Pop Capsules : Sellout Time for Day but the Routine’s Dated

The sellout crowd might’ve known all the words and all the steps, but, truthfully, Morris Day’s hour-plus performance Friday night at the Universal Amphitheatre was pretty much the same old song and dance that the dude has been doin’ since the halcyon daze of the Twin Cities funk/rock titans, the Time (1981-83). This isn’t all Day’s fault.

Due to a combination of the group’s splintering talents and outright imitation, the Time’s original, stripped-down, sassy, funky, funny sound has been so successful that it’s lost its novelty--if not its appeal. After all, the audience ate Day’s all-the-hits (played too-fast and facelessly) approach with a parfait spoon.

But, somewhere along the line, Day’s sense of humor seems to have lost its cutting edge. (And that bit with the bimbo and the two wine glasses was never a good idea.) His most recent hit, “Fishnet,” should’ve been an Instant Classic instead of merely being as good as Day is likely to get these nights.