June's birthday at Takoma Station
Takoma Station, 6914 4th St NW, Washington, DC 20012

I talked with Doc and Val "Tina Turner" a bit. Halima came by briefly, Doc joked about her walking so fast. I talked with Tina Turner about how her hair had changed every time I had seen her. I said I had noticed that she changed it after Shadonna had the same hair style. She was surprised at how observant I was. When I asked why she didn't have the real Tina Turner's hair style, Doc said she used to. I asked if she sang like Tina Turner, she talked about getting on the mic last week - she said Halima had to turn it on for her. I told her about a guy I know who stalks Ike Turner. Doc left his drink briefly and Stacey asked if it was mine. Archie said he had his eye on me - he wanted to see what I would do.

Shaun, Tim (LJ), Dave, Ray, Sharika, Shadonna, and June were there.

Donnell talked about the birthday celebrations. Donnell mentioned one in particular: "My good friend, former co-worker, Anthony Moten, he was going to celebrate it this week, but he didn't make it." Donnell asked for a moment of silence. People at the bar yelled to get everyone to be silent.

Familiar Faces
First Set
1) Mother's Day - DP, Mike and Halima were not onstage, Donnell said, "For my man Moten, y'all."
Roosevelt was there.
2) Mike-led John Legend's Ordinary People - Donnell stood on the right by Lorenzo, Mike said, "How's everyone this evening. I hope you feel alright.", Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Packy played the Cowbell
3) Mike-led Stevie Wonder's Golden Lady - Mike said, "Back to the days of the silver Christmas tree", Mike moved around, Donnell danced and used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Mike went on the dance floor, Nece was there celebrating her birthday, she wore a black dress and a tiara, Mike said, "I love you" (don't know who to)
Shante and Nita were there.
Mike said something to Doc - he shrugged
Mike said, "The main thing we all need to do especially as Black people is to love one another. There was a thing called Katrina that showed the people in charge don't care about us. All we have is each other. They say God travels through music."
Donnell went onstage on the left side
Mike said, "What our forefathers did..."
4) Alternating Mike-led Bernard Ighner's Everything Must Change - Mike said, "They say the revolution won't be televised. The revolution starts here (pointing to his head). Let's do it like this one time.", Another woman pulled Nece away from Donnell and tried to pull her away from Mike, Mike went on the floor, Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Mike had a nice long solo, Halima smiled and clapped, she came on the stage floor and sang backup, Mike said, "Where would you be without God? I'm not a preacher, but in the bible pull that trigger on your brother and... Time is coming.", Halima held her mic stand with both hands as she sang / Halima said, "Sometimes you wonder what's going on inside, your mind makes you hear things you don't want to hear, your heart makes you feel things you didn't know even existed", Donnell stood to the right of the stage, Donnell said, "Go Halima!" / Halima-led Rodgers & Hart's My Funny Valentine - Halima's singing was excellent, she used a number of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Mike said, "Alright!"
Halima said, "Good evening everyone. How y'all doing?"
DP went onstage
James was there.
The dance floor filled during
5) Halima-led Erykah Badu's Cleva - Halima initially sang, "Ooh, ooh", Donnell did birthday announcements and shout outs, Donnell said, "Gimme the top" and Halima started singing, Donnell said, "I hear you ladies", Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures and moved around, She changed the lyrics to "This is how I look with makeup"
Angie, Tamara, and Nikki were there.
6) Mike-led John Legend's Used to Love U - Donnell said, "You ready Nece?", Mike said, "That's my baby", Donnell said, "I see you Halima", Donnell said, "We got my man Scooby and Tuffy from L!ssen in here", Halima clapped, Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Donnell shouted, "Yeah!", the frontline dance during the hits, Halima smiled
Donnell said, "I don't know birthday, I know I'm forgetting one: June or Sly" Shadonna went up and talked to Donnell.
7) Halima-led Fantasia's Free Yourself - Halima went onstage, Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, bounced and kicked, DP gave Doc his mic stand, Halima went on the floor, Halima bounced, Halima's singing was excellent, Halima repeated "Don't talk to me", Nece, dancing in front of the stage floor, showed her appreciation for Halima's singing, Halima moved around, there was musical transition ->
8) Halima-led Floetry's Say Yes - Mike chanted, "Hey ey", Halima said, "Hey ladies, sometimes you have say, "Don't talk to me", but your heart tells you something different, Halima held her mic to the crowd, Mike said, "Hey Baby" (not sure who to), Scooby sat in - on the left side by the monitor, he used Donnell's mic, Scooby sang, "Whoo hoo" then sang the lyrics, it was nice, Halima smiled, Halima, Mike and Scooby all soloed, Scooby said, "Break it down" to Stomp, girls in the crowd sang along, Halima sang, "So, so, so" / Lionel Richie's Hello (tease) - Scooby said, "Sing it girl", Halima sang, "I've kissed your lips a thousand times" three times, Halima bounced, Donnell walked past her to pass on a signal to the band, Scooby said, "Thank You Donnell", Donnell said, "Look here y'all, thank my man Scooby from L!ssen. He wanted to be a national act. Nothing wrong with that, we support DC, we want to be a national act. We left Rare Essence. Are you going to be mad at us?"
Donnell announced the line up for the Night of Elegance (Wednesday the night before Thanksgiving): After Hours, Raheem DeVaughn, Mint Condition, Familial Faces (not a mis-spelling) (performing in that order).
Donnell said, "You hear us Nece? You're not going to remember anything tonight, I'll call you tomorrow. She's been drinking... Who's taking care of her? She made me an indecent proposal, whoa!"

