Friday at Safari
Safari Steakhouse, 9430 Annapolis Road Lanham MD 20706

I again didn't go to Wednesday's show because I went to Maryland's home NIT win over Davidson.

Dwayne practiced on the drums, which he used to play. He said he would like to play drums for FF once and that Donnell had offered to let him play drums for the New Years show. He said he originally played for two years on keyboards, eight on drums - his favorite instrument, fifteen on guitar (this he told me during the second break). He said it takes a lot longer to improve on the guitar than the drums. I saw Donnell and asked him how his vacation was. He said, "Excellent."

Familiar Faces
First Set
1) Instrumental
2) John Legend's Let's Get Lifted - instrumental
3) Adia-led Alicia Keys' Diary
James went up on stage
4) Adia-led Incognito's Can't Get You Out of My Head
5) Grover Washington Jr.'s Mr. Magic
6) Adia-led Jill Scott's Not Like Crazy
Donnell announced, "Adia better work on her vocal cords, because it was going to be just her all night long (no Mike), someone get her another drink."
7) Adia & Donnell-led (Sade's) Cherish the Day
8) Donnell-led rap (I couldn't hear it well enough to identify it)
9) Donnell-led Donna Summer's Love to Love You, Baby
10) Donnell-led Notorious BIG's Warning - Donnell asked if anyone knew it, a male guest with a beard sang along
11) Percussion solo - Donnell said, "If it is too hot, take it off, that's our motto".

Second Set
1) Donnell-led ? (I was talking to Kato, so I couldn't hear it well enough to identify it)
2) Donnell-led "Would you be my girl, if I took you home, would you rock my world"
They had technical problems, and Donnell spent some time calling for Vincent, saying, "Vincent, get your fat ass and nappy hair up here, I'm going to punch you."
Donnell had a disagreement with Doc and Dwayne re: playing and which key was correct. He said "I'll join you when you're in the right key, Once upon a time, everyone thought the world was flat, they were wrong..."
3) ? "We need Tricky Rick"
4) Adia-led Jill Scott's Whatever
5) Adia & James-led Usher & Alicia Key's My Boo
6) Donnell-led "Would you be my girl, if I took you home, would you rock my world" (reprise)
7) Donnell-led "F*ck them 'Bamas"
8) Adia-led Erykah Badu's Danger (tease) - Donnell sang, "Sweet 'Chelle, My Belle"
9) ? Head up
10) Donnell-led "Hey ay, Ho oh"
11) Donnell-led "Do it for the ladies/fellas, Oh my God!"
12) Doc-led Snoop's Drop it Like It's Hot
13) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Lock It
14) Donnell-led DIP
15) Adia-led "Quiver your eyes?"
Angie and Tracy were here, I talked to them during the set. I told them, I had missed Wednesdays because I had gone to MD games. I asked which nights they went out, Angie said Wed, Fri, and Sat. She doesn't like Buds because it is so small. She asked, "Why do we look like the type that party every night?" I said I don't know and told her about Stacy (a young hot Black woman at my job at the Red Cross in Baltimore who had strict rules of dating: you have to take her out at least four nights a week and if she paid a penny, you got nothing...) I also told her about Little Benny subbing for Donnell on Sunday.

Third Set
Donnell talked about going to Myrtle Beach, they would be playing on Thursday and Saturday. They are free for parties on Friday - for ladies only. Going down on a Saturday for Scooby's birthday to Deep Creek Lake, After Hours and Scooby's band whatever they call themselves. Friday nights here are Bama-free - this time it was true, no fights.
1) Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut
2) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Marinda
3) Donnell-led Tom Tom Club's Genius of Love / Rare Essence's Spotlight / Rare Essence's Get on the Wagon? medley
4) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Work the Walls / Vinnie D's $55 Motel
5) Adia-led Been Lisa Stansfield's All Around the World (tease)
6) Donnell-led Rare Essence's How Can I Know?
7) Alternating Donnell-led Rare Essence's Work the Walls / "F*ck them n*ggas"
8) Donnell-led "He doesn't understand you like I do"
9) Donnell-led "Miss Keta Will You Dance for Me"
10) Long percussion solo - the crowd shouted, "GoGo Smoke-ay"
Donnell said, "We grew up on Northeast Groovers, don't act like you don't know."
11) Donnell-led Rare Essence's What N*gga What?
12) Donnell-led Nelly's Flap Your Wings
13) Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut
A female, possibly a guest vocalist, was on stage with Stinky Dink
14) Stinky Dink-led Rickety Raw "Stinky Dink get Rickety Raw"
Stinky Dink shook hands with me, then talked with Tracy.
15) Donnell-led "Had fun withya, done withya"
16) Donnell-led Lap Dance
Donnell said, "BJ you can talk about me, they talked about Jesus too. Adia will be there at the Tradewinds, she's all the woman you need, our little red corvette. Hey Jauhar, we have a new nickname for Adia, little red corvette, 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds. Hey Bianca, thanks for the view while you leave. Hey Sabrina, if you're going to cheat on me, get the pampers money from him." She went up to him to respond.

I talked with Kato about being BJ's cousin, he said BJ got him into music and taught him, BJ can play anything, when BJ picked up a 12 string guitar and started playing classical music, Kato wanted to put away his guitar in the box, put it in the closet, and never play again. Kato remembered Dwayne playing drums for Redds and the Boys, and keyboards. BJ is a year older than him, Dwayne two years.

Before I got in my car, I moved a beer bottle so a girl would not have to drive over it.