Prince in the 1987 concert film Sign O’ the Times.
It’s been nearly two weeks since Prince was found dead in his Paisley Park complex. Vancouver fans have been paying tribute by attending screenings of the Minneapolis superstar’s movies as well as ad hoc dance nights, but some memorials are coming together as pop music lovers continue to mourn the multi-talented icon.
Following on the heels of its successful David Bowie tribute evenings, the Rickshaw Theatre (254 E. Hastings St.) is presenting Prince Tribute Night Friday, July 22. The lineup, which will feature local musicians, hasn’t been announced yet, but tickets go on sale this Friday, May 6 at 10 a.m. Tickets are $10, with 100 per cent of sales going to support youth initiatives in the Downtown East Side, ticketfly.com. For updates, visit the event’s Facebook page.
Meanwhile, a lineup has been announced for another Prince tribute night, this one May 19 at Alexander Gastown (91 Powell St.). Local acts include Chin Injeti + The Lifetimes, Farshad (Dirty Radio), Tonye, Dawn Pemberton, Kuba, Aaron and Sean Ross (The Boom Booms ), Benedict Marsh, JP Marsh, David Beckingham (Hey Ocean), and Omar Khan. Tickets are $20 and available at ticketweb.ca, with proceeds from this event will be donated to charity. Email isabel@alexandergastown.com for table reservations.
Not to be out-done, local promoter MRG Concerts is presenting When Doves Cry: A Prince Tribute Night Thursday June 2 at the Biltmore Cabaret. It too will feature a lineup of local bands, still TBD. Limited $10 early bird tickets are available online, however, here. A portion of the shows proceeds will be donated to The Saint James Music Academy. SJMA teaches classical music at no cost to children living in Canada’s lowest income urban neighbourhood the downtown Eastside.
And there are still more opportunities to see the Purple One on the big screen. On May 14 and 15, the Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway) is screening Purple Rain*, and on May 19, Sign O’ the Times. The latter is a concert film directed by Prince himself, and shot live at the Rotterdam Music Hall in 1987. The 13-song set list focuses on deep cuts from the album Sign O’ the Times, including the title track, “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man”, “U Got the Look”, “The Cross”, and more.
Sign O’ the Time screens at 9:30. Tickets are $10 in advance at riotheatretickets.ca and $12 at the door.
*Note: The Rio has added a screening of Purple Rain on May 20 (Friday) at 9 p.m.
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