Mambo Sauce at Jammin' Java
Jammin Java, 227 Maple Ave, Vienna, VA 22180

Jammin' Java is in mall (Glyndon Plaza). Mambo Sauce was opening for SOJA's album release party. I immediately noticed a bunch of white kids coming out of Jammin' Java. I walked in and there was a line for Tickets/Reservations. They had a list of names of people who had paid and rather than give physical tickets, they used hand stamps. It was eighteen and up and the crowd was overwhelmingly white, it looked like a college alternative music crowd. They said to someone ahead of me that they were sold out, that they had sold over three hundred tickets. I asked a guy who turned out to be the manager to get Red. He said he'd wait until it was a little less busy. Black Heart and Chenke came up and I told them the situation. Black Heart called Red. He said Red would get the manager to let us buy tickets, which he did, but after Mambo Sauce had already started playing.

Mambo Sauce - started at 8:50 PM (Red had sent me an email via myspace saying that they were hitting at 9 PM, them being early is a rarity in GoGo)
Red had told me on February 9th that they had finally added the cowbell, that Thi Lai would be playing it. As Bruce Dickson said, "I have a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell." This was the first performance with it, adding the key missing element in my opinion. Both Black Boo and Thi Lai played the cowbell tonight.
The line up was: "Black Boo" Duncan (vocals and cowbell), Thi Lai Simpson (vocals and cowbell), Drew White (guitar), Khari Pratt (bass), Chris Wright (keyboard), Barry Talbert (drums), and "Lil Pep" Cole (percussion).
Black Boo said, "Buy us a drink"
1) Black Boo-led Things Will Get Better - Black Heart, Chenke and I were in the front of the club, about fifty-some feet from the stage when they started, then we bought tickets and walked in, I stood over by the right side, about ten feet from the stage, I didn't start taking pictures until I noticed other people doing so
2) Thi Lai-led Sweet Baby "Yes you are, sweet baby" - Black Boo said, "I want all the mothers to..." and women in the crowd responded, not too many people were dancing except in the very front, Black Boo said, "How many of you know about GoGo up in here?" - about half the audience responded affirmatively
3) Thi Lai-led Fairweather "Where you..." - Black Boo played the cowbell, it cranked / Percussion solo

Lil' Pep, Drew, Chris, Black Boo, Thi Lai, Khari
4) Thi Lai-led "I know I am, you told me..." - Black Boo rapped, Chi Ali sat in, Chi Ali chanted, "GoGo for Red?, Hey Ho" and the crowd responded, Chi Ali said, "Everybody in the club, hands up!" and the crowd did, they swayed from side to side, Chi Ali said, "This is GoGo right here.", Chi Ali chanted, "What you going to do with that junk in the trunk" repeatedly, Chi Ali said, "Everybody say, 'We love GoGo'" and the crowd responded, Chi Ali chanted, "Hey ay, Ho oh", Chi Ali left

Lil' Pep, Drew, Chris, Black Boo, Chi Ali, Barry, Thi Lai, Khari
5) Thi Lai-led "Get low, Get low" - Black Boo played the cowbell, it cranked, the song was keyboard driven
6) Black Boo-led Love Them Jeans "I just want to... 36, 24, 36, This dirty chick..." - Black Boo rapped, Black Boo said, "All the girls with the tight girls, try to dance like you're trying to loosen them", Thi Lai danced, Black Boo said, "Work it Thi", much more of the crowd was dancing by this time, there was applause at the end of the song
Black introduced the band, Black Boo said, "I'm Black Boo, I'm the co-host, with the beautiful lady Thi Lai" people shouted, Black Boo said, "You didn't yell when I introduced myself". Barry played a solo when Black Boo introduced him. Black Boo said they have a song that's playing on the radio, Damn Joe. Black Boo asked the crowd to call in requests for it. Thi Lai announced the numbers to call in.
Black Boo announced their next show, also with SOJA, on March, 17 2006 at IOTA Club & Cafe, 2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201
7) Black Boo-led Damn Joe - Black Boo said, "At what school do you go to?", He called out names of schools, then he said, "who's in the work force" and there was some response, Black Boo then said, "Who goes to school, but doesn't really go to school?" and that got the biggest response, Thi Lai played the cowbell

Lil' Pep, Chris, Drew, Black Boo, Barry, Thi Lai, Khari
8) Black Boo-led Senorita - it had a Caribbean flavor, Black Boo sang addressing Thi Lai and vice versa, Black Boo said, "Anyone know how to do anything but the two step?", then they played much faster, there were different keyboard riffs

Lil' Pep, Drew, Chris, Black Boo, Thi Lai, Khari
9) Thi Lai-led Cool Points - Black Boo and Thi Lai danced together, it cranked, fans put their hands up, Black Boo said, "Hey y'all" and the fans put their hands up
10) Black Boo-led Oh Lawdy "You never asked for money... finer things like Polo..." - Boo rapped, it was keyboard driven, Lil Pep briefly played the roto-toms
11) Thi Lai-led Go "We run this town, We run this city" - Thi Lai said, "This song is about DC", Black Boo said, "Put your hands up, we want some unity", Thi Lai said, "George Bush don't run this", Lil Pep briefly played the roto-toms, Black Boo said, "I love the crowd response", it really cranked
12) Thi Lai & Black Boo-led Long Time Comin' "You were struggling" "Y'all got... on this" - guitar driven (power chords), Black Boo, Thi Lai, and fans put their hands up, Black Boo said, "Let me see all your hands" - the fans held their hands up and swayed from side to side, the song became more laid back, largely Lil Pep on congas, then returned to crank, Drew played a solo, he played the guitar with his teeth, there was lots of applause, Chris played other keyboard riffs, Khari and Drew played an outtro Black Boo asked, "Do you want one more?" and the crowd responded affirmatively. Black Boo said, "This is our bread. It's called Mambo."
13) Black Boo-led M.A.M.B.O. - It was almost like a march, the cadence was building, Lil Pep played the roto-toms (not briefly like before), Thi Lai said, "Let me see your hands" and most of the crowd put their hands up

Lil' Pep, Drew, Chris, Black Boo, Thi Lai, Khari
Thi Lai and Black Boo both said, "Give it up for SOJA."

Since they were done a little after 10 PM, I decided to leave and go see Familiar Faces at Tradewinds. I said good bye to Red and headed out.

Another fan's description