Donnell, Nina & Michelle's Birthday Celebration at Bud's
Bud's 501 Club, 501 Morse St NE, Washington, DC 20002

TMOTT Board group picture

Sitting on the curb from left to right: #02, TCBTony, Deezo, Ms. Minnie Me, Delano795, Whodat
Squatting behind them: Adia and BigRico
Back row: Black Heart, Diva, FunkmasterJ (Me), Asmoothepoet, Slim Goodie being held by Ytee, Nena, Blak, Lioness, Bobbiedoll, slt, Songbird, Nephew
Present this evening, but not in the picture: Kato, Teago, SweetAngelmd27, Igottapoop, Chellley (whom I know as Mama Chelle), Shorty Q, Sweet Tyra, D Ball, Ras Lidj, Demon Killa & wife, lil miss, pisces4real, and The AssMan (Michael Muse).

I met slt, Sweet Tyra (who is much more attractive than her picture on TMOTT), Diva and Songbird while eating at the bar. Demon Killa was there with his wife, whom Angel referred to as Mrs. Killa. Giant "cards" were on the wall for the birthdays of Donnell, Nena, and Michelle. I signed the first two - I don't know this Michelle.

Ras Lidj & Deep Band
When I went upstairs, Ras Lidj and Deep Band had already started: they were already performing Son of a One Night Stand. Julian, the singer, was not present tonight, but Ras Lidj made do just fine and there were a couple of guest vocalists (including Songbird), particularly during the performance of Bob Marley's No Woman No Cry. I believe I recognized one of Ras Lidj's promoters, dancing dressed like a devil in matching red hat, vest and slacks. This time, there was a real audience to see the nice performance - there were twenty plus people went I went up. I stood by the bar for a while as there weren't many seats available - some reserved for the birthday parties, some just filled. Packy did not set up the light show or sit in on percussion this night, probably because of his injury. I did not try to take down Ras' setlist this time, but it was similar to last weeks, but they did the beats from Rare Essence's Body Moves before Ras called Birthday girl Nena to the stage, he did pelvic thrusts on her, then pulled her with spread legs to him dancing - it was highly amusing.

When EU set up, there was a buzz when no one was playing, but Sugar Bear decided to go ahead and play through.
First Set
1) Donny Ray-led John Legend's Ordinary People
2) Junie-led Earth, Wind & Fire's Can't Hide Love
3) Junie-led "If you were me, you would know what I mean to say"
The crank started with:
4) Sugar Bear-led Freak A Deak / Funkadelic's Undisco Kidd (tease) - "The Girl is Bad" / Cops' Theme (changed to) "Bad Girls" / "Pop That Coochie" / Ludacris' Number One Spot (tease)
5) Donny Ray-led - 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease) / OutKast's The Way You Move (tease)
6) "Ride with Me - Funk Style"
7) "Show you what love is supposed to be"

Yannie was there like last week. JuJu said hello and Sugar Bear. I said happy birthday to Nena. There were so many TMOTT members I met that it just easier to list them above.

Second Set
1) Sugar Bear-led "Gimme that beat" - to another birthday girl he said, "You may be small, but you have dirty drawers", "Pick up on this" / 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease) / "We ready go y'all get down"
2) Snoop's Drop It Like Its Hot - a lot of improving
3) Sugar Bear-led 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease) / "Go low and push up"
4) Donny Ray-led Bobby Valentino's Slow Down
5) Juvenile's Slow Motion (tease)
6) Stephanie rapped / Amerie's 1 Thing / 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease) / Donnie Ray had a response rap
7) "I Like It Like That" / Devo's Whip It (tease)
8) Sugar Bear-led 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease) - "Go Donnell, it's your birthday"
9) ?
10) Donny Ray-led - something about Southeast
11) "I know you hear me on the radio"
12) Um Bop Bop
13) Sugar Bear-led "I Want to play, I ain't tired yet"
Sugar Bear said, "Is Donnell in a wheelchair yet?"

Stacey was there.

Familiar Faces
Jacques was the second percussionist, not Charlie like last week
1) Happy Birthday - I think Yannie sat in
2) Halima-led Erykah Badu's Didn't Cha Know - nice solos
Kay Kay was there
3) Mike-led John Legend's Ordinary People
The crank started with:
4) Halima-led Erykah Badu's Cleva
5) Mike-led Stevie Wonder's Superstition
6) Mike-led John Legend's Used to Love U
7) Halima-led Faith Evans' (either Again or Mesmerized)
Donnell shouted "Where you at Kay Kay?"
8) Yannie-led Erykah Badu's Danger - Halima was on backup vocals / Kay Kay rapping
Donnell called them "The three meanest women in DC" (last week it was baddest)
9) Donnell-led "Hey ay, Ho oh"
10) Stinky Dink-led One Track Mind
11) Donnell-led Public Enemy's Welcome to the Terrordome (tease)
12) Donnell-led Tom Tom Club's Genius of Love (tease)
I greeted Little Benny as he walked in - I could tell it was raining as they had buckets catching rain water that was leaking through the roof.
13) Little Benny-led Rare Essence's Spotlight / Rare Essence's Get on the Wagon?
14) Little Benny-led then Mike-led Lisa Stansfield's All Around the World
15) Little Benny-led Rare Essence's Roll Call - Ras Lidj danced onstage with them
16) Donnell-led Ludacris' Number One Spot - E rapped
17) E rapped "Bounce to the flow, Uh Oh Uh Uh Oh"
18) Donnell-led "Hold It" / Alternating Trillville's Some Cut / Notorious BIG's Warning / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease)
Adia walked in
19) Halima-led Amerie's 1 Thing

I missed the very end, as Bobbie called me downstairs to participate in the group TMOTT picture above. After that I waited outside, but sheltered from the rain to get a ticket from Little Benny for his reunion show on Saturday. The one birthday girl Michelle asked me where I am from, I told her Bethesda and her friend asked why I drove all the way here from there. I said, "Why not?" She said that wasn't a good answer. I gave Benny a ride to his car. He sold me a ticket and told me to bring my camera.