Donnell's 25 Years in the Business Celebration
Mirrors, 33 New York Avenue NE Washington, DC 20002

I was the first customer they let in.

The woman taking covers said, "Hi Jordan" to me, but I didn't recognize her.
Yvette, Felecia "Cricket", Nakia, Tanya, Natalie, Tricia, Lisa of the World & Toya, and Isha were there.

Vybe - 10:21 PM
The line up was: Derrick Holmes (vocals), Kimese (vocals), Jacques Johnson (guitar), bass, 2 keyboard players, drummer, percussionist.


1) Kimese-led Jill Scott's When You're Around - it cranked, Derrick danced with Kimese / Percussion solo - Derrick said to a woman who had arrived and danced long before Vybe started: "You going to last all night?" -->
Tamara (Gemini) of 360 Band was there.
2) Derrick-led "Special new way of love, I want and love you" - it cranked -->
Gary was there.
3) Kimese-led Sade's No Ordinary Love - it cranked / Jacques solo / Percussion solo -->
4) Derrick-led Kanye West's One Night Extravaganza - it cranked, Derrick rapped / Jacques solo -->
5) Derrick-led Usher's Bad Girl - it cranked / Jacques solo -->
Toya and Tasha were there.
6) Kimese-led Fantasia's When I See You - it cranked, a guy came onstage and played the cowbell / Percussion solo -->
7) Derrick-led "money... up and down" - it cranked -->
8) Derrick-led Gucci Mane's Freaky Gurl - it cranked / Jacques solo
Derrick talked about D-Floyd's 25 years in the business and said that Sugar Bear had 85 years in the business.
They were done at 11:18 PM. I enjoyed it. By the end of their set, the dance floor was packed.

Wanda (2nd2None) was there.

Sabrina Fields, Kia, Stacy (Pretty Smile), Maketta, Mary, Sanisse, Kim (Sweet Kim), Kim, Maquita, Juanita, Nicole (BF), and Robin were there.

A woman named Sharon talked with me; she had seen me Friday as well.

EU
The line up was: Gregory "Sugar Bear" Elliott (vocals & bass), Mya (vocals, celebrating her birthday), Kevin "KC" (vocals), Tony (guitar), Ivan Goff (keyboard), Mike Smith (drummer), Derrick Curry (percussion).

Mya, Mike, Kevin, Tony, Derrick


Ivan, Sugar Bear, Mya, Mike, Kevin
Sugar Bear said, "I don't care who you vote for, just vote."
1) Alternating Mya-led Rihanna's Take a Bow - it had a light crank, Sugar Bear chanted, "Gimme that beat!" / Percussion solo - it rose to a full crank
2) Sugar Bear-led "Drop down low & touch the floor" - it cranked / "Uh oh" / "Throw up your hands" -->
3) Sugar Bear-led 50 Cent's In Da Club - it cranked / "Ya ya ya" / "Don't you play with Sugar" / "Ain't got no step" / "Move with your body" - a guy played cowbell / Trillville's Some Cut / 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease) / "Gimme that beat" - Percussion solo -->
4) Sugar Bear & Kevin-led Lil Wayne's Lollipop - it cranked / Nelly's Flap Your Wings (tease) / "Shake it, shake your body" - Derrick played toms / "Hold up, wait a minute!" / "Hey ladies" - they responded "Yeah!", "Can we do it for the fellas" - they responded, "Oh my God!" / "If you're sexy and you know it, raise your hands!"
5) Alternating Sugar Bear-led Freak a Deak All Night Long - it cranked, Derrick played the congas / "Hey ay, hey ay" / Rare Essence's One On One - "Do it for Footz, & Bernie Mac & Isaac Hayes" / Field Mob's Can't Stop Us / "It's your birthday, Mya" / "Hey ay, Ho oh" / Funkadelic's Undisco Kidd "Girls are Bad" / Cops Theme "Bad girls" / ? / keyboard solo - the frontline danced in synch / "Pop the Coochie" - Derrick played toms / Ludacris' #1 Spot "We're so hot, we got the #1" / "Ya ya ya" / Yung Berg's Sexy Lady with altered lyrics "Hey sexy ladies, we're trying to get to know you" / "I want to love you"
Simone, Noelle, and JoJo were there.
6) Sugar Bear-led OutKast's The Way You Move (tease) - it cranked / "Rock that beat, work the middle" / "Somebody's girl is at this party, she wants to get with ya" / "Are you tired yet? - the crowd responded, "Hell no!" / "When are we going to get to the good part?"
7) Sugar Bear-led R. Kelly's Snake - it cranked, Derrick played toms / "Get your freak on, Is that my chick? I don't know" / "Tell me what you feel like doing?" - the crowd responded, "Feel like moving that body" / "Hold up, Wait a minute!" / Kanye West's Gold Digger - Derrick played toms / "Are the Redskins the real deal? Better than the Cowboys? Who's going to the Super Bowl?"
Darrell was there.
8) Sugar Bear-led Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s Crush on You - it cranked, Derrick played toms / Mya rapped "Yes, indeed" / "Go Mya, it's your birthday" / Percussion solo
Sugar Bear said, "I won't play more, I won't disrespect Donnell."
They were done at 12:20 AM. I enjoyed it, as usual. By the end of their set, Mirrors was about as packed as it possibly could be.

