Wednesday at Takoma Station
Takoma Station, 6914 4th St NW, Washington, DC 20012

Tamara, Angie, Tim (LJ), and Ray were there.

Nephew started celebrating his birthday tonight. Friday is his actual birthday (he’s exactly 28 days older than me).

Familiar Faces
First Set
Packy played a tambourine
Donnell did a special dedication to the people who went to the Katrina Benefit Show.
1) Grover Washington Jr.'s Lock It in the Pocket - very long. Donnell called out hits, "Let's see if I have Stomp with me." He chanted: "Double snare right there, four hits right there..."
Donnell said, "It took me a long time to train my drummer, he's a big old... I didn't mean to kill Halima earlier. Mike snuck in..."
Halima said, "Good evening, I want to take my jacket off (I can vouch that it was pretty cold at Takoma Station), I'll drink this (her tea)."
2) They started performing the music to Erykah Badu's Didn't Cha Know - Halima said, "I just want to say... Okay, I'll sing it for you because the music is so good / Halima-led Erykah Badu's Didn't Cha Know
There was applause, Halima said, "Thank you."
3) Instrumental Prelude / Mike-led Anthony Hamilton's Since I Seen't You - there was a nice percussion solo at the end
4) Mike-led Tony Terry's Freaky Little Game
Mike said something about women, "I might have to touch their neck." He continued, "Donnell got mad when I said a man who tells you he can last all night is lying."
Halima said, "How long can you last?"
Mike replied, "I'll tell you later"
Halima said, "They want to know."
Mike said, "Six and thirty minutes, but it feels like fifty-six minutes"
5) Mike-led Raheem DeVaughn's Ask Yourself - Mike reached out and touched the back of the neck of two women at the front of the dance floor, Dwayne had a nice solo
Nece came in. Donnell said, "That's my ex-wife, get off her Nephew."
6) Mike-led Stevie Wonder's As
Donnell said of Nece, "Michael Muse's current wife".
Donnell said of As: "My man Stomp is too young to know that song. He's waiting for Jay-Z to make a remix."
Donnell said, "Tamara is family, she wanted to sing, I can't tell her no."
7) Tamara-led Vivian Green's Emotional Roller Coaster - Donnell and Mike were on backup vocals
Next he called up Marquise Melvin (wearing a Kansas City Royals cap and a white Hipnosis shirt) to sing.
Donnell said, "He said he gave up West Virginia football because he wants to sing. He gave up his chance at the NFL. He's got a Southern accent (he's from Whiteville, NC)."
8) Marquis Melvin-led Secret - the same song he sang in Miami, the band continued playing after he finished singing
Donnell said that's my man, and then joked about how Jauhar had to pay him $3 for letting Marquis sing.
Donnell said that Marquis wrote that song himself, he's a young sex fiend, a pervert.
The crowd called him up to sing it again, but instead:
9) Marquis Melvin-led John Legend's So High
Donnell said, "You switched it up on us."
I talked with Marquis and confirmed the song title and that he had really left West Virginia's team. I asked if he was staying in the area.

Shante, June, Jay Floyd, RE Angie, Tracy Smoot, Sharika, Stacey, and Tiffany were there.

I shook hands with James as I headed out the door.

Jermaine was outside - he hung outside the side door through much of the set. I told him the first time I saw him, at Club Levels on June 19th 2004 (It was definitely a 2004 Club Levels performance), I thought he worked for the venue, not the band.

Doc and Dwayne said they couldn't believe he had really quit the football team to go into music. I pointed out that some of the band members had dropped out of college to further their musical careers. Doc and Dwayne said that was different from giving up football. I told them about a set of twins on Maryland's football team that quit the team to become professional models. (I later asked around and their name was Bullock). I later looked up this blurb on Marquis.

Tijuana, Whop, DJ Rico, 6'9, and Nikiya were there.

Jermaine pointed out that Stomp just wore socks, no shoes.

A couple of women in a car called out Mike to them. He said, "You want me to come to the middle of the street?" He said he was happy whenever he could still turn on the ladies. I told him that when he performed Say Yes on Saturday, a group of women behind me said, "Yes!" to him. He thanked me and said that he could remember anything three hours ago. I discussed the movie Momento with him. He said he walked out in the middle. I said that with the DVD, I’ve read you can change the order so you can see exactly what happened.

Donnell called, "Let's roll" early - 11:45 PM.

Donnell fooling around, sang John Legend's Ordinary People (tease).
Stomp played along with Snoop's Drop It Like It's Hot, which the DJ played.
Mike said, "If all the men would take the time to wear a collared shirt..."

Second Set
1) Mike-led John Legend's Used to Love U
Donnell said, "This is not the Black Hole, simmer down."
He did a shout out to Charles Smith (ex-Hoya and ex-Celtic), and DJ Rico in the audience.
2) Donnell-led ?
3) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Stars Be Partyin'
4) Donnell-led "Tired yet, ready to quit?"
5) Donnell-led "Hey ay, Ho oh"
6) Donnell-led "Do it for the ladies/fellas, Oh my God!" - Halima and Mike posed for the ladies/fellas lines
7) Halima-led Faith Evans' Mesmerized - Halima bounced and used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures
8) Mike-led Prince's Take Me With You - Mike held his mic to the crowd, the frontline danced
9) Donnell-led Sweet child?
10) Alternating Donnell-led Hold the Note - the crowd danced harder / 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease) - "Go Nephew (the second verse was directed to Tijuana), It's Your Birthday"
Donnell said "Old school, hands in the air"
11) Donnell-led Rare Essence's One on One (Footz version)
12) Mike-led Rare Essence's Take Me Out to the Go-Go - Go-Go Mickey sat in on congas for the rest of the set, Donnell said, "It's a reunion"
13) Donnell-led Rare' Essences Go-Go Mickey, the crowd shouted "Go-Go Mickey"
14) Halima-led Mariah Carey's It's Like That
Donnell talked about them performing at Cranberries on September 19th, for the Monday night game between the Redskins and Cowboys
15) Donnell-led Rare Essence's We Used to Let the Pocket Ride - "funny how things have changed, can't go back, park and ride"
16) The crowd shouted, "Southeast, South, Southeast"
17) Mike-led Glenn Lewis' Don't You Forget It - I noticed James was on backup vocals
Donnell talked about Nece's new group, Divas Inc. He said she's on her third hug.
Donnell said to Don, want to bet, I love to spend Cowboy money.
Don asked if Donnell was a Cowboy fan. He said, "Hell no." He said he was a fan of, and proceeded to name every DC sports team.
Donnell did a shout out to Curtis Malone (coach of the DC Assault AAU basketball team), "Even though he wouldn't let my son on his team."
He said, "Someone let nappyhead (Vincent) in": I did.
He teased him again, "He outlived Luther, he has the Arthur Ashe, Melvin Lindsey, Eazy E..."

Arielle, Shawn, Shaun, and Nita were there.