The Revolution returns
Check out photos and a quick recap of The Revolution’s stop at the Metro Music Fest in downtown Oklahoma City last weekend.
Even tributes to the Purple One still draw a crowd. Prince’s celebrated ‘80s backing band The Revolution capped off the ninth rendition of Metro Music Fest and a dramatic week for the ACM@UCO-led festival. The Brictown-based music college had to switch up the schedule after another headliner, Mavis Staples, canceled her appearance due to a family emergency.
Then, a day before the April 6 festival, the main stage swapped locations in order to dodge unseasonably cold weather. But all the tribulation melted away as The Revolution wrapped the festivities in style at The Criterion, 500 E Sheridan Ave.
The original lineup — drummer Bobby Z, keyboardist Matt Fink, bassist Brown Mark, keyboardist Lisa Coleman and guitarist Wendy Melvoin — still look the part and delivered a sparkling energy to those “Purple Rain” era Prince hits. It’s uncanny how much they made the crowd of a few hundred wanna dance. Even Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne was boogieing down in the venue’s balcony.
Was it the same without Prince? No, but singer Stokely Williams joined for a handful of songs and electrified the crowd of a couple thousand with self-assured swagger. I didn’t get a chance to explore the rest of the festival. More than a dozen Bricktown venues participated in the celebration and at least one stage was partying like it was 1999.