Beginning of my birthday celebration at Takoma Station
Takoma Station, 6914 4th St NW, Washington, DC 20012

I started celebrating my birthday, which is actually October 7th. Stacey wished me a happy birthday. She and Tamara gave me birthday hugs. Stacey said she wasn't sure which Stacey I referred to on my blog. I told her she was the only Stacey I knew. I did say there were two Tiffanys and two Shawns I know. She said she preferred when my entries were one long paragraph. I told her about how I am editing it so that it has more of an active voice. I told her about the creative writing class I plan to take. I also told her about my job search. She suggested I check out Craiglist. Stacey asked me how long I've been doing this, since she hung out with Rare Essence for years.

Her friend Pinky, not the one with dyed hair, came over and talked with me. I recognized her as a regular. She said she knows the other Pinky, they've known each other for years. She said she wants more writing in my blog, not like "He said..." She corrected Wheeler Road for me. She asked me about my thesis, what I need to do. I told her about needing to interview fans. She said she's been going to GoGos since she was twelve. She said, "They're old." I said, "Except for Stomp, Halima, and Smoke." Pinky said that Lorenzo and Monica was a GoGo movie backed by the film industry.

Tim (LJ) talked about possibly going to New Orleans to work on restoring phone lines. He too works for Verizon. He talked with one of the Verizon Takoma Station regulars. I told him about my friend George Darden, a manager at Verizon.

The DJ played Lyfe (Jennings). Tim asked me if I had heard this. I said I had heard of Lyfe, but not heard his music. He said, "It's about real n*ggers doing real things." He said one of those things was Dads abandoning their children. I teased him, "Is that what happened to you?" He said, "I'm a happily married man!" I said, "I mean by your Dad." He laughed. Tim said he went to Jammin' Jeff's (he called him Jazzy Jeff) birthday party in Adams Morgan.

Sharika and Donnell Jr. were there.

Familiar Faces
First Set
Donnell said that tomorrow's show at the Fur was free with a flyer.
1) Miles Davis' Tutu - Lorenzo played some steel drum sounds on his keyboard, Donnell called out hits: "One hit, one time, two hits, two times, four hits, right there, three hits, three times, five hits, five times..."
June and his wife Shadonna were there.
Tracy was there, she brought me a birthday cake - strawberry shortcake. Thanks, Tracy!
2) Anthony Hamilton's Comin' from Where I'm From (debut) - instrumental, nice Dwayne solo and nice Lorenzo solo
James, Ray and Whop were there.
Mike said, "Do y'all feel alright this evening? Old time love song. Good to see you Lisa (one of the Verizon people). A song about love as the most powerful force in the universe."
3) Mike-led O'Bryan's Lady I Love You - James was on backup vocals, Mike went out on the dance floor Mike said, "Special request by Sharmba Mitchell (I didn't see him there) - Mr. James Lawson"
4) James-led Jill Scott's Not Like Crazy
Mike said, "Mr. James Lawson, That's Godfather's nephew"
5) Mike-led Stevie Wonder's Golden Lady - Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures and went on the dance floor, Lorenzo did riffs with different keyboard sounds
Halima came up and Mike said, "She's got on Cinderella slippers."
6) Halima-led Jill Scott's Whatever - Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Donnell clapped, Halima moved around and used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Donnell stood to the right of the right speaker Mike said something I couldn't hear
7) Halima-led Faith Evans' Again - Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures and moved around, Halima said, "Tamara!", Dwayne smiled, Halima smiled, Halima went on the dance floor and held fans' hands
Nikki and Monique were there.
Halima said, "Oh, I feel something tonight"
8) Halima-led Alicia Keys' Diary - Halima moved around, she sang to Sugar Bear, who stood right in front of her
Donnell said, "Watch yourself Sugar Bear. Grammy award nominee Gregory Elliott. Trying to slick it up. Hey you hugged her (Halima) three times. I know your secrets. Kids come up to me all the time."
I told Donnell that if people wanted some of my birthday cake, they should get it now.
He did a birthday shout out to me and said, "That strange little guy has been following us for a year now."
Mara, Sanisse, and RE Angie were there.
Donnell said, "The Fur tomorrow is free for everybody, man, woman, boy, girl, if you have a flyer."
Donnell said, "The Fur on Sunday will have the same line up (not quite - no Backyard Band) as the Chuck Brown birthday concert (on August 31, 2001, released on DVD)."
6'9 walked in and Donnell said, "6'9 just came in. He must have been at the free party across town. 6'9, if you're going to cheat on me..."

Tim was nice enough to buy me a meal.

Stomp said, "How old are you, eighty five?" I said, "How old are you, twelve?" I asked him if his tattoos on his arm where the names of his kids, he said yes.

Smoke asked me how old I was, I said the same age as you. He said, "We're still young men."

Halima and I went to talk to the other band members outside. Googie said happy birthday. Doc said he wanted to beat up Lorenzo for saying that Verdine White wasn't good on bass. They discussed Earth Wind & Fire's new album which features Raphael Saadiq. I told them how my parents have a TV/VCR and when I came home from Takoma Station last week, three members of EWF were being interviewed. Doc said R. Kelly produced Charlie Wilson's (of the GAP Band) album. Dwayne said he needs Marshall amps.

Monique said I almost spilled her drink backing up. I told her it was my birthday. She asked me how old I was, I said 32. She said, "Well, if you spill my drink, I'll kick your ass, thirty-two." Nikki and she both hugged me. I asked Monique to give me a lap dance like she gave Donnell Jr. on Friday. She joked, "That's different, he's my boyfriend."

