🟣 3121 ERA TOUR BOOST

🟣 3121 ERA TOUR BOOST

Per4ming Live 3121 – The Las Vegas Residency Chronicle

Rio Hotel, Las Vegas, NV • 2006–2007

🟣 Overview

The 3121 era didn’t unfold through a traditional world tour. Instead, Prince reshaped the entire concept of live performance into something more intimate, more theatrical, and more mysterious: the Per4ming Live 3121 residency in Las Vegas.

Launched eight months after the album’s release, the residency transformed the Rio Hotel’s 3121 Club into a purple‑lit, silhouette‑soaked world where Prince blurred the line between nightclub, theatre, and after‑hours jam session. It was the live embodiment of the 3121 universe — sensual, coded, immersive, and unpredictable.

🟣 The Venue: 3121 Club at the Rio

Prince didn’t simply perform in Las Vegas — he rebuilt Las Vegas around himself.

The 3121 Club was:

A purple‑washed performance space

Decorated with the same silhouette imagery seen on the album and merch

A hybrid of club, theatre, and spiritual funk sanctuary

Designed to feel like stepping inside the album

The venue echoed the aesthetic of the 3121 mansion parties, creating a seamless bridge between the album’s world and the live experience.

🟣 The Sound of the Residency

The residency’s setlists were fluid and ever‑changing — a hallmark of Prince’s club‑era performances.

Core 3121‑era tracks performed

“Lolita”

“Black Sweat”

“Satisfied”

“Get On The Boat”

“Fury”

“Love”

These songs were often re‑arranged with:

Latin percussion

Jazz‑horn flourishes

Extended funk breakdowns

Támar‑era vocal textures

The residency also featured:

Deep cuts

Covers

Surprise guests

After‑show‑style improvisation

It was Prince in club mode — loose, playful, and electrifying.

🟣 The Band

The residency showcased the new 3121 band lineup, which defined Prince’s mid‑2000s live sound:

Cora Coleman‑Dunham (C.C. Dunham) – drums

Joshua Dunham – bass

Támar Davis – vocals

Maceo Parker – horns (select nights)

Candy Dulfer – horns (select nights)

Greg Boyer – trombone

Additional NPG members rotating in and out

This lineup brought a younger, sharper, more percussive energy — perfect for the album’s hybrid of funk, Latin, and R&B.

🟣 The Vibe

The residency wasn’t just a concert — it was a ritual.

Purple lighting

Silhouette projections

Incense and candles

Club‑level intimacy

A sense of secrecy and exclusivity

A “house party” atmosphere echoing the 3121 mansion shows

Prince blurred the line between performance and environment.

You didn’t attend a show — you entered the 3121 dimension.

🟣 Merch & Visual Identity

Many of the era’s most iconic merch pieces were sold or debuted during the residency:

The grid‑pattern long‑sleeve with 3121 silhouettes

The striped silhouette top with “3 2 1” typography

The black 3121 logo tee

Posters, postcards, and club‑exclusive items

These designs echoed:

The album’s silhouette artwork

The mansion’s décor

The club’s lighting and color palette

The residency and the merch were part of the same visual language — bold, sensual, coded, unmistakably 3121.

🟣 Connection to the Purple Ticket

The residency existed in the same universe as the Purple Ticket sweepstakes:

The gold sticker on retail CDs

The purple winning ticket inside select copies

The private 3121 mansion performance on 6 May 2006 (a.m.)

The residency and the mansion show were two sides of the same concept:

Prince inviting fans into his world — literally and symbolically.

🟣 Legacy

The Per4ming Live 3121 residency stands as one of Prince’s most unique live projects:

Not a tour

Not a club gig

Not a theatre run

Something entirely new

It was a living installation, a nightlife residency, and a sonic extension of the album’s themes.

A world built, inhabited, and performed — all under the number 3121.

🟣 Residency Timeline (Verified Dates & Era Window)

The Per4ming Live 3121 residency at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas ran during the late 2006 to early 2007 period, with performances occurring in rotating clusters rather than a fixed nightly schedule.

Key Verified Dates

Opening Weekend: November 10–12, 2006

Prince debuts the 3121 Club residency at the Rio, introducing the new band lineup and the album‑era arrangements.

Core Residency Window: November 2006 – April 2007

Performances took place intermittently across this period, typically on weekends, with rotating setlists and surprise guests.

After‑Shows & Special Nights:

Select late‑night after‑shows occurred throughout the run, often announced only hours before doors opened.

Final Documented Performances: April 2007

The residency winds down as Prince shifts focus toward the 2007 Super Bowl and subsequent projects.

Contextual Note

Exact night‑by‑night listings were never formally published, consistent with Prince’s preference for spontaneity and secrecy during this era. The residency functioned more like a living installation than a traditional tour, with performances announced, shifted, or expanded at Prince’s discretion.