Are you tired of hearing about Prince? Well, get a new state, buddy. The news and tributes keep rolling in, and we’re reading/watching/faving every one of ’em:
A bold, but justifiable argument from the Washington Post’s Chris Richards: “Whether we’ve gotten any closer to that purple paradise over the past three decades is up for debate, but here’s what isn’t: Modernity has produced no greater pop star than Prince. … The unexpected news of his death on Thursday at age 57 certainly felt cruel to anyone who has ever believed in music as a force of enlightenment. This man was a superhero who summoned humanity onto a new dance floor with an effortlessly utopian swirl of funk, soul and rock-and-roll. He was a visionary songwriter, a top-shelf guitarist, a master-architect of rhythm, a breath-stealing vocalist and an unparalleled tornado of a live performer. Since his auspicious debut in 1978, he projected a mysterious, enduring invincibility. And now he’s gone. The shock is enough to make your brain go blank.”
Keith Harris summarizes for Rolling Stone the many ways Minnesotans are mourning the loss of Prince: “The black brick walls outside of First Avenue, the downtown Minneapolis rock club that Prince made legendary in Purple Rain, are decorated with large white stars, each bearing the name of an act that performed there. Prince’s is among the most prominent. Within two hours after the announcement of his death, that star is the backdrop for a makeshift shrine of flowers, candles, balloons, and, at the center, a guitar. There’s no less purple than you’d expect.”
A pair of articles for your consideration, which are topped by the same photo:
- “How Minneapolis Made Prince” by Dylan Hicks [Slate]
- “How Prince Changed Minneapolis” by Keith Harris [Pitchfork]
Behind the scenes at the Current, which has been the radio station to listen to as we deal with this news. The Daily Beast’s Ben Collins writes: “‘If this is true, what are we gonna do?’ … That was Jim McGuinn, the programming director at Minneapolis’ The Current, speaking to his staff, rifling through internet rumors Prince had died shortly before noon on Thursday. He and some coworkers had already started feeding information to the on-air DJ, Jade, as the reports started trickling in.”
The full text of the 911 call. [City Pages]
Video: “KMOJ host Walter Q Bear Banks recalls why he knew his childhood friend Prince was special from day one.” [Star Tribune]
Sen. Al Franken pays tribute to Prince on the floor of the Senate. [Facebook]
The cast of Hamilton pays tribute to Prince. [YouTube]
That time Sid met Prince. [Facebook]
The tributes aren’t just coming in from across the world, but across the galaxy: “Prince honoured by Nasa with stunning purple nebula photo” [The Independent]
We normally stay away from petitions in this column, but this one seems worthy of your attention: “Rename Terminal 1 of MSP International Airport to Prince Rogers Nelson Terminal” [Change.org]
Here’s how brands paid tribute to Prince on social media and surprisingly they’re not all terrible. [Ad Age]
In non-Prince news…
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: “5 people Hillary Clinton might pick as her vice president” includes Minnesota’s own Sen. Amy Klobuchar [Washington Post]
The fix is not in: “Nolan: Interior not plotting to ban mining near BWCAW” [Duluth News Tribune]
Thoughts on reforming the IRRRB from someone who knows about it: “Reforming the IRRRB is tricky business” [Minnesota Brown]
The long wait is over: “Up and running; New Spam Museum opens doors to public” [Austin Daily Herald]
