An exciting time to be in Dallas. With the start of Super Bowl week the whole city was buzzing and trying to accustomed to being the center of national attention for an extended period. Growing up in Fort Worth, we have the mentality that this sort of thing only happens to “big” cities.
With the big event happening on Sunday, it brought a whole week of high-profile events featuring major stars in intimate/exclusive settings that would make the most jaded person get excited.
I was mercifully “stranded” at the W due to the snowstorm but After five nights, I couldn’t extend the reservation any further because it was now full due to the event. I scrambled and got a respectable little place across town in Addison that proved by proximity out of sheer chance to be just right.
Prince – Superbowl Party (canceled) – Intercontinental Hotel – Addison, TX – February 4th
As a Prince fanatic I flew home early to make sure I made this event that I had been early anticipating and feared would miss due to an unlikely blizzard in Dallas. Thankfully the hotel I was now staying was literally across the street from where the event was (now) to be held.
Here’s how it all went down:
The event was for a benefit for the Goss-Michael Foundation, and it was originally set to be held in an actual tent/outdoors at the site of the old Reunion Arena, but had to be hurriedly moved indoors to a hotel ballroom. There was even a quickie website setup just for the event. However in usual Prince fashion, not only had it been moved, it had now been canceled and then put back on, just today. – and that Erykah Badu was gonna be performing with him.
First cancellation –
“It is our understanding that River Alexander Group, the event organizer, was unable to fund and produce the event this evening. The organizer came to The Goss-Michael Foundation, invited us to be the beneficiary and receive some of the proceeds which would have gone to our high school scholarship program.”
Cancellation Rescinded –
“Circumstances have changed and The Event featuring Prince WILL take place this evening. The previous statement is rescinded. Prince has arrived in Dallas and will perform this evening.”
Hey, all I had to do was walk across the street.
Easier said than done as their were almost two feet of snow on the ground and the worst blizzard in city’s history. I arrive to see some familiar faces in the lobby – Sinbad, and Marlon and Shawn Wayans.
It was a scene of not chaos but certain confusion, as they had a table setup where we all checked in, and staffers were greeting everyone, but not letting anyone go up stairs to the show to be seated. And there wasn’t alot of people to greet. By my estimate I would say their were less than 50 people standing around waiting for instructions.Final Cancellation –
They came in the form of Chris Arnold (Dallas Mavericks sideline man and longtime radio fixture) who was scheduled to emcee the event. He gathered everyone and made the announcement with a sad frown and a litany of apologies. Arnold stood alone in these efforts. We could find no one representing the foundation, for whom the event was being thrown.
He kept saying “Don’t blame Prince, He really wanted to be here. His band was here. I will take the blame. Blame me for the event not happening.”
So I spoke up and asked him what he should be blamed for, He just smiled sheepishly. He wasn’t sure. Money, he said, was not the issue — despite the press release sent out this afternoon claiming the organizer, River Alexander Group, couldn’t cough up the dough to make this happening happen. (FYI – River Alexander Group, is an entity registered to Arnold, turns out.).
When pressed for more details, Arnold offered none. He said he didn’t know if Prince was in town. He said he didn’t know if Prince had made it out to the venue.
The assumption everyone was making was logically that the weather prevented it from happening, but their was an air of spite toward Prince as, although we will never know what really happened, that anyone willing to travel this far and pay this much to see him has probably dealt with Prince’s unrealistic (and at times insensitive) hastiness before. Doesn’t stop them though (nor does it stop me haha).
But after talking with Arnold, it seemed to me that this was a case of fake-it-till-you-make-it and they nerver had the money, thought they were gonna make it from the insanely inflated ticket sales (VIP tables for seven were going for $20k) and when no one was buying it, they had to pull the plug.
We did get to go up stairs after the excitement died down to at least see what it might would have looked like.
We were in disbelief that we were coming so close to seeing Prince tonight and in this room no less. There was talk that Erykah Badu was insisting on still performing to make up for what was happening, but that too never materialized.
Maxim Magazine Superbowl Party – Fair Park Centennial Hall – Dallas, TX – February 5th
While sitting in my hotel room I saw the news do a piece on tonight’s carnival themed Maxim Magazine Party, I check my email to see that my friend at Maxim has left me invitations to the bash tonight! (I thanked them extra special after learning that tickets were $1850.00 a piece!).
So I arrive in Fair Park and its like Fort Knox, they got this shit on lockdown, finally park, and enter a giant tent for check-in before heading into one of the exhibit halls where the party/red carpet is.
Got checked in and walk the line and once inside its like the State Fair of Maxim inside.
We met Melanie Iglesisas – who we learn was the winner of something called the Maxim Hometown Hotties Contestand she was interviewing people as their were coming off the press line.
By the time we had walked all over, had a few drinks, and took in everything the evening had to offer, we had heard every rumor possible of who it might be. The most consistent one we heard was it would be Kid Rock.
When finally they make the big announcement and out comes….Wyclef Jean…
And ol’ Wyclef wasn’t too bad, though it was a bit mellow, he managed to bring the energy up at the end and had 90% of the girls in the audience onstage with him for the final number.
One of the last people we see is (our now buddy) Adrian Grenier goofing off – and he stops and recognizes me for a second and says
“Hey, its YOU” – (Just 9 days prior Claude and I took part in the Adventures of Power DVD release party with Claude joining Adrian’s band the Honey Brothers for their performance).
All in all, a pretty amazing night – one of the biggest parties of the year of anywhere in the world. And the big game is tomorrow.
