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

I talked with Godfather out in the parking lot before I went in. Godfather set up and played his keyboard before the other band members arrived.

Familiar Faces
First Set
1) Mike-led Kool & the Gang's Summer Madness
2) Halima-led Alicia Keys' Diary - she did a nice solo
Donnell joked that Halima needed a DC name: "Shaniqua, Keisha, Nee Nee, Aquarius, Aquarium".
3) Mike-led O'Bryan's Lady I Love You
4) James-led Jill Scott's Not Like Crazy
5) Halima-led Erykah Badu's Didn't Cha Know
I joked to Halima that James' voice is as high as yours. She said he sang very well.
6) Mike-led John Legend's Ordinary People

At the break, I talked with Angie and Tracy. Tracy was feeling Doc's shoes that had the same kind of wood as BMWs. Angie wanted to learn how to play pool, but not at Safari. I asked her what she did, she's a purchasing agent. Stomp slept during the break.

Second Set
Donnell went over the announcements for their Bike Week trip and the Miami video shoot. He said of the Bike Week: "We'll be available for parties at the Radisson. Fellas, Halima will be in room 442. But at Bike Week, you may want to find faster paced girls". Mike responded, with a voice like a possessed Linda Blair in the Exorcist: "My room is 666, come if you dare!" Donnell then joked about the Miami trip: "If you can't afford the flight, Godfather is arranging a bus trip. We have chartered a 747 with Michael Muse's colors painted on the tail fin."
Kato was there and CrankinDrumma. I asked and he said he's done with school.
1) Mike-led Stevie Wonder's As
2) Halima-led Erykah Badu's Cleva
Kelvin Robinson, assistant manager of Y2K was there and said hello
3) Mike-led Stevie Wonder's Superstition
4) Mike-led John Legend's Used to Love U
5) Donnell-led Ludacris' Number One Spot
Darryl "Blue Eye" Arrington and Darrin "X" Frazier arrived. I introduced myself to Darrin X, as I had spoken with him and emailed him, but not met him in person before. Donnell did a shout out to them.
6) Donnell-led "___ Is in the house"
7) Donnell-led Holla at Your Boy
Charlie and RE Angie arrived
8) Donnell-led "Hey ay, Ho oh"
9) Donnell-led Rare Essence's I'm Getting Ready
10) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Marinda

Dollar Bill Mason of Y2K said hello.

Blue Eye, Darrin X, Mike and Donnell cracked stories during the break. I asked Donnell about the story about Mike and Funk he started to tell on Wednesday. Blue Eye said, "Funk beat up Mike on the stage, in front of the stage, next to the stage." At one point, after one of Blue Eye's stories, Donnell mimed shoveling sh*t. Charlie called Packy Arthur - his middle name which he hates. Packy then said to Charlie, "do you know you are sitting next to?" (Me. I guess Packy forgot that I already knew his middle name. Donnell joked about Rare Essence being the "Ickedest Band Alive".

Donnell said, "Let's roll," over the mic a few times and Stomp was still in the lounge. Donnell walked in the lounge and literally grabbed Stomp by the arm and dragged him to the stage.

A regular who said, "You're here every Friday!" gave me money to buy myself a drink, which I did.

Third Set
1) Mike-led Marvin Gaye's I Want You
A woman sitting on Charlie's lap said Halima was the best female singer GoGo's ever had
2) Alternating Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut - "Wait a Minute" chant / Notorious BIG's Warning / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease)
3) Donnell-led "Put Your Hands Up"
Ras Lidj and Julian from the Deep Band arrived and said hello
4) Donnell-led Prince's Take Me With You (tease)
5) Donnell-led Tom Tom Club's Genius of Love / Rare Essence's Spotlight / Rare Essence's Get on the Wagon? medley
6) Donnell-led Hold the Note
7) Donnell-led "Hey ay, ho oh"
8) Donnell-led DIP
9) Donnell "35, can I get 40, girls want to shake that ass" / Rare Essence's Work the Walls (tease)
10) Donnell-led Vinnie D's $55 Motel
11) Donnell yelled "Wait a minute" - percussion solo
12) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Hey Tamika
13) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Work the Walls
14) Halima-led Amerie's 1 Thing - a very long performance with extra solos by Halima
Stacey was there
Donnell said, "I like that sh*t".
He thanked the people from TMOTT for coming out, and Rico who was also there Wednesday. He said, "James is on a roll". He said, "Rest in peace Chuck, Footz, Little Footz, Heavy One, Fre, Ms. Mack and Len Bias." He also thanked, "Fatz and Black" and asked them to "stop hiding." He compared RE Angie and "FF" Angie, "the old and the new". Donnell asked Slim Goodie's friend if she sang at the funeral. She said, "No."

I said, "What's up Gilbert Arenas" to Supa Dan, he laughed.

A guy busted on the Os (I wore an Orioles jacket) and my khakis to me in the parking lot.