Nita's birthday at Safari
Safari Steakhouse, 9430 Annapolis Road Lanham MD 20706

Dave was there.

Familiar Faces
First Set
1) Halima-led Erykah Badu's Didn't Cha Know - Donnell said, "I'd like to welcome everyone to Safari Steakhouse. We play three sets, this is the happy hour set", there was distortion in the speakers, Halima moved around and used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Halima repeated, "Guide me", James walked on stage and sang backup, Halima's singing was more powerful than normal for this song
2) They started to perform the music to Jill Scott's Golden - Donnell said, "Just getting this thing warmed up. Also we have some birthdays and congratulations. I don't know if they're going across the state line", Halima played congas, Donnell shouted, "Yeah!" / Halima-led Jill Scott's Golden - Packy played the tambourine, Halima and James used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Halima's singing again was powerful, Halima bounced and moved around, Donnell said, "Let's go Halima", Doc smiled, Halima danced during the horn hits, Halima conducted the horn hits
3) Grover Washington Jr.'s Mr. Magic - Halima and James left the stage, Donnell announced that a couple of cars needed to be moved, Donnell talked with Lorenzo and Godfather, Donnell shouted, "Yeah, Come on with it y'all", Dwayne played a nice solo

Doc, Lorenzo, Dwayne, Donnell, DP
Tracy, Nita, and Shante were there.
4) Mike-led Bernard Ighner's Everything Must Change - Mike said, "Black beauty and Black power. When a little old lady named Rosa Parks stood up to the white supremacist establishment, why do we not stand up for one another, same old Jim Crow mentality, light skin versus dark skin", Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Mike said, "Stay strong"
5) Mike-led Ruff Endz' Someone to Love You - Mike said, "Hey ladies, they say this is a ladies song right here. DP was not onstage, Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Donnell said, "Alright" repeatedly, Donnell shouted, "Yeah!", Mike said, "Mama said there'd be nights like this", DP shouted, "Yeah!"
Stacey & her cousin Shante, Tracy S., Chanel, Angie, LA, and Arielle were there.
6) Donnell acapella Slick Rick's La Di Da Di (tease)
Lisa of the World was there.
I talked with Nita.
I kidded Dwayne about wearing a bright shirt. I said, "You're taking away from the frontline." He said, "We're the real frontline."

I danced with a girl at the end of the break during Percolator.
Donnell said, "I see you Jordan".

Ebony was there.

Second Set
Mike said, "All the Scorpios, don't forget about the Virgos, my ex-wife is a Virgo".
Mike said, "Nita got a birthday, we're going to send this song to her."
Donnell said, "If you just got here, don't ask why we just started. You didn't get here early..."
Halima laughed.
1) Toto's Georgy Porgy - intro / Alternating Mike-led Bobby Valentino's Slow Down - Donnell said, "Come on Stomp", Donnell shouted, "Yeah!" repeatedly, James was on backup vocals, Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Donnell said, "Right there Mike", Donnell shouted, "Yeah!", Donnell said, "Uh huh", Donnell and Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures / 6 Minutes - percussion solo, Donnell said, "Don't nobody say nothing, don't nobody play nothing", Donnell said, "What did you say your girlfriends...", Donnell said, "My baby Nita been here since day one, her and Lisa of the World, all the way back to the Mustang? Cafe", Donnell said, "Just give us a while to get this warmed up"
2) Donnell-led "If that's how you feel, you need to keep it for real" - Donnell said, "Stomp I didn't know you were going to do that", Donnell inserted names, Donnell used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures
There were flashing lights onstage
3) Halima-led Alicia Keys' Unbreakable - girls in the audience sang along, Halima moved around and used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures
4) Donnell-led "Hey ay, Ho oh" - the crowd sang along
5) Donnell-led "Do it for the ladies/fellas, Oh my God!" - Halima danced and posed, Mike sang, "Oh my God!", Mike posed and Halima sang, "Oh my God!"
The strobe light went on on the dance floor
6) Donnell-led "___ Is in the house"
7) Alternating Halima-led Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl - there was a different drum machine sound, the crowd sang along, "That's my sh*t", Donnell said, "Gimme the top", Donnell clapped, Halima moved around, Donnell said, "Let's go Tracy, Let's go Chanel", Donnell said, "Come on mama", Donnell shouted, "Yeah!" / Donnell-led Rare Essence's Hook Me Upa - Donnell and Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Donnell said, "Hey Arielle", Donnell said, "That's what we're talking about Trinidad, 58", Donnell said, "Right there Halima", Donnell said, "Let's get it together", Donnell said, "One more verse Halima", Donnell said, "Uh huh", Donnell said, "That's what we're talking about DJ Flava"
8) John Legend's Used to Love U - instrumental intro / Donnell-led Ludacris' Number One Spot - James left the stage, Donnell used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures and bounced, Donnell said, "Bounce, bounce" and fans and the frontline, Doc and Lorenzo did, there was a percussion solo, the frontline used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures and danced, Mike said, "What you doing Tracy?" repeatedly, Donnell said, "Hey Stomp, Hey Smoke"
9) Alternating Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut - James was on back up vocals, Mike and Halima danced, Halima played congas, DP shouted, "Yeah, come on!", Halima went back to her normal spot, Halima danced, the frontline did the bowing dance, Donnell said, "Ladies", DP said, "Unh unh", Donnell improved some, the frontline danced the bowing dance, DP said, "Unh unh", Halima sang, "Ooh, ooh" / Notorious BIG's Warning - Halima and Donnell used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Donnell said, "We got you Lincoln Heights" / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease) - Donnell and Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures to the hits / "Wait a minute" echoes - the crowd shouted, "Ay", Donnell shouted, "Yeah!", Mike used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Donnell said, "Yes, sir", Donnell said, "We got the Raw Image up in here"
10) Donnell-led "Brandywine, friends of mine" chant - Mike and Halima sang along
11) Mike-led Prince's Take Me With You - Mike and Halima danced, Donnell called out names, Donnell said, "Alright", Donnell said, "By yourself ladies, By yourself", Donnell said, "Oh my God!", Donnell said, "Hear that fellas? They don't care", Halima sang, the frontline danced during the percussion solo, DP shouted, "Come on!"
12) Donnell-led Hold the Note - Donnell started it with, "Hold the note y'all", Chanel encouraged me to dance in a certain way, Donnell called out names, Donnell shouted, "Wait a minute", Donnell said, "Dwayne Lee, Hey Smoke", Mike sang something I couldn't hear, Donnell said to someone, "Don't make me come and get you", Halima and Mike danced, Donnell bounced, Doc rapped, Donnell said, "Look here y'all ten for ten, nine for nine", but the band kept playing, Mike stared at someone, Donnell and Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures.
Tyrell and Love were there.

