Zanzibar on the Waterfront, 700 Water Street SW Washington, DC 20024
Kim, John, his brother Derek, Gary, and Fat Cat were there.
A female bartender I didn't recognize waved to me.
I asked Paul who was playing first, he said Familiar Faces. When Doc arrived, I discussed it with him; he said Familiar Faces was playing 3 sets, with EU playing 2 sets in between downstairs.
A number of people asked me if I worked there, or even owned Zanzibar. A number of people asked me about my taking notes and I told them about my website.
I said hello to Maya briefly.
Angie, Ebo (celebrating her birthday), and Kandi "Catseyes" (she wrote in my notes) were there.
Familiar Faces
First Set
The members of Familiar Faces were all semi-formally dressed.
1) Mother's Day - Donnell played his Sax on the dance floor, Donnell played his Sax directly for Ebo, the various members of Familiar Faces had their own solos
Shawnisse, Debbie, Arielle, and Michon were there.
Donnell did announcements.
2) Sean-led John Legend's Ordinary People - Sean sang to Shawnisse -->
Natalie, Gene, and Los were there.
3) Sean-led Brian McKnight's Anytime - Sean danced with Kim, walked around and sang to Ebo and Natalie and went back onstage
4) Halima-led Sade's Pearls - Halima had a new hairdo
5) Sean-led Peabo Bryson's Feel the Fire - Donnell did a birthday announcement for Ebo
6) Gerald Levert's Funny (instrumental tease) / Percussion solo - they started the crank / Sean-led Gerald Levert's Funny -->
7) Halima-led Jill Scott's Whatever - it cranked
This is the first time I've seen a happy hour set (stylistically) since they left Takoma Station.
As I and virtually everyone else walked downstairs, a beautiful girl I later learned is named Lisa asked me what I was doing there. I told her I go to lots of GoGos, largely Familiar Faces. She tested me by asking where they play on Saturdays. EU had already started playing when I walked into the room.
EU
First Set (in progress)
Most of their line up was unfamiliar to me: Junie (male singer), female singer (didn't perform until the second set, but stood on the right side of the stage), Gregory "Sugar Bear" Elliott (vocals and bass), Demitrius "Demi-Doc" McGhee (vocalist/keyboard player), Tony (guitar), keyboard player (he played for Chuck later on), drummer, Derek (percussion), and another percussionist.
1) Junie-led Alexander O'Neal's If You Were Here Tonight?
2) Sugar Bear-led "Go Virgos, it's your birthday" - it cranked
3) Alternating Junie-led Dave Hollister's One Woman Man - it cranked, both Junie and Sugar Bear held their mics to the fans / Sugar Bear-led "Let the beat drop" -->
4) Sugar Bear-led Medley: "When are we going to get to the good part" / "I ain't got no dance... No steps y'all" / "Ooh ah, with your body" / Trillville's Some Cut / "Go Sheena, it's your birthday, Go Junie, it's your birthday" / "I love your..." / "Do it for the ladies/fellas" / "If you're sexy and you know it, raise your hands" - Junie held his mic stand over to fans / "Hold up, wait a minute" / "Party with your body"
5) Junie-led Luther Vandross' Take You Out "possibly can i take you out tonight?" / Derek conga solo
6) Sugar Bear-led Medley: "Party with your body" / Nelly's Flap Your Wings / "keep it right..." / Sly & the Family Stone's Family Affair - Sugar Bear did a shout out to Michelle Wright who was on the right side of the stage / (still the music to Family Affair) "Pump it up" - Michelle Wright walked over and kissed Sugar Bear on the cheek / Percussion solo - the 2nd percussionist played the timbales, Sugar Bear said, "Shake it shorty" / Kanye West's Gold Digger - the 2nd percussionist played the timbales / "Good googlie mooglie" / "Shake that thing" / "Are the Redskins the real deal?" / "Hold up wait a minute" / Freak a Deak Zone / "Hey ay" / Rare Essence's One on One / "If you're twenty-five and older, throw your hands up" / "S, SW" chant / "Party with your body" / "Hey ay, Ho oh" -->
7) Sugar Bear-led (UCB's) Sexy Lady
Natalie introduced me to her sister-in-law, but I couldn't hear her name over the music.
DeeDee was there.
Familiar Faces
Second Set (in progress)
1) Halima-led Sade's No Ordinary Love - it cranked / Percussion solo
Britney, Simone, Nece, Sharika, and Delano were there.
