Thursday at Bud's
Bud's 501 Club, 501 Morse St NE, Washington, DC 20002

As I walked in, a woman behind me yelled, "hey FunkmasterJ" - I met Nena in person for the first time. I sat and ate at the bar with some women from the TMOTT Board. I asked Ras Lidj when he would be going on then went upstairs. Packy was setting up FF's lights at the same time the Deep Band was setting up.

Ras Lidj & Deep Band
Only ten customers were there when Ras Lidj & the Deep Band started. They performed an eighty to ninety minute set. This was my first time seeing his whole band - it is two vocalists (Ras Lidj & Julian), a guitarist, two keyboard players, and a percussionist (congas and later roto-toms and timbales). The soundman went over the mics one by one. The bass was quite booming where I sat. Bud asked me if I was enjoying myself. She asked me if it was the first I was at Bud's I told her, "No, I was here for Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday"
1) Son of a One Night Stand
2) Bob Marley's No Woman No Cry - Ras Lidj added a rap
3) ?
4) I believe this was Tour Bus, Packy joined them on cowbell and later other percussion as well
5) ?
Ras is quite a showman; he jumps around a lot and even stands on one leg
6) "She Want Money"
7) ?
Ras Lidj said, "Now for some culture & diversity".
8) "Ganja Weed"
9) "I used to take you for granted"
10-18) To be honest, given that the material is unfamiliar to me and the transitions are so smooth, it is difficult to figure out how many songs there are.
The manager asked for one more song, which they did. It was a very nice performance, which is why it was a shame that there were so few people watching it.

Chocoltchp from the TMOTT board introduced herself to me. During the break between Deep Band and EU, one of the songs the DJ played was Chuck Brown's single Fiesta that he performed at the DC Armory.

EU
The line up was: Sugar Bear on vocals and bass, two male singers (Donny Ray, and lead vocalist Junie), a female singer - Stephanie (wearing a pink outfit with a miniskirt and the word Diva on the back of her top), a guitarist, a keyboard player - Scooter, JuJu on drums and Derek (spelling?) on percussion
Also at this time, a guy set up for GoGo pics
First Set
1) Earth Wind & Fire's Can't Hide Love
2) "If you were me, you would know what I mean to say"
Sugar Bear asked if the Wizards had won yet, the crowd shouted "they lost!"
3) Shuggie Otis' Strawberry Letter 23
4) "I'll take you out tonight" - Junie went out on the dance floor
5) "The secret of you, can't recall"
I noticed Packy played cowbell for them
6) Sugar Bear-led "Do you want some more, freaks on the floor"
Kato said hello
7) Stephanie-led "You're my nephew" rap
8) Sugar Bear-led "Melissa, hold up, wait a minute" / Freak A Deak All Night Long

Sugar Bear announced they were going into break and pointed out Yannie from L!ssen was there. He asked her if she want to sing with them. He said you have ten minutes to decide.

JuJu asked me if I was having a good time - of course.

#02 from the TMOTT board said hello. I told him I'd check them (Submission Band) out next week. He said he reads my blog.

A couple of women next to me debated the merits of Derek vs. Mighty Moe on congas for EU. The crowd grew larger.

Second Set
1) Erykah Badu's Didn't Cha Know
2) Sugar Bear-led Slick Rick's La Di Da Di "Don't you hurt nobody"
3) Sugar Bear-led Freak a Deak All Night Long
4) Sugar Bear-led Funkadelic's Undisco Kidd (tease) - "The girl is bad" / Cops' Theme (changed to) Bad Girls (tease) / "Pop the Coochie"
5) Sugar Bear-led Ludacris' Number One Spot
6) Sugar Bear-led OutKast's The Way You Move (tease)
7) Sugar Bear-led Hues Corporation's Rock the Boat (tease)
8) "Do go pop?"
9) Bobby Valentino's Slow Down
10) Stephanie-led Amerie's 1 Thing - she went on the dance floor, percussion solo at the end
11) "Get your freak on" - nice guitar solo
This performance was also about ninety minutes. This was the most crankin' EU performance I've been to.

All three bands had their own sound men. Donnell and Charlie arrived during EU's performance.

Familiar Faces
DP was not present tonight. At the start of the set - Dwayne Lee and BJ were not there, they were returning from a gig with a singer named Ebony in Philadelphia. There was a guy with a trumpet case on his back - I guess he was supposed to be a replacement trumpeter, but after he talked with Donnell, FF went without a trumpet. They had the lights and smoke machine for their performance. Preston Blue was there and said hello.
1) Mike-led O'Bryan's Lady I Love You
Dwayne Lee arrived and apparently BJ (I didn't actually see BJ until the performance was over)
2) Halima-led Rodgers & Hart's My Funny Valentine - Donnell touched her hair during the appropriate part of the lyrics
Stacey was there
Ytee fanned the smoke with his Nationals cap
They started the crank with the third song
3) Mike-led Anthony Hamilton's Since I Seen't You
Kay Kay went on stage
4) Halima-led Erykah Badu's Cleva
Donnell said, "Where you at Adia?" I assume he meant Yannie. Then he yelled "I'm Getting Ready"
Yannie sat in
5) Yannie-led Erykah Badu's Danger / Kay Kay rapped
Donnell said, "These are the three baddest women in DC."
6) Donnell-led "Hey ay, Ho oh"
7) Alternating Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut - Doc rapped / Notorious BIG's Warning / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease) / Donnell yelled, "Wait a minute"
8) Donnell-led Tupac's Hail Mary (tease)
9) Donnell-led Ludacris' Number One Spot
10) Donnell-led Prince's Take Me With You (tease)
Slim Goodie from TMOTT introduced herself to me. I couldn't hear her the first time she told me over the music. But after Ytee chased her, she sat down next to me and I asked her what she said. I'd seen her before at Safari, but didn't know who she was.
11) Donnell-led Hold the Note
12) Donnell-led Miss Shaquita Will You Dance for Me - "Od ba ba ba"
13) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Marinda
Donnell said, "Can we get a socket for the birthday girl?"
14) Donnell-led 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease)
Mike said, "Don't worry about Ytee screaming, he's just excited."
15) Mike-led Stevie Wonder's As - then an acapella repeat
Donnell said, "What did you do to her, she's rubbing herself." Now all she needs to do is go down in that drawer. You ladies don't need us anymore do you." One woman shouted she kept it (her vibrator) in the freezer."

Donnell was joking about people having born on dates like beers. Mike went with Shaquita to the bar and bought her a drink. Donnell teased him: "Mike's down four. Oh, he lost by two, missed the last shot. Don't worry Mike; it's a seven game series." Mike responded, "I'll quit before I lose." Donnell then joking called Shaquita "Shaq". Mike said, "I bought her a drink, I want my eight dollars back." Mike then said, "Look he's (me) writing all this down." Donnell said, "Alice Keys has been to Bojangles too many times, she's putting it on."