Prairie Prince Self-Portraits
Official Video directed by Michael Cotten
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More on Ross Valory’s official website >
Casa del Sol is a Mexican villa located at the headwaters of Yal-Ku Lagoon in Akumal, Mexico. Vince Welnick (Grateful Dead, The Tubes) commissioned Prairie Prince and Michael Cotten to paint murals throughout the house to highlight the area’s Maya history. The villa is a vacation rental.
Early in my career I teamed up with Michael Cotten to create Cotten/Prince, an artistic design partnership. View Cotten/Prince book of murals >
We combined our art expertise and worked with The Tubes choreographer Kenny Ortega to collaborate as the artistic team responsible for devising the production design and theatrical staging for The Tubes live shows and videos. We also designed the album covers and graphic design for our band, The Tubes. View Cotten/Prince t-shirt designs >
We came up with a style and air-brush technique which allowed us to design and paint some of the world’s largest murals. One of our most famous murals was the “Flying Records” on the exterior of the A&M Records building in Hollywood, Ca. Other iconic murals include “Crashing Waves” on San Francisco’s Cliff House and the interior of at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
Our artistic vision and ability to produce innovative and artistic projects led to working for the world’s top live performers, high-end retailers and companies around the world. Working with long time collaborator Kenny Ortega we created set and stage design for some of the world’s biggest musical touring acts (Michael Jackson, Shania Twain, Bonnie Raitt, Gloria Estefan, Bette Midler, The Tubes and Todd Rundgren).
We also collaborated on the Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Olympic Games and the Super Bowl XXX Half-Time Show, starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson’s 1997 “History” tour and “This Is It.”
We painted murals across the United States for companies including I Magnin, Macy’s, The Limited, Federated Stores. International clients commissioned murals in Spain, England, Italy, Germany, Mexico, Sweden and Japan. Other major mural commissions include grand scale interiors at the Ho-Chunk Casino and the Potawatomi Casino in Wisconsin. The late Vince Welnick (Grateful Dead, The Tubes) commissioned us to paint murals in his Mexican villa – Casa Del Sol – in Akumal on the Maya Riviera.
View Cotten/Prince book of murals >
Murals in the Thornton Mansion in San Francisco. Projects included interior murals and detailed painting of furniture and more.
Perfect rhythms, enlightened poetry, word paintings, visual renderings: All are found in the COLOURS & PASSIONS project created by drummer and artist, Prairie Prince.
Each musical piece features a different type of drum chosen from Prairie’s collection of percussive instruments celebrated throughout the world.
Seeking a form for a solo project with guest musicians, he reached back to the 1950’s remembering Ken Nordine’s spoken word records that were favorites of his older sisters, Leslie and Helen Prince. One “Word Jazz” recording was “Colors” produced in 1966. Prairie’s project is a new take on Nordine’s work. Listen on samply
TRACKLIST
Inviting collaboration from fellow musicians, each musical piece has a distinct input by friends such as:
Chris Von Sneidern – Guitars/Vocals and Engineer and Co-Producer
Michael Cotten – Synth/Samples and Keyboards
Todd Rundgren – Vocals/Synths and Production
Buckethead – Guitars/Bass
Ross Valory – Bass/Vocals
Eric Levy – Keyboards
Bobby Vega – Bass/Guitars
Atom Ellis – Bass
Ton Ayres – Guitars
David James – Guitars/Bass
Brian Compton – Bass
Jim Thomas – Guitar
Kasim Sulton – Bass/Vocals
Bobby Strickland – Sax/Flute
Italia Luminosa Raimond Jones – Cello
Ralph Carney – Sax/Fugal Horn/Vocals
Beth Custer – Bass Clarinet
Jeff Tamelier – Guitars
Gil Assayas – Keyboard/Synths
Barbara Golden – Piano/Vocals
Diana Mangano – Vocals
James Deprato – Slide Guitar
Joe Mirante – Guitar Feedback/Vocals
Cyril Jordan – Guitar
Joe Dileo – Guitar
Roger Steen – Guitar
Rick Anderson – Bass
Trey Sabatelli – Drums
Michael Holman – Vocals
Nick Taylor – Vocals
Frankie Jupiter – Vocals/Piano
Jimmy Sax Taylor – Sax/Vocals
Bruce McDaniel – Guitar
Grace Yoo – Vocals
Mia Jones – Vocals
Charlie Prince – Laughs
Steve Conte – Guitars
Neil Hamburger – Joke
Vince Welnick – Vocal
Jason Scheff – Bass/Vocals
Randy Brown – Bongos
Oink – Inspiration
John Ferenzik – guitar
Jennifer Burnes – bass
Jello Biafra – vocals
Miss Biafra – vocals
Mikel Ross – scatman and trashmouth
Gregor Huebner – violin
Hugh Cornwell – vocasl and guitar on Blue Despair
This project has slowly taken shape, and now the 14 cuts accompanied by Prairie’s artistic renderings of the various drums, have been completed and are label ready. Contact Prairie for more information about the future of this recording.