Mike Jones, Sashay Shaunte, Tracey, Torrie, Gwynn, Ariel, Ray, and Nikia were there.

Familiar Faces
The line up was: Donnell (vocals & Sax), Scooby (vocals & guitar), Damila (vocals), DP (vocals & trumpet), Mike "Hard Step" (vocals & trombone), Wendell (guitar), Sean (bass), Godfather (keyboard), Lorenzo (keyboard), Jammin' Jeff (drummer), Smoke (congas), Bojack (percussion)

Sean, Scooby, Godfather, (this guy had a guitar strapped on his back but didn't play), Lorenzo, Damila, Wendell, Donnell, Packy


Damila, Wendell, Donnell, Packy, DP, Bojack, Mike, Nephew, Donnell Jr.


Sean, Godfather, Scooby, ?, Lorenzo, Toya, Damila, Wendell, Donnell, Packy, Jammin' Jeff, Lisa of the World
1) Warming up - Donnell acapella Phil Collins' In the Air Tonight (tease)
Jessica, Tim (LJ), and Donnell Jr. were there.
Donnell announced that Quese wasn't there because his Mom had died that morning. Donnell asked for a moment of silence.
Donnell gave thanks. He said on January 7, 1983, when he went to audition for Rare Essence, Godfather came down the steps and told him to play Mr. Magic, which was one of the things he (Donnell) knew. He talked about the experience of his band members: 20 years for Bojack, who started in Junkyard, Derrick Page (next to me my whole life), Jammin' Jeff & Smoke in the Northeast Groovers, Googie 100 years. Little Mike from EU, he's got 28. We weren't supposed to like each other since I was in Rare Essence and he was in EU. The most talented one onstage, Scooby, is the puppy. Scooby pulled in (a crowd) from everyone (when L!ssen had its run). "It's been a pleasure; this is the best bunch of guys I've been with in my whole life." Lisa of the World, been with us since the Howard Theater.
1) Scooby-led Sunshine - it cranked, Scooby held his mic to the audience, Scooby chanted, "Oh oh oh" / "Party with me" / Percussion solo - Donnell said, "Dance with me y'all" and the frontline danced in synch, some girl whooped
2) Donnell-led "Hey ay, Hey ay" - it cranked / "Hey ay, Ho oh"
3) Donnell-led "Can we do it for the ladies/fellas, Oh my God!"
4) Donnell-led "Familiar Faces is for the Grown & Sexy" - it cranked / "___ Da na ah"
5) Donnell-led 911 - it cranked, Bojack played congas, the frontline danced in synch / "Let's walk" -->
6) Donnell-led Brown & White - it cranked, Slick Rick danced onstage / Ride Out - they did the Ride Out dance

Slick Rick leads the Ride Out dance
7) Alternating Donnell-led Notorious BIG's Warning - it cranked, they did the bowing dance / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease) / Derek Floyd went onstage, hugged his Dad and rapped

Donnell's oldest sons Donnell Jr. and Derek
All pictures (except flyer) taken by and Copyright - Jordan Rich
8) Alternating Donnell-led Tom Tom Club's Genius of Love (tease) - Donnell did the keyboard effects vocals, it cranked / Rare Essence's Spotlight (tease) / Vinnie D's $55 Motel (tease) / Rare Essence's Overnight Scenario (tease)
9) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Lock It - it cranked, Donnell chanted, "If you're 25 and older, put your hands in the air", RE Angie was onstage, Mike danced
10) Donnell-led 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease)
Tina and Mama Michelle were there.
11) Donnell-led "Party party, everybody" - it cranked / Scooby-led "Uh oh uh uh oh" - Scooby chanted, "Throw your hands in the air, throw your hands up", Scooby said, "It's getting hot in here" / "How low can you go?" / Donnell-led Rare Essence's Uh Oh (Heads Up) - Donnell chanted, "Bling bling bling, where my troopers at?" -->
Sanchez was there.
12) Donnell-led "25, 25, 25" / Rare Essence's Work the Walls - it cranked / "Outrageous" rap / Rare Essence's All Da Time
Peg Leg and Imani were there.
13) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Marinda - it cranked -->
14) Donnell-led Public Enemy's Welcome to the Terrordome - it cranked / Smoke conga solo - the house lights came on / "I Gave my Whole Life" -->
Stacy (ChooChoo's Cousin) was there.
15) Donnell, Scooby, & Damila-led Do You Think About Me? - it had a light crank / Donnell-led Donna Summer's Love to Love You, Baby (tease) / Scooby-led "DC girls, they drive me crazy" / Donnell-led Lisa Stansfield's All Around the World (tease) / "Horny horns"
Angie W., Angel, Candi W., Bobbie Westmoreland, Shawn, Nena, Marvin, Fee, Janetta, and Chantelle were there.
They were done a little after 2 AM. I enjoyed it.
During their set, another woman who saw me Friday came up to me, as well as a woman who saw me at Juste Lounge the Friday before.

I introduced myself to Lo, RE Angie's friend.

I talked with Peg Leg outside on the way to my car.