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

Godfather was early again, playing his keyboard while waiting. We went outside for him to give me something, Halima arrived with Googie, she wore camouflage - I kidded her that Memorial Day is next weekend. She did a little karate move. She had retainers on; I talked with her about my experiences. Someone stepped on her prior one; she didn't want to wear it again. I talked with Halima inside; she said the first thing she noticed about me was being the lone white guy going to these shows. Sometimes I think about that line in Live and Let Die "it's like following a cue ball."

No Michael Muse tonight, just Halima singing

Familiar Faces
First Set
1) Miles Davis' Tutu
2) Halima-led Alicia Keys' Diary - very nice performance
Smoke came in
3) Halima-led Faith Evan's Mesmerized
There was a long pause
4) Halima-led Jill Scott's Whatever
5) Halima-led Erykah Badu's Didn't Cha Know
6) Halima-led Rodgers & Hart's My Funny Valentine

Halima and I had a discussion. She said she wanted to go to sleep, I told her go ahead - Stomp slept in the breaks last week, she said no, if she does her voice will go to sleep. I told her that Donnell leads more songs in the GoGo sets. She went to get something to eat.

Second Set
Donnell did a shout out to Frank White who was celebrating his birthday
Ras Lidj and 6'9 were there
1) Halima-led Jill Scott's Golden
2) Halima-led Erykah Badu's Cleva
3) Donnell-led Stevie Wonder's Superstition - first led by Donnell, then led by Bryant "Luther" Roberts
4) Halima-led Faith Evans' Again
5) Donnell-led Public Enemy's Welcome to the Terrordome (tease)
7) Donnell-led "Da na ah"
8) Donnell-led Brown & White / Ride Out / Northeast Groovers' The Water
9) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Uh Oh (Heads Up)
10) Donnell-led rap "In & out and up & down"
11) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Marinda

Stacey, Michon, Ron "HOBO Moe" Moten, and Benjiy (he said, "Hey lightskin," to me) of GoGoSwings Magazine were there. Lisa and two of her friends complained about a rap missing from Brown & White, and not enough old school songs. BJ said it was like remembering a paragraph from a page in a book you wrote ten years ago.

Third Set
Donnell kept pushing his birthday balloons into Stomp's face throughout the set.
1) Alternating Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease) - Donnell said, "Did you call my name?" / Notorious BIG's Warning
Donnell called out "Yes, Yes"
2) Donnell-led Ludacris' Number One Spot
3) Halima-led Amerie's 1 Thing
4) Donnell-led Rare Essence's What N*gga What?
Slim Goodie was there.
5) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Uh Oh (Heads Up)
6) Donnell-led Tupac's Hail Mary (tease)
Chi Ali was there.
7) Donnell-led 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease)
8) Donnell-led "Ay oh oh oh uh"
9) Donnell-led "F*ck that n*gga, I'm that n*gga"
10) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Work the Walls / "Shake that ass, give up the cash"
11) Donnell-led Lisa Stansfield's All Around the World (tease)
12) Donnell-led Rick James' Mary Jane (tease)
13) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Work the Walls (reprise)
14) Donnell-led DIP
15) Donnell rap
Chi Ali sat in
16) Chi Ali-led "Put your hands up, everyone in the club" with guest conga player Marky Mark from Nu Styles Band
17) Donnell-led Prince's Take Me With You
18) Donnell-led Hold the Note / Stevie Wonder's Superstition bass line
19) Donnell-led Sly & the Family Stone's Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)
20) Donnell "If you have to believe in something, why not believe in me"