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

When I arrived, the Redskins preseason game against the Steelers was still on. Yaquim came from the game to Safari. The Redskins won 17-10. L-Boogie and Arielle were there.

Halima played congas during set up.

Familiar Faces
First Set
Line up: Mike Muse, Halima, Donnell, DP, Doc, Dwayne, Lorenzo, Godfather, Mike Smith, Smoke, and Jacques.
Packy played third percussion as well.
1) Instrumental
Halima said, "Hello" - laughing.
She then said, "Good evening" and got a crowd response.
She then said, "Anyone out there?"
2) Halima-led Erykah Badu's Didn't Cha Know - really laid performance by Halima, very different from usual, Doc sang some back up
Halima said, "Y'all alright. Thank you for coming out. It's always a pleasure to see everyone."
3) Halima-led Alicia Keys' Diary - Halima really hit some high notes
4) Halima-led Jill Scott's Whatever - Omar played on the one conga drum as the song winded down
Donnell said to Mike, "Good morning".
Mike said, "Welcome again this Friday evening."
5) Mike-led Raheem DeVaughn's Ask Yourself
Halima complimented Mike. She then said, "We're going to do it for the ladies."
6) Halima-led Fantasia's Free Yourself - Halima's singing was excellent, she used the most nonverbal arm & hand gestures of the set, she leaned to the edge of the stage during it -> Halima & Mike-led Floetry's Say Yes

Adia was there. Adia wore a black Hooters t-shirt. I kidded her, asking how she had the time to work at Hooters, sing and keep her day job. She said, "Okay, Packy". Packy had said the same thing to her. Actually Hooters merchandise has huge fans among women. I remember there was a couple who murdered another couple (in Maryland's Eastern Shore) in the midst of their crime spree of breaking into Hooters due to their obsession with Hooters. In the same article, there was a girl who said Hooters was her favorite restaurant, even though she lived 400 miles away from the nearest Hooters.

Second Set
As Smoke returned to the stage, I asked him about the "Sir" joke. He and Omar laughed. He said it was an inside joke going back to his days in Northeast.
Donnell said, "Somebody check Godfather's car, it don't smell right. Welcome everyone from the Redskins game."
1) Mike-led Bobby Valentino's Slow Down - Donnell said, "I want to watch this girl do the shimmy shammy; right there, Smoke."
2) Halima-led Erykah Badu's Cleva - Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures
3) Mike-led Prince's Take Me With You
4) Donnell-led Hold the Note
Donnell said, "Adia, are you working tonight?"
She sat in.
5) Adia-led Erykah Badu's Danger
6) Donnell-led "Da na aah, We got ___"
Shorty Corleone from Rare Essence sat in (He wore a white t-shirt, jeans, and black sunglasses)
7) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Geraldine - Shorty drew it out very slowly
8) Donnell-led Tom Tom Club's Genius of Love (tease) - Donnell did the keyboard effects vocally / Rare Essence's Spotlight - Mike hit some really high notes / Rare Essence?s Get on the Wagon?
9) Mike-led Lisa Stansfield's All Around the World (tease) - Shorty didn't sit in on this song, but came back for the rest of the set after Donnell said, "One more thing"
10) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Body Snatchers
11) Donnell-led "25, 25, 25" / Rare Essence's Work the Walls - Dave "32" Ellis from Rare Essence also joined in for the rest of the set (he wore a Miami Heat Shaquille O'Neal jersey, appropriately numbered 32, a baseball cap, and sunglasses)
12) Donnell-led Rare Essence's What N*gga What?
13) Donnell-led Rare Essence's All Da Time
14) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Uh Oh (Heads Up) (tease)
15) Donnell-led Slick Rick's La Di Da Di (tease)

Tyrell, DeeDee, and 6'9 were there.

During the break, I finally introduced myself to the two lady regulars who hang out by the monitor board at Safari and Tradewinds. Their names are Shawn and Shante (spelling). Shawn said she and Donnell go back to his days with Rare Essence.

RE Angie was there. She played congas during the break.

Third Set
Donnell did a shout out to John Turner, the former Georgetown basketball player.
He then said, "The boat ride is sold out, don't come and ask me anymore."
1) Halima-led Faith Evans' Mesmerized - Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures
2) Alternating Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut / Notorious BIG's Warning / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease) / "Wait a Minute" echoes - the crowd shouted "Go-Go Smoke-ay" - Halima played a cabasa, Donnell added the verse "___'s in here"
3) Alternating Halima-led Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl / Donnell-led Rare Essence's Hook Me Upa
4) Donnell-led 50 Cent's In Da Club - "Go Aria, It's Your Birthday"
5) Halima-led Mariah Carey's It's Like That - Halima bounced up and down and used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Donnell inserted a "Wait a Minute" in it for the first time
6) Donnell-led Hey Miss Keta Will You Dance for Me - People put bills on Pocahontas' butt as she danced
7) Percussion solo
Someone in the crowd requested a Mike Smith solo
8) Mike Smith drum solo
9) Donnell-led Common's The Corner - the band played with the sample, RE Angie played the congas, Jay Gotti sat in and rapped, RE Angie also rapped, at first not on the mic, then on
Donnell said, "Andre, I haven't seen you since you used to deliver pizzas in Palmer Park. Robbie, I'm going to take you off probation" if she keeps coming out. He continued, "You must have fallen in love".
10) Donnell did the music to the Odd Couple theme vocally
Donnell said, "Mike Smith was stealing time on the video."
Donnell said that Googie would be leaving them tomorrow, "He just loves Pops (Chuck Brown, who is performing at the 9:30 Club tomorrow night)."

Los and Blak were there.