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


DP, Stomp, Donnell


Doc, Dwayne

I arrived much later than I intended - I was there only a little bit before they started playing. I had trouble finding a parking space. Lorenzo walked in after me. Donnell wore his black riding cap. He said, "Multi-talented Halima, performing for the first time at the Tropicana." Donnell said, "We're the only band with a real happy hour." Lorenzo took his time getting in. Donnell said, "Lorenzo, you're already late, you might want to come in!"

Familiar Faces
First Set
Packy played the tambourine.

Michael Muse (aka Kanye West)
All pictures taken by and Copyright - Michon Battle
1) Miles Davis' Tutu - Donnell played his Sax at the edge of the stage.
2) Grover Washington Jr.'s Lock It in the Pocket - Donnell said, "Halima, this is the song I was talking about", Donnell went on the dance floor playing his horn
DJ Flava (aka GoGo Rudy) put up lights on the left side of the stage
Donnell repeated, "The first time at the Tropicana, Halima"
3) Halima-led Whitney Houston's You Give Good Love - Halima said, "First I want to say happy birthday to Maurice, is there a Maurice in the house? We dug deep into the record stack for this one", Donnell talked and Halima stared at him, Donnell said, "Sing baby", Halima held herself, danced a little, moved around, and bounced, her singing was excellent, Doc sang, "Hoop!", and then so did Halima
4) Halima-led Jill Scott's Golden - Halima and Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Halima bounced and danced, there was a nice crank
Mike said, "Happy birthday to everyone who is having a birthday this evening"
5) Mike-led Ruff Endz' Someone to Love You - Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Halima danced
6) Mike-led John Legend's Ordinary People - Mike gave a speech about "Trying to keep people together", Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures
7) Halima-led Fantasia's Free Yourself - Halima called a guy over to the stage and asked him some questions, she said, "You ain't going nowhere", she tried to get him to sing, she smiled, she stood at the edge of the monitors, she told him to sit down, she was bounced and used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, he had a chair at the edge of the monitors, she stood at the edge the edge of the monitors, she got on one knee, She sang to another fan, there was an instrumental transition to ->
8) Alternating Halima-led Floetry's Say Yes - Halima moved around and used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, it looked like she was directly looking at someone, but there was no one right on the dance floor, Mike said, "I'm Russell Simmons", after Mike sang, Halima said, "Tell 'em again, Mike", Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, there was a nice vocal finish by Mike, then Halima / Lionel Richie's Hello (tease) - Halima said, "This is what you can say"
There was a larger crowd than lately for the first set, the later start time probably helped.

Michon was there, taking pictures. Love was there.

Sanisse and Yolanda were there.

Peg Leg was there, he said hello to me.

Doc said he picked up and likes the new PFunk album except for some of the rap stuff. I meant to tell him about a recent George Clinton interview.

I talked with Michon. I talked about exchanging digital photos - she said some of her pictures are on the band website, including the ones of Venus Hall. She said she specialized in photography. I talked about going to the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, but taking a radio to listen to the MD game (we won 45-33). She said her two twins sons are fifteen. They play football for Lee high school - they are undefeated. Their father was in football, but switched to being a body builder. I said that at community colleges, fathers and sons can play together. She said Steve Francis is their cousin. I told her how Doc and Dwayne couldn't believe Marquis Melvin quit the football team until I showed them a quote from his coach. I told her about Halima wearing a similar hat to hers and Candy’s at Takoma Station last week. She said she and Candy went to the hat store and came back with the same hat, so they got different colors.

Second Set
Feedback came out of Doc's amp.
Mike said, "That's what happens when you buy your instruments at the toy store."
Donnell said, "Tirico, I haven't seen him since he was a little boy"
The crank (particularly by Smoke) started with
1) Halima-led Faith Evans' Again - Donnell said, "We're trying to get started a little early", Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Donnell said, "Rudy can we get some house lights on?", he repeated it calling him Flava as well, Halima moved around, Donnell said, "Right there, Halima", she bounced, Donnell said, "Right there, Smoke" during his percussion solo
2) Toto's Georgy Porgy - instrumental tease / Mike-led Bobby Valentino's Slow Down - Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures
3) Percussion solo - Donnell said, "Right there Stomp, don't you go nowhere."
4) Halima-led Alicia Keys' Unbreakable - Omar stood onstage, the crowd sang along, Halima moved around and used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Donnell said, "Right there, Smoke", Halima bounced, she did some vocal hits, the stage is not completely level - Smoke had trouble with the congas not staying still
5) Donnell-led "Hey ay, Ho oh" - Donnell said, "Right there Smoke" during the percussion, Donnell said, "Get this warmed up", there was a nice crank, Mike took off his sweater and Donnell said, "He's taking off his sweater"
6) Donnell-led "Oh my DC n*ggers, GoGo n*ggers", Doc was on backup vocals, the frontline danced, Donnell sang? "We're so fine, we can't..."
7) Alternating Halima-led Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl - Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, the crowd sang along, Halima moved, Donnell had Smoke switch to timbales and Jacques to congas, the frontline danced / Donnell-led Rare Essence's Hook Me Upa - Donnell said, "Right there, Halima" before they switched back to Hollaback Girl, then he later said, "Right there, Smoke" and they switched back to Hook Me Upa
8) Smoke conga solo - opened with Donnell shouting, "Yes!"
9) Mike-led Prince's Take Me With You - Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Donnell called out names
10) Donnell-led Hold the Note - Mike and Halima danced, Donnell went to the edge of the stage, he was used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, he chanted "Wait a minute",
11) Donnell-led Lil Kim's Lighters Up - Halima sang
12) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Marinda - Donnell said, "You ready, Pam?" Halima danced, Halima and Donnell stood at the edge of the stage
Donnell said, "I know what you want. I'm going to give you what you want. I'm going to slow it down."
13) Mike-led Raheem DeVaughn's Ask Yourself - Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, he held his mic at the edge of the stage, Mike held the hand of a woman at the edge of the monitors, he then went on the floor and sang directly to more women, he said, "It doesn't matter what kind of car he drives, it only matters how he treats you"
Mike said, "Yeah, ten for ten..."
Donnell said, "Mike's singing to everyone, a smorgas board."