Every picture tells a story, story. Legendary columnist Herb Caen had written a glowing piece in the San Francisco Chronicle on this hot new band called The Tubes and referred to their drummer as “The one, the only Prairie Prince.” So we had this shirt made up, took a picture and sent it to Herb along with one of P.P.’s splintered sticks—which, I’m told was cherished by Herb and kept not far from his Pulitzer Prize. By the way, kindly note Prairie is wearing around his neck the pecker bone of a raccoon—an heirloom from his awesome dad, Charlie Prince.
— Edwin Heaven, writer
State-of-the-Art 60th Anniversary All-Star Celebration Of The Fab Four’s Arrival in America.
Featuring:
Narrated by Michael Des Barres
Rick Anderson passed away on Dec. 16, 2022. He was 75.
Rick and I have played together for 50 + years. He is a wonderful soul and an incredible bass player like non other. He also can translate words backwards without hesitation.
He’s now leading the great completion backwards principle in the sky.
Play on brother.
XO Prairie
Read more about Rick Anderson’s life
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An All-Star Band explores the music of DAVID GILMOUR’s Pink Floyd. Acclaimed musicians Jeff Pevar, Kasim Sulton, Prairie Prince, Mark Karan & Scott Guberman come together for this heavy psychedelic lift of audacious & beloved songs.
Re Styles, actress/model/singer/performer, died peacefully in her sleep on April 17, 2022, in San Francisco, CA, of complications from a stroke. She was 72.
More info >>
Todd Rundgren “Clearly Human” Live Virtual Tour is roaring along. Check out BTS video, onstage photos and press.
PRESS
March 11, 2021
Something ElseTodd Rundgren’s ‘Clearly Human’ Show Reimagines the Concert Experience
March 5, 2021
SiriusXM Feel it when Todd Rundgren’s Clearly Human Virtual Tour airs exclusively on Deep Tracks
March 1, 2021
Illinois Entertainer Stage Buzz Review and Photo Gallery: Todd Rundgren Clearly Human Livestream from Chicago
February 24, 2021
WGN9 Todd Rundgren takes up residency on the South Side for a 25-date virtual tour
The Oakland Press Todd Rundgren rocks Detroit — virtually, from afar
Ultimate Classic Rock Todd Rundgren Raises Virtual-Concert Bar: Show Review
February 17, 2021
Uber Rock Todd Rundgren – ‘Clearly Human’ Virtual Tour
February 16, 2021
Variety Todd Rundgren Kicks Off Virtual Tour in Chicago… Or Is It Buffalo?: Testing a New ‘Road’ Model in Quarantine
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette What to expect when Todd Rundgren’s Clearly Human Tour hits ‘Pittsburgh’
February 12, 2021
Newcity On the Virtual Road: Todd Rundgren Plays a Multi-City Tour—Entirely from Chicago
First-ever multi-city virtual concert tour.
Legendary recording artist, producer, songwriter and tech pioneer Todd Rundgren has announced his 2021 Clearly Human virtual tour, featuring 25 performances, each geofenced and tailored to a different US city. Buy tickets here.
With each performance emanating from a Chicago venue (the most convenient time zone to allow for 8pm show times in every market), the shows will be “localized” to give both the band and the fans a sense of place (e.g. local landmarks will appear on the video wall, catering for the band and crew will feature dishes associated with each city, etc).
Single-ticket purchases within the US will be limited to fans with zip codes corresponding to that show’s greater metropolitan area. US-based fans not living in a designated tour market can also “attend” any or all dates via multi-show ticket bundles, which, like internationally based fans purchasing single-show tickets, will exempt them from geofencing restrictions. In Chicago, there will be a licensed COVID compliance officer on staff at all times, with both the band and crew testing regularly throughout the duration of the virtual tour.
Emulating a traditional routing itinerary, the Clearly Human Tour will kick off February 14 “in” Buffalo, NY, and wrap up March 22 “in” Seattle, WA. Single tickets are priced at $35, with an array of premium add-ons and multi-date bundles available.