2) Donnell-led "Hey ay, Ho oh"
3) Donnell-led "___ Is in the house"
4) Donnell-led 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease) "Go Ebony, it's your birthday"
5) Sean-led Ne-Yo's When You're Mad - it cranked, Donnell shouted, "Wait a minute", Sean sang at the edge of the dance floor
6) Alternating Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut - the frontline and fans danced the bowing dance / Notorious BIG's Warning / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease) / "Wait a minute" echoes / Scarface's I Seen a Man Die (tease) / Tupac's Hail Mary (tease) - the crowd said, "Ra da da"
Peg Leg was there.
7) Donnell-led "Party, party, everybody" / Percussion solo / Sean-led Ne-Yo's So Sick - Michelle Wright was onstage, Donnell said, "Sing something to my baby", Donnell shouted, "Wait a minute", Donnell said, "Hey D-O-C", it cranked, girls danced onstage
8) Donnell-led "___ Is yes!" / Sample "What?" / "You make me want to see just how freaky you can be" / "keep it low" / "Reggae" - Packy played the cowbell / "But is it like that, is it really like that?"
9) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Marinda (literal tease)
EU
Second Set (in progress)
1) ?
2) Sugar Bear-led "Go Virgos, it's your birthday" - Godfather and Lorenzo were already in the room, I asked Lorenzo if they had a private elevator, he said, "Stairs" / "___ Is here" / Demi-Doc-led Lil Wayne's Earthquake - it cranked / Sugar Bear-led "Wow" / "Gimme that beat" / alternating (with Um Bop Bounce) Notorious BIG's Crush On You / Um Bop Bounce / "All the Redskins fans throw your hands up" / Slick Rick's La Di Da Di / Junie-led "Romantic..." / Sugar Bear-led "Shake that booty" - the 2nd percussionist played timbales / "Tell me what you feel like doing" - the crowd responded, "Feel like moving that body" / "Gimme that beat"
3) Junie-led Ne-Yo's Sexy Love - one of the women standing on the right side of the stage walked over and started singing backup vocals, but the mic wasn't on, so she borrowed Demi-Doc's mic, Junie went to the edge of the stage and held his mic to fans, the 2nd percussionist played congas and Derek played the cowbell, it cranked / 2nd percussionist conga solo -->
4) Sugar Bear-led "Time to work the body" / "Fellas, want to party with the ladies? / Rare Essence keyboard intro / music to Snoop's Drop It Like It's Hot, but lyrics "1, 2, 3, 4..." / Derek conga solo - Sugar Bear said, "Let the beat work" / "Yes indeed, we make you weak in the knees" / Young Joc's It's Going Down / "Don't you play with Sugar" / "Do it for the ladies/fellas" / If you're sexy and you know it, raise your hands" / "Ah, ya ya ya" / "Hold up, wait a minute" - it cranked / Funkadelic's Undisco Kidd (tease) / Bad Girls (Cops theme) (tease) / "Hey ya ya ya" / "Pop the Coochie" / "Beat your feet everybody" / "Eya eya" / "Booty, booty, booty" - Junie pulled a girl onstage, I later learned her name is Vicky and she was celebrating her birthday / OutKast's I Like the Way You Move / "Rock the... work the middle, Change positions" / Hues Corporation's Rock the Boat / "Party with your body"
Halima, Sean, and Omarr walked past me and greeted me on their way back upstairs.
Val "Tina Turner" was there.
5) Female singer-led "coming on the... alright alright" - the 2nd percussionist played timbales / Sugar Bear-led "Let me see you do the butt, you scared" / Rare Essence's Do You Know What Time It Is / a familiar guitar riff from a cover - Derek threw a towel at JuJu (JuJu was by the right wall), JuJu laughed and threw it back
James and Christina were there.
6) Sugar Bear-led R. Kelly's Snake / "Do if for the ladies" / "Hello" / "Get your freak on" - it cranked / "Is Sugar Bear the real deal?"
7) Sugar Bear-led (UCB's) Sexy Lady / I stood behind the timbales (in anticipation of going upstairs) so it was heard to hear what Sugar Bear was saying / Da Butt
EU's performances were interesting, the contrast between the Junie led songs and Sugar Bear medleys.