Donnell Jr., Stacey & her cousin Shante, Nikki, Shawn, Tijuana with Shameika (who asked me how my thesis is going), 6'9, and Sixx were there.

Third Set
1) They started performing the music to Faith Evans' Mesmerized - Donnell said, "Next Sunday (October 9th), we're at the Fur with Chuck Brown, you might not see us on the flyer, but we'll be there. Mr. Cheeks will be there." Donnell said, "We will have laid back Sundays (starting October 16th), at the National Grille, free drinks to you, you hear that 6'9? Free drinks for everyone but 6'9. No GoGo, just happy hour sets.", Halima said, "We're not a GoGo band on Sundays.", Donnell said, "We're recording a live PA this Wednesday. You hear that Jauhar? Even though I'm not on the flyer" / Halima-led Faith Evans' Mesmerized - Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, moved around and bounced more than usual, Omar stood onstage, Dwayne smiled, the horn hits were really pronounced, Halima sang, "Ain't you funkin' now"
Donnell said, "I think ___ is ready"
2) Halima-led Mariah Carey's It's Like That - Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures and moved around, Donnell did a shout out to Sixx, Halima's singing was energetic, but not as early as when she normally sings this, Donnell said, "You hear that, Ytee?", Donnell said, "Hey Smoke", Smoke did a percussion solo, Donnell danced
3) Donnell-led "She's... she's elated"
4) Donnell-led 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease)
5) Donnell-led "I Don't See or Hear No Evil" - nice percussion, Mike said something I couldn't hear
6) Donnell-led "Eya eya"
7) Donnell-led One on One (Footz version) - the band and the crowd put their hands in the air, Halima, Doc, and Dwayne danced
8) Alternating Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut - Yolanda alternated dancing with me and Omar, Donnell danced, moved around and used a lot of nonverbal gestures, he stood at the edge of the stage, he chanted "Wait a minute", Jay Gotti and Killa Cal stood onstage / Donnell-led Notorious BIG's Warning - he used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures and moved around / Donnell "Wait a minute" echoes" / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease) / Jay Gotti rapped / Killa Cal rapped "This is how we do it Friday night, I'm a familiar face" / Donnell "Wait a minute" echoes - Donnell and Halima danced, Donnell held his left fist with his elbow perpendicular, Halima imitated it
9) Donnell-led "25, 25, 25" / Mike-led Rare Essence's Work the Walls - Halima danced, Donnell stood at the edge of the stage, Halima played congas, Sanisse also played on one of the congas
10) Donnell-led Trina Was Great - Stacey played with the conga mics, Halima walked offstage and Yolanda also left, Donnell forgot some of the lines, Donnell said, "Hey Stomp, we're getting ready to get up out of here."
Mike said, "Tiffany's doing the cabbage patch. She almost broke her shoulder"
11) Young Jeezy's Go Crazy - instrumental tease
12) Stomp solo
Donnell said, "It's Toya's birthday, she loves me. Dwayne's birthday is next week; it's the only band birthday we aren't going to celebrate."
I told him my birthday is the day before - next Friday. He told Nephew to get me a cake and put Dwayne's name somewhere on it.
Ytee and Tyrell were there
Doc told me to "ball that (my notes) up". He said that Kanye West (making fun of Mike's sweater) said he dresses like a kid. I told him about reading about greenlighting on the MD board. I said in the thread, there was a picture of Kanye West with a green collared shirt with the collar popped.

Doc said that Halima did the robot.
Donnell said, "I hate Roy Jones, I'm taking all bets, even if he fights Little Mike (Mike Smith used to be a boxer)."
Tiffany F. called me bobble head; we stood over by one of the tables. She got into an argument with a friend whose name I don't know. She asked me to handle it; I got behind her and pushed toward her friend. She made me stop when she saw I was serious.
15) Donnell acapella Djayz's It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp (tease)
Donnell said that "Monique is looking like she came out of the prom". She responded that she was thirty. She went over to Donnell Jr. and gave him a lap dance. Donnell said, "Stay away from my son."
Donnell said, "We're taking a collection for Vincent, he got his test results, Eazy-E"

I asked Googie if he knew the order of the bands tomorrow at the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. Unfortunately, he didn't.

I told Donnell about the TMOTT thread talking about his son.

I talked with Monique about her rapping there a few weeks ago, and moving all over as she did it. I said I wanted to see that again.

I then talked with Mike. I told him Doc called him Kanye West because of his sweater. I told him about greenlighting and that Kanye West had a picture exhibiting it.