Dan's Papers - July 13, 2007

The moment we have all been waiting for is finally here. On Saturday, July 14, Prince will take the stage at the first VIP-only concert event of the year, kicking off the most exclusive concert series to ever hit the Hamptons. Prince is reportedly receiving five million dollars for his performance, with the rest of profits going towards the Ross School's scholarship fund. And with "SOCIAL Passport" tickets to all five shows priced at $15,000 per person, many students who dream of attending the prestigious Ross school but were unable to afford tuition will now be able to attain the world-class education they deserve.

The concert series is the first Hamptons-based event being thrown by SOCIAL, the self-described "lifestyle developed for a global community" that provides a select few viewers with a VIP concert experience like no other. SOCIAL has thrown concert events such as this at select locations from Aspen to Miami, and now they have arrived to treat a select few Hamptonites to the concert experience of a lifetime. Unlike most music performances, there are no VIP sections at SOCIAL concerts. Instead, the entire venue is designated as VIP, offering audience members the unique experience of dining on exquisite food prepared by famous chefs and creating their very own "swag bags" of memorabilia and merchandise as they listen to some of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th Century. The only way to attend one of these elite concerts is to buy a SOCIAL Passport to all five concerts, which will place these charitable music lovers in the limelight of the Hamptons social scene all summer long.

As one of the most adored and elusive performers in the world, it is no surprise that Prince was chosen to give the first performance in this exquisite lineup. Perhaps most famous for bending the rules of the music industry by changing his name to a symbol between the years of 1994 and 1999 so that he would no longer be bound to his record label, for whom he had signed a contract as "Prince" that bound him to making a certain number of albums under the guidance of their label, Prince has been pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable to play on over-censored American airwaves ever since his debut album, For You, hit the shelves in 1978. Since then, music lovers of all ages have basked in the bluesy, sultry sounds of his albums, stripping music store shelves of as many copies as they could get their hands on and giving sixteen of them multi-platinum status. Some of his chart-topping singles include 1979's "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and "Sexy Dancer;" 1980's "Controversy" and "Let's Work;" 1982's "(Party Like It's) 1999;" 1983's "Little Red Corvette;" 1984's "When Doves Cry," "Let's Go Crazy" and "Purple Rain;" 1985's "Raspberry Beret;" 1986's "Kiss;" 1987's "Sign '?' the Times;" "U Got the Look" with Sheena Easton; 1989's "Batdance;" 1990's "Thieves in the Temple;" 1991's "Get Off," "Cream" and "Diamonds and Pearls;" 1994's "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" and 2007's "Guitar."

Not only is Prince one of the world's foremost recording artists, he has also made his mark on American cinema by producing, directing and starring in numerous films and groundbreaking music videos. His film credits include acting in and composing the music for 1984's Purple Rain; acting, writing, composing and directing 1986's Under the Cherry Moon; composing, directing and performing in 1987's Sign "?" the Times and 1989's Lovesexy; composing the music for 1989's Batman; acting in, composing the music for, writing and directing 1990's Graffiti Bridge; acting in, composing, writing and directing 1990's Get Off video single, 1992's Sexy MF video single, 1992's Diamonds and Pearls video collection, 1993's The Hits Collection, 1994's 3 Chains o' Gold and Prince Interactive, a video game starring himself; composing the song "Super Hero" for the 1994 film Blankman; composing the music for 1995's Showgirls, 1996's Girl 6, 2000's Bamboozled and 2006's animated hit, Happy Feet.

Prince is also known for giving some of the most scintillating, exciting stage performances ever produced on American soil, filling his stages with gorgeous dancers and wowing the crowds with his eccentric fashion sense and extravagant guitar solos. As one of the few performers well-known enough to be recognizable by only one name and the only performer to ever be represented by a simple symbol, Prince is an American musical legend. Those fortunate enough to attend SOCIAL's intimate concert and stand only steps away from this ethereal performer are sure to be amazed by Prince's talent and sheer genius as a performer.

Even if audiences are not able to get in to this exclusive concert, SOCIAL has filled the rest of their roster with other top-notch performers who are sure to please the holders of the few coveted SOCIAL Passports. On July 28, South African rock star Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds will fill the lawn of the Ross School with the cool sounds of their mellow music and on August 4, the Hamptons' favorite piano man, Billy Joel, will bring lucky SOCIALites a show they will never forget. On August 11, fans of folk music will be able to watch the master, James Taylor, share his music with the select, upscale crowd and on August 25, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will return to the Hamptons for the first time since they delighted their fans during Southampton College's "Concerts by the Sea" series, giving the Hamptons' SOCIAL @ Ross the phenomenal closing act the series is known for producing. Although SOCIAL Passport availability is limited, there may still be time to contact Bulldog Island Events at (800) 803-6644 for more information, or visit www.discoversocial.com.