Rock legend Prince closed out SXSW 2013 with a mammoth two and a half hour set which lasted into the early hours of March 17.
The 54-year old performer took to the stage at midnight and finally vacated the stage at 2:30am after performing such numbers as "Purple Rain", "1999" and "Cool" and songs by other artists like Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Until You Get Enough", Aretha Franklin's "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" and Janet Jackson's "What Have You Done for Me Lately".
Prince talked to the audience a few times during the set. "I love being a musician," the singer said. "It feels like being a servant. A servant to you." Before one encore, he stated "Goodnight, Austin. Don't make me hurt you. Do you know how many hits I have?"
While the likes of Justin Timberlake and the Smashing Pumpkins were performing in other SXSW venues nearby, the Minnesotan wowed the La Zona Rosa crowd he was backed by a full 18-piece band but never played guitar himself – instead leaving the riff duties to the impressive Donna Grantis – but he did play the piano.
Nearing the end of his set, Prince told the crowd "They say we only have 20 minutes. Can we make it the best 20 minutes of our lives?" And when it was all over, Prince stamped his place in rock history as one of the greatest entertainers the world has ever seen.
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