for his new album LOTUSFLOW3R:

So, there I was, trapped in Prince’s bathroom while the sound of his band kicking into “I Want You Back” by The Jackson 5 pumped through the space between the door and the floor. I frantically twisted the lock and turned the knob trying to get out in time to witness the magic but the door wouldn’t budge. I checked my cell phone—no service—no chance for a 911 rescue call. What would I say anyway? “Um, yeah hi, I’m trapped in Prince’s bathroom on the bottom floor of his house and I’m going to miss him sing one of my favorite Jackson 5 songs, so could you bring a crowbar to Beverly Park?” Another minute of twisting the door handle only lead to red fingers and I pictured myself stuck in his bathroom for days surviving on gobs of cherry lip-gloss and two sticks of Juicy Fruit. I pounded my fists on the door and shouted for help but the music was too loud and I realized that no one could hear my screams. This was not a dream, this was really happening. Last Saturday night at 1am I was being held captive by Prince’s bathroom.

The amazing story goes on HERE and is a must read for Prince fans. The report confirms that www.LOTUSFLOW3R.com will be used to distribute music, concert tickets, etc. to fans when it officially goes live in March. I, for one, would die if I were ever allowed to bear witness to Prince’s genius in his own home. This new endeavor sounds brilliant … I cannot wait to see and hear what else Prince has in store for us.

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