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

I was late because I had dinner with my parents, my sister, and her boyfriend and because of the construction on I-495. The lounge had a girl sitting in the first seat in the dark. I turned both lights on, the one equipment guy turned one off, saying Nephew turned off the lights. Later, DP and Thomas walked into the lounge; DP said the music is really loud, I agreed, telling him it is always louder than when they perform. Thomas turned on the TV, but Nephew got him to turn it off and scolded me saying, "Have you ever seen the lights off before?" I talked with Doc (sitting Me, Doc, Dwayne, DP, Halima) about his job and the details. Doc talked about the difficult part of his job is connecting the computers to the car. He discussed the anti-theft capabilities of the Lexus. If you break the window, everything in the car shuts down. If you use a slimjim, you can't then use the key. He said you need to call in and get the secret code. They have a system (he didn't name it as such, but is similar to Onstar). He had to call when in South Carolina because he locked his keys in his trunk. He woke up at 8 AM; he did every morning that trip. He worried about being in range, he called, the guy said to back up in case of static and it opened. He said there's only one other guy where he works who can do the things he can. One of them has to be there. That's why he can't go to Miami; the other guy is on vacation then. He said you try to teach others to do what you do. He talked about a conference in August about new development to come in the next few years. They try to keep you ahead of the game. Doc walked over and talked with DP in front of Halima about something. I walked over to ask Halima something.Doc said to Halima, this is guy band stuff, you are not a band member, you are a band woman. She said, "I am one of the guys." I later said to Halima as we all walked to the stage area, "You aren't one of the guys, look you're wearing a mini-skirt." She said, "You should come down to my salon and see some of the guys in there, they wear mini-skirts too."

YC was there and sat in during the first set. He asked me if the sound system was better here than Takoma Station, I told him yes and that they perform three sets here.

Michael Ford (or Forbe?) played congas during the first set; he told Halima that he has offered to play congas to Donnell for free numerous times.

Familiar Faces
First Set
1) Miles Davis' Tutu - YC sat in, Halima played one of the bongos
Donnell commented on the construction on I-495 affecting both the band and audience's arrival. Mike backed him up
Halima did an intro to the audience and said "Hey Googie"
2) Halima-led Rodgers & Hart's My Funny Valentine
Candy (wearing a shirt that had the words "Candy Girl" printed on it) and Michon arrived. I told Candy, "That's your name shirt", she said yes and hugged me hello.
3) Mike-led John Legend's Ordinary People
4) Mike-led The Stylistics' People Make the World (Go Round)
Peanut and Angie were there
5) Halima-led Erykah Badu's Didn't Cha Know - Halima added new vocal effects
6) Halima-led Fantasia's Free Yourself - another excellent performance, James was on backup vocals and YC sat in
Angie asked me if this was new, I said no, they started last week, but she had missed it because it was in the early sets. I told her about Tamara, Candy and Michon pulling their chairs up on Wednesday, they stood up by the stage for this performance.

I told Halima that this had replaced My Funny Valentine as her signature song in that it is her best performed song. She said, "You think so?" I said definitely. She said she doesn't like that song, I said neither do I (it is too light for me), but that it is still her best song. She said, "Well thank you". I sat with Angie, by her sister Star and Tracy. Angie had another birthday cake - red velvet, but unlabeled on the icing. Angie was tired and seriously thought about going out to her car to take a nap.

Second Set
Marky Mark played congas at the start of this set.
1) Mike-led Ruff Endz' Someone to Love You
Halima fanned the smoke from the smoke machine and danced
Ytee was there
2) Halima-led Faith Evans' Mesmerized
3) Mike-led Bobby Valentino's Slow Down
Donnell did announcements
4) Halima-led Faith Evans' Again
5) Donnell-led "Hey ay, Ho oh"
6) Donnell-led "Do it for the ladies/fellas, Oh my God!"
7) Mike-led Prince's Take Me With You
8) Donnell-led Hold the Note
9) Donnell rapped - Smoke took over for Marky Mark on congas
I talked with Marky Mark in the lounge; he talked about how he had earlier played congas for FF "for a minute"
10) Halima-led Amerie's 1 Thing
Donnell said the video shoot will star Packy, but Peanut is the star of tonight. He talked about their upcoming show next Thursday at the Zanzibar as the Official Fantasia After Party - maybe we'll disrespect her by performing her song, after all we did disrespect Anthony Hamilton by performing his song when they played with him. I think Doc or Dwayne said, "They'll probably sign Halima to a record deal".

