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

When I walked in, Doc and Halima were already there. A conga player from Ayre Rayde came up and talked with Halima and I in the lounge. Doc came over and went over the setlist with Halima because with Donnell not being there yet (and expected to be late), he wanted things straight. They said I should come up with a new nickname. I told them a friend came up with mine. They asked if he was white, I said, "Yes." I told Halima about Funkmaster Flex, she knew who he was, but thought he was named Funkmaster Flash. I said that I have a custom jersey and a jacket, that I wore in the picture with Dolemite. I said it says Jordan A Rich, CPA.

Donnell and Stomp were stuck in traffic.
June and his wife Shadonna, Kato, and Peanut were there.

Familiar Faces
First Set
Doc introduced them, "We are Familiar Faces; we are waiting on some of the familiar"
Halima said, "Some of the faces are familiar because we love you"
1) Halima-led Rodgers & Hart's My Funny Valentine - Packy played the rriangle
Halima introduced Dwayne as he played
Doc called Mike Muse up to the stage
2) Mike-led John Legend's Ordinary People - really weird without the drums, Halima played around on the drums during the song
3) Halima-led Alicia Keys' Diary - the first time Halima really added something to the song, she really added a lot, easily the best performance of this song she's ever done
Mike said, "We've had a few problems with unfortunate mishaps, but we'll get it together"
He went on to complain about the politicians on Capitol Hill and talked about the return of Jesus, this led into:
4) Mike-led The Stylistics' People Make the World (Go Round) - Halima went back to the drums
Mike said there was good news: there was a plane crash in Canada and nobody was killed
Dwayne switched from guitar to drums and played drums for the rest of the set - it would have been better if he had done that from the start, but hindsight is always 20-20
The singing by Halima and Mike was excellent, but it sure was weird with no drums for the first four songs, even if the congas did help with the beat
Stomp arrived shortly afterward, but it didn't make sense to switch drummers until the set was over
Mike said that Dwayne was multi-talented (Dwayne also plays keyboards)
There was a conversation on the mic between Mike and Halima, but I couldn't hear what they said
5) Halima-led Erykah Badu's On & On
Doc did crowd shout outs
6) Mike-led Glenn Lewis' Don't You Forget It
Mike announced the break as per usual, "ten for ten, nine for nine, eight for break"

6'9, Teago, Danielle (Wellfhed), China (wearing earrings with her name on them), Renee, Tasty, Nita, Keta, and Ras Lidj were there.

I told Halima the story about a show at Xcalibur. I filmed a movie and Donnell said, "Take the picture, I don't know how much more of this I can take", I looked up and Pooh & BJ had switched instruments. She laughed. Renee walked in and sat next to me. I told her I hadn't recognized her immediately on Wednesday since she had dyed her hair and changed the hairstyle.

Later during the break, Danielle called me over to sit by her and Kato. She told me she really was going to start a website based on my advice. I asked her what she really did, she said she's a vet aide. I told her I have a friend who is a vet, she went to veterinary school at Kansas State. She also had told me that vet school is harder to get into than medical school. Danielle said she's trying to get into veterinary school. She said her undergrad degree is in radiology. She said a cat expressed itself on her.

Donnell arrived during the break.

The woman next to me told me it was her birthday, she wanted me to buy her a $6 drink. She even offered to show me her driver's license. I told her I was unemployed, she asked me what I did in the meantime. I told her I was a grad student in folklore. Her friend asked me when GoGo started, I said about 1976. She asked me where it came from - I said Smokey Robinson's song, Going to the Go Go. She disagreed saying that it came from the DJ saying you always have to Go Go and Chuck competed with that with the nonstop percussion. I told her how I had heard that Go Go was originally the place where dances occured, rather than a genre of music. She asked what my undergrad degree was, I told her - accounting. 6'9 came over and talked with me, then went back to his seat several feet away. The birthday girl asked me if we were friends, I said yes. She asked me who he was, and he was giving me the hand across the throat sign. So she pretended to tell me things just to tease him. He later came over and held her spot while she went to the bathroom. China sat to my left and talked with him.

When I talked into the stage area, Tasty said hello. I said, two shows in row for Tasty, Nita and Keta. Nita said not to get used to it. Tasty asked where my pad was, when I brought it out, she laughed.

