BILL DEVILLE: Surprise? No. He's one of the biggest stars around. Excited? Very much so. I think it's fantastic. Little hometown pride, prints on the big stage. Well, the biggest platform in the whole wide world, the Super Bowl. Like you mentioned, 150 million people. 

SPEAKER: And how widely watched are they, given that it's a break for a lot of people? And a lot of people might just want to see the football game. 

BILL DEVILLE: Good question. But you know what? People like me are mainly there. I think the halftime show could be more exciting than the first half of the ball game. When it's crunch time in the fourth quarter, that might be a little bit different. But yeah, I think that the halftime show is maybe the highlight-- that, along with the commercials for a lot of people, are the highlight of the whole day. 

SPEAKER: So is playing the Super Bowl then a sign that the star has made it, or they're on the way down? 

BILL DEVILLE: Well, I think certainly made it. But then again, like Justin Timberlake when he was on a few years ago for the infamous year with Janet Jackson, he was still a star on the rise. But I think everybody who's there is still-- I mean, I don't think they're fading at all. I mean, think about Paul McCartney besides Barbra Streisand, commands more money for tickets than virtually anybody around and still a huge draw. The stones set records in their most recent tour. Prince has been drawing huge amounts of people for his shows in recent years as well. 

SPEAKER: So no surprise in the cool factor. In other words, did it occur to you that he's just not cool enough to be doing something this public and commercial? 

BILL DEVILLE: Well, I think playing the Super Bowl is really cool. 

[LAUGHS] 

I mean, think about it. I mean, Paul McCartney has done it in recent years. Aerosmith and U2, I think, was the best one that's ever happened. I mean, they brought the whole Super Bowl performance to a whole new level when they did it a few years back. 

SPEAKER: Do you think we're going to get well-known stuff hits, or do you think some newer, lesser known stuff? He's got so many people watching. 

BILL DEVILLE: Yeah, I would love to see him play "Black Sweat" off of his most recent 3121, but I don't think that's going to happen. I think it's all about the hits during the Super Bowl. It's probably in a contract he signed someplace, I suspect. 

SPEAKER: What do you hope he plays? 

BILL DEVILLE: What I hope he plays? Well, "Let's Go Crazy," I think, would be very appropriate, "1999" granted. We're in the new millennium now, seven years in. But that would be good. "Little Red Corvette." There might be some language issues with that one. So don't think he'll necessarily play that. "Purple Rain?" Maybe a hometown favorite right there. Purple pride. How about "Kiss?" "Kiss" would be good too. I like that one. And maybe "Raspberry," blueberry, possibly "Delirious." 

SPEAKER: Let's talk about the infamous Janet Jackson incident that brought a tighter focus on family-friendly entertainment during the show. And Prince has, of late, been more public in his religion, on stage, even as a part of the shows. Do you think that's one of the reasons he was chosen here? 

BILL DEVILLE: Well, yeah. But I think you can't really deny his stardom either. I think Prince's show, I think over the last couple of years, have been totally clean and child-friendly. There's no profanities or anything during his show. So I think in that regard, he is safe. But I think he's also enough of a star that he has the-- he belongs in that stage as well. 

SPEAKER: All Right, while we're at it, Minnesota artists you want to see in the Super Bowl halftime. Anyone else? Dylan, for example. 

BILL DEVILLE: Well, Dylan would be great. But I think Bob is-- I don't think he's a big enough star. He doesn't sell enough records. I don't think that that's probably ever been occurred to anybody to have Bob Dylan on, but that would be very cool. I think this is it. I think Prince, let's savor the moment. 

SPEAKER: It's The Current's Bill DeVille. Thanks so much for coming in and enjoy the Super Bowl and Prince on the halftime show. 

BILL DEVILLE: My pleasure. Thanks for having me. I look forward to it.