His songs may no longer dominate the charts like they did in the 1980s, but the Artist Formerly Known as Prince has lost none of the magic, intensity and pioneering spirit that made him one of the most innovative and influential acts in pop music history.

What the 11,000 people witnessed at the Saddledome last night was as brilliant as a ball of pure energy.

Come to think of it, he was a ball of pure energy, making his first appearance in Calgary an unforgettable one.

He may be barely five feet tall, and the epitome of lithe, but his presence filled the 'Dome.

He walked on stage in a virginal white shirt and bell-bottoms and, to the slinky rhythm of Jam of the Year, laid down by his six-piece New Power Generation, he shook his groove thang on his piano, much to the crowd's delight.

On record, you can appreciate his skills as a writer, producer and arranger, but on stage you realize he's also a master of movement, whose flashy footwork and risque gyrations make James Brown seem prudish and Michael Jackson look neutered.

By the third song, Purple Rain, lighters were ignited and the Artist had the audience firmly in his grasp. He could have coasted from there.

Of course, he didn't.

The Artist mixed old favorites, sadly overlooked album tracks (such as the supremely funky Let's Work ) and unreleased songs as deftly as he glided from funkedelic grooves, pillow-soft R&B ballads and Hendrix-style guitar pyrotechnics.

He essentially processed the past 30 years of popular music through his genius sensibilities and insatiable libido.

And the music rarely stopped. One song would blend into the next, with nary a moment of silence. The concert, as the tour's title -- Jam of the Year -- implies, really resembled one long, continuous, funky jam.

The Artist may have abdicated his princely position on the pop charts, but he's still musical royalty.

Normally an unannounced opening act that's completely unknown to Calgarians wouldn't warrant taking ink away from the Artist, but I would be remiss not to mention the performance of Graham Central Station.

The seven-piece band dished out funk so fat and persuasive that they had the crowd on its feet, clapping, shouting and singing along, as if they were enjoying the Artist himself.

Graham Central's flamboyant delivery and joyous improvisations were obviously inspired by Sly and the Family Stone, a debt acknowledged with their feverish versions of Thank You, Family Affair, Everyday People and I Wanna Take You Higher.