Second Set
Donnell announced it was Big Ray's birthday.
He also said Tyrell was dressed up for her birthday.
1) Mike-led Bobby Valentino's Slow Down (tease)
2) 6 Minutes percussion solo - Donnell chanted, "Brandywine"
Donnell did a shout out to Stinky Dink
3) Donnell-led "___ Is in the house"
4) Mike-led Bobby Valentino's Slow Down
5) Halima-led Erykah Badu's Cleva
Donnell said, "Halima, do you feel good?"
Halima said, "I feel good!"
6) Stevie Wonder's Superstition bassline, percussion solo with lad 4 Donnell saying something about $ Bill, it's alright
7) Donnell-led Tom Tom Club's Genius of Love (tease) / Rare Essence's Spotlight / Rare Essence's Get on the Wagon?
8) Mike-led Lisa Stansfield's All Around the World (tease)
9) Donnell-led Rick James' Mary Jane (tease)
Kevin Miller, a sax player for Ayre Rayde and Petworth (and until recently Backyard Band), apologized for looking over my shoulder to see what I was doing.
I talked with him for a little bit. He had played at the Blast from the Past Ayre Rayde show I attended. I told him I was surprised that Petworth was performing. I may have missed a song while we were talking. He introduced me to the one security guy and his (the security guy's) wife on the other side of the door
10) Mike-led Rare Essence's Take Me Out to the Go-Go
11) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Roll Call - the frontline danced
12) Donnell-led Rare Essence's One on One (Footz version)
13) Mike-led Rare Essence's Lock It - Donnell said, "Smoke lock it", which led into a percussion solo, a woman next to me was screaming in appreciation
14) Mike-led Rare Essence's? "Ooh yeah..."
Donnell said something about "putting your hands up" and the Black Hole
The same woman started screaming again
15) Mike-led Rare Essence's Oprah Winfrey - it was familiar, but I didn't recognize it, I asked Godfather what the song was after the third set
16) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Marinda
17) Halima-led Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl / Donnell-led Rare Essence's Hook Me Upa

Sixx, Love, James, Sanisse, Big Tree, and Dey were there.

I sat in about the same seat as the first break, DP sat over by me. He talked to the guy sitting next to him, who said, "You went way back..." DP responded, "Too far back!" Later, he got up and Stomp sat next to me. Sanisse came by. Stomp said that Charlie wants a copy of the Bike Week DVDs.

When I walked into the stage area, Stomp was sitting on the floor next to the drum kit.

Third Set
Stinky Dink, Whop, and Marky Mark went on stage
1) Donnell, Stinky Dink, and Whop-led Common's The Corner
2) Mike-led Prince's Take Me With You
3) Donnell-led Hold the Note
4) Donnell-led 50 Cent's In Da Club - "Go Tyrell, it's your birthday"
5) Donnell-led Hey Miss Keta Will You Dance for Me - Keta came to the side of the stage just before the song started and Nita teased her about it
6) Halima-led Mariah Carey's It's Like That
7) Donnell-led "25, 25, 25..." / Rare Essence's Work the Walls - Marky Mark sat in on congas
8) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Hey Tamika
9) Donnell-led 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease)
10) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Work the Walls reprise
11) Donnell-led DIP, adding "Yes"
12) Alternating Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut / Notorious BIG's Warning / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease) / "Wait a minute" echoes
13) Donnell-led Tupac's Hail Mary (tease) (Nita stared over my shoulder as I wrote this)
14) Donnell-led Rare Essence's What N*gga What? - Donnell stood by the right side of the stage, facing the side when performing this
15) Donnell-led Rare Essence's All Da Time
16) Donnell-led "If you look and you see, you'll recognize me, if you're from DC, these faces are familiar"
17) Donnell chant "Southeast, South, Southeast, Southwest, South, Southwest..."
Donnell said, "I'm getting scared, that's it"
18) Sixx rapped
19) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Uh Oh (Heads up)
20) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Stars Be Partyin'
I asked Godfather the title of the song (Oprah Winfrey song he said), with me making the keyboard sounds he opens the song with.
I don't don't if Donnell conferred with the other band members about what they performed in the first set, but I noticed they did not repeat any of the songs they performed in the first set in the remaining two sets.
Nikiya was there.

I went to Seven Eleven, Mike arrived after me and said, "Hello Mr. Jordan." Nita pulled in as I pulled out.