Stinky Dink was there.

Second Set
Tiffany G. was there.
1) They started performing the music to Alicia Keys' Unbreakable (or Eddie Kendricks' Intimate Friends) - Donnell said, "Sunday is take your man to Mo's, Ocean Air, Ruth's Chris, or you can cook", Halima went onstage, the rest of the frontline stood in their normal spots / Halima-led Alicia Keys' Unbreakable - Tiffany G. stood to the left of Mike (his right), Donnell said, "You ready?", Donnell shouted, "Yeah!", Donnell went onstage to the left of Halima and danced, Halima moved around and grabbed her stomach, Donnell went back on the floor, Donnell shouted, "Yeah!", Donnell said, "Come on with it Halima", Donnell said, "Happy birthday to all the Libras, Libras put your hands up"
2) Mike-led Bobby Valentino's Tell Me - Tiffany G. danced behind Mike, Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Donnell called someone, "Solid Gold dancers", there was a nice crank, Mike said, "Get on down Nikki", Halima danced, Donnell said, "Where's the old school at?"
Lima was there, she had changed her hair.
Tracy S. was there.
3) Donnell-led "Hey ay, Ho oh" - Donnell said, "Hey look"
4) Donnell-led 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease) - Halima danced
5) Halima-led Faith Evans' Mesmerized - Donnell said, "Come on with it, girl", Halima went on the floor, Halima waited while a guy talked to Donnell, the crowd sang along, Halima's singing was excellent, Halima bounced and used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, DP shouted, "Yeah!", Halima moved around, Donnell said, "I see you Tina Turner", DP shouted, "Yeah!", Halima repeated, "off my"
6) Mike-led Prince's Take Me With You - (I should note that Donnell starts singing this song - a verbal start signal essentially and Mike takes over the lead), Donnell said, "Let's get it going y'all", Donnell said, "One more time Michael Muse", Donnell called out names, Donnell said, "By yourself ladies", The ladies did sing it, Mike, Donnell and Halima danced, DP bounced, Donnell shouted, "Yeah!"
7) Donnell-led Hold the Note - Donnell started off with "Hold the note y'all" and held his fist up, Halima smiled, Donnell called out names, Nikki danced on the stage floor, Halima clapped, Donnell said, "Dwayne Lee" and Dwayne took a solo
8) Donnell & Halima-led Lil Kim's Lighters Up - Donnell called out names, Halima rapped and used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Donnell said, "Gimme the Woo", Halima and Mike sang, "Woo", Donnell said, "Next verse Halima", Donnell said, "Oh, oh, oh", Halima moved around, smiled and clapped
9) Donnell-led It Is What It Is - "It is what it is, it's just a matter of time", Donnell and Halima used a lot of lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Tiffany G. mimed singing, Donnell said, "Are you ready Tamara? Do you want to go back or go forward?", he showed how she could indicate it by pointing her thumb one way or the other, Halima went onstage in front of Godfather
Tamara indicated back.
10) Donnell-led Rare Essences' One on One (Footz version) - the band and fans put their hands in the air, the crowd shouted, "Go-Go Mickey", he sat in (I hadn't seen him until people shouted his name), Donnell said, "What y'all say?", a fan sang choruses from Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop) (tease), Donnell said, "Godfather", Donnell sang, "These faces are familiar"
11) Mike-led Rare Essence's Take Me Out to the Go-Go - the fans started singing first, Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Some guy was hitting on Tiffany G. from the dance floor
12) Go-Go Mickey solo - the crowd shouted, "Go-Go Mickey" really loudly, Donnell said, "Say what? What y'all say? Mick-ay", Donnell said to someone, "Hey baby, you got the wrong one", Halima danced
13) Rare Essence's Body Snatchers - instrumental, Donnell said, "Look here y'all, we're getting ready to get on up out of here"
Donnell said, "Come on with it Godfather"
14) Rare Essence's Oprah Winfrey - instrumental / Mike-led Rare Essence's Work the Walls - Halima smiled, Go-Go Mickey switched to the timbales, Mike sang, "Girl rock my world" twice, Donnell said, "Old school", Donnell said, "One more time Michael Muse", Mike stared at a woman dancing hyperactively in front of the monitor, "Doing Da Butt" was part of the lyrics
15) Halima-led Mariah Carey's It's Like That - Halima went on the dance floor, Donnell shouted, "What", Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures and moved around, her singing was energetic, Go-Go Mickey played timbales and Smoke played congas
16) Donnell & Halima-led Minnie Riperton's Memory Lane - different beat, Donnell said, "Look here y'all we're getting ready to get on up of out of here", Donnell then Halima sang, Donnell said, "Right there Halima, come on with it", Donnell said, "Each and every Wednesday night back down memory lane", Halima's singing was excellent, Donnell said, "Look here y'all we're getting ready to get on up of out of here", Donnell sang it acapella
I noticed an unopened condom on the floor between the monitor and Donnell's mic stand. I pointed it out to Donnell and Mike.
Stinka was there.
Donnell said, "Thanks for coming through Mickey, thanks for coming through Stinky Dink."
Archie asked Donnell if he called him Sweet Archie, Donnell denied it. I had earlier teased Archie about it. Donnell did call him that, but I am sure he didn't mean to.