Jessica Johnson September 6th, 2016 - 12:30 PM
In honor of Prince, his backing band Revolution came together to pay tribute to the fallen legend. The band revealed they would be going on tour to fulfill their promise of resurrecting the Purple One. The first show kicked off in Prince’s hometown of Minneapolis to revere his art and legacy at the duly chosen, First Avenue.
Appropriately selected, the first venue of the tour kicked off where Prince and Revolution shot concert footage for the film “Purple Rain.” The band performed classics “When Doves Cry,” “Little Red Corvette,” and surely, “Purple Rain.” The night was impassioned as Bilal and former protege Apollonia sang on “Baby, I’m A Star”, as well as other special guests paying tribute that included Dez Dickerson and Andre Cymone. Talk is already in the work to curate future tribute shows to honor Prince’s legacy. Although no details have been announced, it was stated October 13 would be the next event. Formal announcement on the upcoming show will be provided after Labor Day.
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Originally from Minneapolis, the band has been playing alongside Prince since 1979. Initially formed as an experiment, the multi racial and multi gendered musical body was more of a side project known as The Rebels. Prior to being dubbed Revolution, the group went through a series of member changes before finally solidifying their collective after the parting of guitarist Dez Dickerson. The band achieved two number-one billboards, six top ten singles and a grammy award all before thier dissolution in the mid 1980s. 20 years later, Revolution will
20 years later, these upcoming shows will be the first time all bandmates will reunite since the Parade Tour in October 1986. Revolution hasn’t disclosed how many shows will be performed, despite fans are still excited they will continue to savor the legacy of the pop icon.
“Only by playing for you , the fans, can we be Prince’s Revolution,” the band stated in a press release. “He gives us to another now, as we all start to heal and fill forever emptiness with sound. Together, we are The Revolution.”
