Keep It Simple Stupid

Thursday night, local bar Holy Oak held a small fund-raiser for FoodShare. It was a Prince Tribute night with a core band, but a rotating cast of singers contributed one song each. The small venue was packed and intensely hot. Whether it was hipster sensibilities or not, Prince's monster hits such as Kiss, When Doves Cry, and Purple Rain were left off the bill.

The night started slow with a plaintive Nothing Compares 2 U but starting with the second song, Little Red Corvette, it was danceable, funky, sexy music the whole night from If I Was Your Girlfriend to I Would Die 4 U. The band was sweet and tight, even if there were a few moments when their extended jams got a little ragged. Most singers were good though there were some off-key singing on Paisley and Tamborine.

But the ne plus ultra moment for me was Mary Margaret O'Hara singing Players. That's right, Mary Margaret of "Miss America" did a Prince cover. It should have been irritating because she incorporated her vocal tics: horse neighs and ululations and made up most of the lyrics. But her stage presence was too engaging and her voice too big. I'm always astounded by her voice on those rare accidental occasions when I hear her live. Tonight it was so typically rich and full-bodied that it made the other singers, most of whom are professional musicians, sound like high-school amateurs. Frankly, some of those singers should have given their song to her.

The night ended with a high-powered extended mix of 1999 and Erotic City for the unscheduled encore. Some continued dancing to the DJ set while others went outside to dry off the sweat soaking their clothes.