Produced by NoCap, the live streaming company recently launched by Cisco Adler, and Panacea Entertainment chairman Eric Gardner, Todd’s long-time manager, each show will feature Rundgren and an expanded 10-piece band performing standouts from his 50-year-plus catalogue, as well as his entire 1989 classic album ‘Nearly Human’, which Warner Music Group will also be re-releasing on CD and coloured vinyl. Remote meet-and-greets with Todd will be available at every show, as will options to select viewing from multiple camera angles and to be featured on several rows of video screens that will serve as the real-time “virtual audience” for the evening.
Subject to Chicago’s COVID policy regarding public gatherings in force at the time, there will be a handful of tickets available to attend in person and sit safely distanced amongst the virtual audience, with each attendee required to show proof of a negative test within 72 hours of the event.
Todd sat down with Rolling Stone recently to discuss the origins of the Clearly Human tour and to share the world premiere of his holiday single from Cleopatra Records – his interpretation of the 1978 Christmas tune “Flappie,” originally by Dutch comedian Youp van ’t Hek. Ever the contrarian, it’s suggested that one listen/watch at one’s own risk – “Flappie – A Holiday Fable.”
“People are trying to compensate often by doing one big show and trying to get as much audience as possible,” Rundgren tells Rolling Stone. “While that does unify the audience, it doesn’t give the audience that sense of special attention when you come to their town. At the same time, we have to try to figure out ways that as performers, we don’t wind up feeling like we’re doing a residence at a hotel.”
While the concept of Clearly Human lends itself naturally to our current socially distanced world, Todd actually conceived of the idea years ago as a solution to the growing challenges of touring amidst climate change and a way to reduce his own carbon footprint.
Seeing this as “setting the gold standard” for what he predicts will become a new touring paradigm, it’s not the first time Todd has been out front with a tech-savvy new idea. he designed the first-ever graphics tablet for Apple in 1979; other “firsts” include the first-ever live interactive television concert (1978), the first live national cablecast of a rock concert (1982), the first commercial music downloads (1992), the first online direct artist subscription service, “PatroNet” (1998,) and the first full-length concert shot with multiple Virtual Reality 360º cameras (2016).
Todd’s band for the Clearly Human Tour will feature Kasim Sulton (Bass), Prairie Prince (Drums), Eliot Lewis (Keys), Gil Assayas (Synth), Bruce McDaniel (Guitar), Bobby Strickland (Sax), Steven Stanley (Trombone), plus the erstwhile “Global Girls”: Michele Rundgren, Grace Yoo, and Ashle Worrick (Background Vocals).
“CLEARLY HUMAN” MARKETS
February 14: Buffalo, NY
February 16: Albany, NY
February 17: New York City, NY
February 19: Virginia Beach, VA
February 20: Pittsburgh, PA
February 22: Cleveland, Ohio
February 23: Detroit, MI
February 25: Indianapolis, IN
February 26: Chicago, IL
February 28: Madison / Milwaukee, WI
March 1: Minneapolis, MN
March 3: Kansas City, MO
March 4: St. Louis, MO
March 6: Nashville, TN
March 7: Dallas, TX
March 9: Houston, TX
March 10: Austin, TX
March 12: Denver, CO
March 13: Salt Lake City, UT
March 15: Phoenix, AZ
March 16: San Diego, CA
March 18: Los Angeles, CA
March 19: San Francisco, CA
March 21: Portland, OR
March 22: Seattle, WA
TICKETS >
Support Doctors & Nurses and the Global Community of Health Care Workers
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT! FIGHT THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS.
Poster by Prairie Prince
Click for Hi-Res image of the poster to print and share.
“for those having a hard time seeing, look within”
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Love, Prairie 2020
Prairie Prince Art Show CLOSING PARTY
Saturday, January 4, 2020 at 6 PM – 10 PM PST
Original Album Art
Original Paintings
Concept Art
Posters
T-Shirts
Instruments
With Special Guest Artist: Lindsey Millikan
Free to the Public
Drinks and Refreshments will be served!
50% of all proceeds benefit Makers Paradise, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization creating opportunities of growth to underserved communities: persons with disabilities, veterans and those re-entering the workforce with our specialized programs to support artists and makers.
Drummer and artist Prairie Prince’s Art of Rock takes place at Makers Paradise in Berkeley on Friday, November 22, 2019 from 6-10pm.
The art show features Original Album Art, Posters, T-Shirts, Instruments and Paintings. Special Guest Artist Lindsey Millikan.
50% of All Proceeds benefit Makers Paradise, a nonprofit organization supporting programs for emerging artists and makers.
