“When I saw ‘Prince dead’ on TV, it was two words that were impossible,” Z said. “Everything’s coming from what everybody already knows and what we’re really great as a band that we can pull off without too much of a space missing in the middle of the stage.” “I wouldn’t dream of trying to play ‘Adore’ or ‘Most Beautiful Girl in the World,’ ” Melvoin said. The Revolution has ruled out some other Prince pieces, though. But with special guests André Cymone and Dez Dickerson, who backed Prince before the Revolution, the possibilities expand. Prince & the Revolution are identified with a certain era, 1982-86, and certain albums - “1999,” “Purple Rain, “Around the World in a Day” and “Parade.” Material from that period will be the primary focus. The Revolution rehearsed for two weeks at SIR Studio in Los Angeles and then will practice in the Twin Cities for another week. And Fink’s 21-year-old son lives there, as well. Mark Brown lives in San Francisco, with his first grandchild on the way. The choice was easy: Melvoin, who has a 10-year-old son, and Coleman, who has a 9-year-old daughter, live in Los Angeles. This 1985 file photo captures Prince during a live performance with the Revolution.

We’re striving to find our way out of this extremely dark place.” “Purple Zero,” Z said without missing a beat. “We absolutely feel connected to Minneapolis and feel like it’s ground zero for us,” explained Coleman, a lifelong Los Angeles resident. It’s just been the five of us ding-dongs in here.” “It’s been a trip to be in this rehearsal,” Melvoin noted. They’ve been keeping to themselves, relying on one another. Since Prince died, the members of the Revolution have shied away from the media and have not committed to any other concerts or even paid attention to the investigation into Prince’s death or the questions surrounding his estate. We’re, I think, stronger in holding the torch of him right now than we’ve ever been.” Melvoin cut to the quick: “We’re learning how to be a band without our leader.

“That’s just what we need to go through right now.” “As we go through the songs, it’s like very intense photographs we’re sharing,” she said. We will never be that thing because we’re missing the lion’s share, we’re missing the figurehead, our sarcophagus.”Ĭoleman compared these First Avenue shows to looking at a family photo album at a wake or funeral. What we can do is offer a really beautiful experience of what we had as a band when we were with him. ‘What are they gonna do? Who’s gonna be their singer? What songs are they gonna do? Why would they even do this without Prince?’ We know it’s out there. “We don’t want to put heaviness or importance on these three shows. Individually, the members of the Revolution are “looking for a version of salvation for the five of us,” Melvoin said. “We felt left out a bit,” said Matt Fink. “There was no proper tribute that we felt.” “We didn’t get to go to the funeral,” Coleman said, referring to the service at Paisley Park three days after Prince’s death. It feels like his spirit is sort of stuck here right now with a lot of uncertainty and unanswered questions and unanswered hopes. “These shows that we’re doing, if I can speak for the five of us and sound slightly New Age about it, we need to grieve and transition him into his death and get the audience to be part of that. “I really believe everyone in here hasn’t really begun the grief process,” Melvoin said. One thing was apparent: The leader was missing. The other three contributed but they weren’t the loudest voices in the room. Melvoin, the youngest at 52, dominated the conversation, with Z, the oldest at 60, speaking up regularly. Fink and bassist BrownMark (Mark Brown) - got on a speakerphone during a recent rehearsal in Los Angeles. “We were celebrating Bobby being alive,” Melvoin said, “now we’re mourning a death.”Īll five Revolutionaries - guitarist Melvoin, drummer Z, keyboardist Lisa Coleman, keyboardist Dr.

That night there was a guitar left onstage for Prince in case he wanted to show up. The Revolution last reunited in 2012 for a benefit for the American Heart Association at First Avenue after Bobby Z nearly died of a heart attack. They continued to communicate from their respective homes - three in California, two in the Twin Cities - and this week they will play three sold-out concerts at First Avenue. “We’ve been talking more than we’ve ever talked in the past 20 years,” guitarist Wendy Melvoin pointed out.įour days after Prince’s death on April 21, the five members of the Revolution, his band from his 1980s “Purple Rain” heyday, gathered in Minneapolis. Texting and phone calls, conference calls.

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