Purple Reign

Talentless poseurs? Hardly. In fact, these Vegas-based Prince and the Revolution impersonators are exquisite poseurs — a tribute band so meticulous and lovingly choreographed that they rated an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, where effete sidekick/bandleader/dude Paul Shaffer deemed their performance “fabulous.” Unquestionably, the source of the band’s magic is singer-guitarist/Prince doppelganger Jason Tenner, an electrifying performer who flawlessly apes all the real Prince’s looks and moves, from the pompadour and wing-tip boots to the creepily sexual neck-slides and alarming penchant for doing the splits. It’s the kind of obsessive, near-satirical mimicry that rises to the level of art, reminiscent of John Belushi’s palsied, dirty T-shirt duets with Joe Cocker in the 1970s. Of course, unlike Cocker, the artist formerly known as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince is waaaaay too self-sanctified and trademark-obsessed to actually perform alongside a mere impersonator. Also, a Prince/Tenner duet would truly qualify as one of pop culture’s most blessedly surreal moments. You can also be certain that Prince would never be caught dead in a Casino Arizona, so this is your best chance to catch a smoking-hot rendition of “Little Red Corvette” after playing a few hands of pai gow.