Still Standing in the Purple Rain—Just With Less Hair and More Back Pain

 

Still Standing in the Purple Rain

Just With Less Hair and More Back Pain

Todd Swank's Diary Entry for October 27, 2025

Sorry I’m a day late with this week’s post. We had a little setback over the weekend when Grandma Linda wasn’t feeling right and ended up in the ER. She had to spend the night, but they took great care of her and she’s doing much better now. If the worst thing that came out of it was my blog post being delayed, I’ll take that trade every time.

Back in the mid-eighties, I used to cruise the streets of Clear Lake, Iowa, in my green Chevy Nova, windows down and a Prince cassette blaring through my not-so-fancy tape deck. Purple Rain was on constant rotation, and I belted out every lyric like I was auditioning for The Revolution. When I moved to the Twin Cities after college, I ended up living just twenty miles from Paisley Park—basically a dream for a die-hard fan like me. So when I heard Purple Rain was hitting the stage at the State Theatre before heading to Broadway, I jumped at the chance to grab front-row seats and relive my teenage glory days.

I’m happy to report the show was a blast! The cast nailed their portrayals of Prince, Apollonia, Morris Day, and the rest of the wild crew that made the late-‘70s and early-‘80s Twin Cities music scene so iconic. Before the show started, the director came out and told us this version is still evolving, with tweaks being made every night since opening week. Miss Sheri and I absolutely loved it—every song hit like a time machine. I’d forgotten just how many tracks from Purple Rain still live rent-free in my head.

If I had one critique, it’s that the second act leaned a little heavy on Prince’s tortured-artist phase—lots of angst, troubled parents, and brooding introspection. Or maybe that was just me being cranky for staying out late on a school night. Either way, once the music kicked back in for the finale, we were right back to rocking in our seats. Miss Sheri said parts of it felt like a strip show—I told her I didn’t see any problem with that. All in all, I’d highly recommend Purple Rain to anyone who’s ever shouted, “Let’s Go Crazy!” or maybe just “Let’s Get Nuts!”

The week started on a rough note watching my Vikings get shredded by the Eagles. Jalen Hurts threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns in a 28–22 win that didn’t feel quite that close. My Vikings may suck, but spending the afternoon with my son Luke made it all worth it. We might not have left the stadium with a win, but at least we both still have hope—and that’s what being a Vikings fan is all about… blind, beautiful, delusional hope.

We were actually at Purple Rain Thursday night while the Vikings were getting smoked 37–10 by the Chargers. I caught the first few series on my phone before the show started, then decided watching Prince was a much better use of my emotional energy than watching the purple and gold disappoint me again. Every buzz from my watch during the show just confirmed I’d made the right call. Maybe JJ McCarthy can save the season… or at least make watching this team hurt a little less.

Friday night we met up with Luke, Avery, and Abby for some “serious” golf swings at the new Launch Pad driving range outside Mystic Lake. We ate great food, drank better drinks, and launched balls straight into giant glowing targets like we actually knew what we were doing. Not a bad way to spend a Friday night—especially when nobody had to chase the balls afterward.

I actually made a couple of TikTok videos about this place right before and after it opened, and somehow they each pulled in nearly 250,000 views. Guess people really like golf—or maybe just watching other people embarrass themselves at it. I even mentioned my viral success to a few of the employees, half-expecting a free round or at least a complimentary Diet Coke. Sadly, no such luck. Still, it’s an awesome place—and I’d totally say that even if they had comped me.