Shawn was there.


Lorenzo in his natural element (on the phone).

Angie, Tracy and Chanel asked me what happened to the Jordan they knew.

Third Set
Mike said, "Where you at Nita? Happy birthday Nita"
DP joked, "Where you at Stomp (he was standing right next to him)".
Mike talked about the Night of Elegance. He said, "The after party will be in my room, I'm in room 1".
Donnell said, "Familial Faces".
Mike talked about some woman, "She likes me".
Donnell said, "He wouldn't know what to do with you anyhow. This is the man's side." Mike said, "That's the green side." Smoke laughed.
The stage went dark
1) Mike-led Bobby Valentino's Tell Me - Donnell said, "My baby Nita's celebrating her birthday", Donnell did a shout out to Michelle Blackwell of What? Band in the audience, Donnell said, "This is where the stars be partyin'", Halima danced, Donnell said, "I see you... What want to do girl?", Donnell said, "Hey Godfather", there was a nice crank, Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Mike said, "Sweet Lashonda, I love you baby", Donnell said, "Right there Michael Muse", Mike said, "I'm still waiting on that phone call baby", Donnell said, "Get on down Stacey", Donnell said, "You ready?", Billy sat in on congas, Donnell said, "Give me some Jungle Boogie", Mike said, "Get on down Billy", James held his arms up, Donnell shouted, "Wait a minute"
Donnell, DP, Packy, Smoke, Jacques, Billy, Omar, Nita, the security guard is Tony
All pictures taken by and Copyright - Jordan Rich
2) Alternating Donnell & Halima-led Lil Kim's Lighters Up - Donnell held up his lit cell phone, Mike said something I couldn't hear, Donnell called out names, at least one fan held his lighter up, Halima rapped, Halima and Mike moved around, Donnell bounced, Donnell called out people's names, Donnell said, "Hey Smoke", the frontline danced, Halima rapped the second verse, Donnell said, "Give me the Woo", Donnell bounced and clapped, Mike and Halima sang, "Woo", Donnell said, "What you say, Brandywine?", Halima rapped the second verse, Donnell said, "Hey Smoke, Hey, Stomp, Yes Sir", Donnell said, "Say What" repeatedly, Donnell shouted, "Yeah!", Donnell said, "Gimme the woo", Mike and Halima sang, "Woo", the frontline danced, Donnell said, "I don't think y'all heard me", Doc, Mike and Halima sang, "Woo", Donnell said, "Look here y'all, we're getting this thing warmed up" / Doc-led Young Jeezy's Soul Survivor (tease)
Peg Leg was there.
3) Donnell-led 50 Cent's In Da Club - Nita, Lisa of the World and other women danced onstage
4) Halima-led Mariah Carey's It's Like That - Halima's singing was energetic, Halima moved around, Halima sang, "Yeah" repeatedly, Halima bounced
5) Alternating Donnell-led It Is What It Is - Donnell used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures, Halima waved / Donnell & Halima-led Sade's No ordinary Love - Donnell said, "Now what I tell you" / Doc rapped
6) Donnell-led Trina Was Great - Donnell said, "Yes sir", Donnell bounced
7) Donnell-led "25, 25, 25" / Mike-led Rare Essence's Work the Walls - Smoke played timbales and Jacques congas, DP shouted, "Come on", Donnell said, "Michael Muse come on", Donnell said, "Michelle Blackwell each and every Monday night right back here"
8) Donnell-led 50 Cent's In Da Club - "Go Nita, it's your birthday" - Donnell said, "Look here y'all, we got to get on up out of here"
9) Instrumental - I asked Doc about it, he said it probably was just grooving, Smoke played congas, Mike said, "I see", Donnell said, "I know that's right Stacey"
10) Halima-led Faith Evans' Mesmerized - Halima used a lot of nonverbal arm & hand gestures
Donnell talked with Googie and Tee Bone about the used of Kraftwerk's Trans-Europe Express (which they cover in Tell Me), he said Chuck was first, then Trouble Funk (Trouble Funk Express), then Rare Essence, then Backyard.
Donnell said, "Hey Tee Bone".
Donnell said, "Billy, did you pay your respects?"
Googie said Trouble was first, Chuck never covered it.