With barely a day's notice, Prince launched a three-day, six-concert mini residency at the Dakota Jazz Club in January. Combine the last-minute adrenaline, the intimate environment, and the cold-as-hell weather, and these shows proved to get Twin Cities fans rethinking what was possible — or impossible, if you consider the $250 tickets for the Friday night shows featuring the Purple One backed by his new all-female band. Progressing from instrumental jams the first night to the all-out, punk-fueled blast of the third evening, Prince reminded us all that he's still one of the best bandleaders to walk the earth. With cell phones banned from the performances, the almost complete lack of photographic evidence from the shows makes the memory of them seem like a glimmering, purple mirage.