I said to Donnell and Angie that it is not disrespecting if it is performed well. I told Donnell what I had told Halima, that I think Free Yourself is now her signature song. I asked him if he had gone to the Me'Shell NdegeOcello get together, he said he and Me'Shell aren't on good terms. I asked why, he said he used to manager her and was going to get her signed by Ed Strickland of Tommy Boy, it was around Christmas, and they had shut down, were going to sign her at the beginning of the new year. She got antsy and he got a girl named Angie to try to help calm her down. Angie turned around and got Me'Shell a new manager and on top of that, Ed Strickland left Tommy Boy for Chrysalis, so no one had loyalty to Donnell. Me'Shell then signed with Madonna's label (Maverick). He hasn't spoken with her since. I asked who else he had managed, he said Vinnie D. He said he thought the After Party was originally going to be performed at the place on Central Avenue. I said the former Mad Chef? He said, "yes, La Pearla" (the new name). I said the Mad Chef is where I was searched the hardest and treated strangely (asking if I knew what was going on) because I was white. He said not for us, for younger bands. I said, "no, Junkyard and Backyard." Tracy's birthday is next week. Tracy didn't want to sit at the head of the table because she said, "I am a low-key person". She said when I asked that her brother Bobby wouldn't play on her birthday that he doesn't go out like that. Angie went over to the bar to get a knife, she said he had to argue with them to get one; they gave her a stake knife. After I ate a piece of cake, I got a Coke to wash it down. I sat again by Angie. She was trying to compete with Donnell for birthday treatment - Donnell talked about the places he had been taken to dinner for his birthday. I suggested she rap and play the saxophone. Yolanda took Donnell's seat - she twice grabbed Tyrell by her shirt and chest, Tyrell said of her breasts, "Don't mess with my babies". Yolanda spilled water and Angie and I got up.

Stomp asked what I drank, I told him Coke and that I don't drink and why. He and Omar asked me the URL of my website.

Third Set
1) Halima-led Erykah Badu's Cleva / Stevie Wonder's Superstition bass line
2) Alternating Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut - interrupted by a fight that Donnell said was two girls / Notorious BIG's Warning / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease) / Donnell's chant, "Wait a minute" had an echo effect
3) Donnell-led 911
4) Donnell-led Brown & White
5) Donnell-led Family
6) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Geraldine "Trying to get away, going to get away"
7) Donnell rapped
8) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Marinda (tease)
9) Donnell-led Rare Essence's What N*gga What?
10) Donnell-led Rare Essence's All Da Time? "Throw your hands up, everyone in the club, __ is here all the time"
11) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Uh Oh (Heads Up)
12) Donnell-led "___ Got no drawers on"
13) Donnell-led "35, girls want to shake that ass, give up the cash" / Rare Essence's Work the Walls
14) 6 Minutes percussion solo
15) Donnell-led Rare Essence's One on One (Footz version)
16) Donnell-led Chuck Brown's Bustin' Loose (tease)
This was a really unusual set with some songs they haven't performed in a while.

Donnell said, "There's a Mercedes outside blocking someone in. It's not Googie's, he's got a VW, a kid car. His car looks like a Mercedes, but it's really a VW with Mercedes parts on the outside." Googie smiled. He then said, "Stomp's baby mama is out directing traffic on 202. We need a cup for a collection, since Vincent got his test results back; he's got the Arthur Ashe, Melvin Lindsey, Eazy E." Vincent just laughed.