Second Set
Donnell said something about Lorraine High School.
1) Mike-led Bobby Valentino's Slow Down - James was on backup vocals, there was a nice crank, Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures
2) Donnell-led "Hey ay, Ho oh" - Donnell said, "My man, Ray"
3) Halima-led Alicia Keys' Unbreakable - James was on backup vocals, Halima moved around, Donnell said, "I know that's right, baby"
Mike said, "Birthday boy"
4) They started perfoming the music to Faith Evans' Mesmerized - Donnell went over the birthday girls, "Little Sis, Angie, Tamika" / Donnell-led 50 Cent's In Da Club - "Go Angie, it's your birthday" / Halima-led Faith Evans' Mesmerized - Halima started out by singing, "Baby, Baby", Halima moved around and bounced
5) Halima-led Lil Kim's Lighters Up - Donnell held up his cell phone lit, Canina, a woman who talked to Halima, rapped, Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Halima took her mic back
6) Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut (tease)
Donnell said, "We got my man Sugar Bear in the house"
7) Sugar Bear long medley (I am not certain of the order performed) - "Now listen, Gimme that beat, Come on" / "Hey ay, Ho oh" / "Can we do it for the fellas/ladies, Oh my God!" / "The Sugar" / "If you're sexy and you know it, raise your hands" / "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" / Sydney Robin & Charlie Shavers' Undecided "First you said you will, then you say you won't" / Donnell went onstage and Halima sat onstage / Sly & the Family Stone's Family Affair / Nelly's Flap Your Wings / "Bop, Bop" / "I got a woman, Way across town, Special request, She's good to me" (rewrite of Gold Digger) -> Kanye West's Gold Digger / Funkadelic's Undisco Kid -> Cops Theme "Bad girls, The girls are bad (Cops Theme)" / "Eya, eya" - the frontline danced, there was nice percussion / "Come on Halima, I like to strut..." / "Four Bones" - Jacques played timbales / "Are the Redskins the real deal, better than the Seahawks? Who's going to the Super Bowl?" / "Old School, eya eya...” / "Hold up, wait a minute" / Freak a Deak All Night Long / "RE Angie" / "Aye, ya, ya, ya" / Rare Essence's One on One - the front line & RE Angie danced, Sugar Bear held Halima's hand up, nice crank / Donnell said, "We'll be releasing a new PA in the next couple of days, couple of minutes..." / Smoke solo / "When are we going to get to the good part"
Jennifer was there.
8) Alternating Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut - Donnell said, "That's my man Sugar Bear", Sugar Bear hugged Halima again, Donnell used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, He said, "Thank my man Sugar Bear, a Grammy award nominee," Donnell did the "Wait a minute chant", the frontline did the bowing dance, Donnell & Halima clapped, the crowd sang along / Notorious BIG's Warning - Donnell used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures and moved around, He said, "My man Jordan is celebrating his birthday, it's your birthday" / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease) / "Wait a minute echoes" - Donnell, Halima and DP danced, Donnell chanted "Yeah, Yeah, Hey Jordan, Ay ay, Wait a minute, That's what I'm talking about Jordan", Stacey and Halima (facing each other) dipped in dancing, Donnell chanted, "Wait a minute", Donnell said, "Look here y'all, we're getting ready to get up out of here", Mike pointed at Stinky Dink on the dance floor
Val "Tina Turner" was there, with a new hairdo.
Donnell said, "Where you at Halima?" Halima returned to the floor
9) Halima-led Mariah Carey's It's Like That - energetic singing by Halima, she moved around, Donnell said, "Stinky Dink, rickety raw", Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, he bobbed his head, Donnell danced
Shante was there
10) Donnell chanted, "One, two, three, four", Little Benny (wearing a white Shooters jersey with the number 1 printed on it) sat in / Little Benny-led Rare Essence's Roll Call, the frontline danced the roll call dance, Little Benny did a shout out to Stacey, he used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures
11) Little Benny-led Rare Essence's Doing the Do - "What's that funk, Say what, Ain't got no dust, Doing the do"
12) Little Benny-led Stevie Wonder's Do I Do - Donnell and Halima danced
13) Stinky Dink-led Stinky Dink's One Track Mind
Donnell said, "This is where the stars be partyin'"
14) Donnell-led Common's The Corner - Donnell rapped over the sample
Donnell said, "We'll be at the Fur Sunday with Chuck, Packy, and Halima"
Donnell said, "Benny taught me to dance, I thought I would fall down. I thought I would have to go to one of Mike Muse's private dance rehearsals. Benny do you remember Mike's private dance rehearsals?"
15) Donnell acapella Trina Was Great
Stacey said she would get me a pad. I said paper is convenient, but she can get me a Blackberry. She said, "I don't love you that much."
Godfather wished me a happy birthday. I asked him how Benny's birthday affair went, he said he didn't go.
16) Donnell acapella Rare Essence's How Can I Know? Donnell said to the band, "Don't nobody go nowhere, tall man."
17) A white male fan tried to sing a Bob Marley tune

Pinky stood outside leaning against a car and said, "Don't forget my interview."

As I drove back up the street, I saw Doc and Vincent in the street and honked at them - I told Doc I needed to get him back for almost running me over at Takoma two weeks ago. He said, "I should have hit you, you would be pushing up daisies. You are having a good time on your birthday; I'll bet you celebrate all week..."