When I got upstairs, Familiar Faces hadn't started yet. The DJ was playing a James Brown song. Doc called me over and asked me to take some pictures with his digital Olympus.
Familiar Faces
Third Set
Dwayne, Sean, Doc with Jacques, Nephew, and Donnell in the background
Doc, Sean, Donnell Michon is taking pictures on the far right
Sean with a Superman tie
1) Halima-led Cheri Dennis' I Love You - Halima held her mic to fans
Shameika and Gene were there.
2) Sean-led Busta Rhyme's I Love My Chick featuring Kelis - it cranked, Donnell shouted, "Wait a minute", Halima said, "Hey", Sean sang something
3) Alternating Halima-led Christina Milian's Say I featuring Young Jeezy / Aaliyah's I Need You Tonight (tease) - Donnell said, "Killazoo" / Donnell-led "Brandywine, friends of mine" chant / Donnell-led "Hands Free, they're f*cking with me" -->
4) Donnell & Sean-led "On the small of her back, she got a Tattoo" / Donnell did announcements / Sean-led "I need to be your man" / Percussion solo - Donnell said, "Eya eya", Donnell said, "Sweetchelle my belle"
5) Halima-led Beyonce's Deja Vu - Godfather played the flugelhorn, Smoke played timbales
Godfather, DP, and Donnell playing during a horn hit in Deja Vu
I talked with Tanya and Ashante (pictured below).
All pictures taken by Jordan Rich and Copyright - Kenny "Doc" Hughes
A woman asked me not to move so she could lean on me while she took off her shoes.
Nikiya was there.
Bryan Mills came up to me. He said, "Are you on TMOTT?" I said yes. He said, "I'm Blazin." I said, "I know who you are."
Lisa was sitting by the stage, laughing with a friend of hers about me being a GoGo fan.
Mama Chelle, Jessica, and March were there.
Gary asked me if I wanted to go up front. He cleared the way for me to go a few feet from the stage.
The timing of the start of the Familiar Faces and EU sets was very precise: Familiar Faces first set started at 9:30, and every succeeding set by both started 45 minutes later. Chuck did take some more time setting up.
Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers (downstairs)
The line up was: Chuck Brown (lead vocals & guitar), Sweet Cherie (vocals & keyboard), the second keyboard from EU's performance, Bryan Mills (saxophone & keyboard), Brad Clements (trumpet), Mark (trombone & keyboard player), Doug Crowley (bass player), William "JuJu" House (drums), I didn't recognize the conga player. Kay Kay later rapped with a female backup vocalist, and Little Benny later joined in on vocals and trumpet.
Chuck talked about playing in the Panorama Room, the Black Hole, etc. He also did a birthday dedication to Vicky.
1) Instrumental - the crowd shouted, "Wind me up, Chuck!" / Chuck-led "When you walk in the door" - the crowd shouted, "Hello, hello" / "What do you feel like doing?" - the crowd responded, "Feel like moving that body" / "Hey ay, Ho oh" / Chuck talked about back in the Panorama Room
2) Earl Hagen's Harlem Nocturne - the horn players played a number of solos, and there was a keyboard solo - it cranked / conga solo
Chuck said to a guy, "Don't stand in front of the ladies. I'll dedicate the next song to you."
3) Alternating Chuck-led Barry White's Playing Your Game, Baby / Sho Ya Right - Mark put a dollar on Brad's shirt, Mark played a trombone solo, various horn trios
4) Chuck-led Hoochie Coochie Man - it cranked, Bryan played Hail to the Redskins as a Sax solo -->
5) Chuck-led "Y'all tired yet?" - the crowd shouted, "Hell no!" / Rare Essence's La Di Da Di - the crowd recited lines "it's all because of you", Chuck held his mic to the crowd / Bryan held his middle finger to Mark's PDA, Mark was taking pictures, Kay Kay came onstage - I noticed she had a jeweled grill, why does such a beautiful girl have to do that?, she also had a choker with a chain hanging from it
Chuck said, "Are you ready for Kay Kay?"
6) Kay Kay rapped "I've been careful too long... I said smile for me daddy... break me off a piece of that, just a little piece of that... Hey Brandywine... Hey it's Kay Kay" (I believe I remember her performing PFunk's Other Side (Get the F*ck Out)) - another woman played tambourine and was on backup vocals, Chuck said, "Hey Kay Kay, you ain't finished yet", Natalie's sister-in-law went onstage and talked to Chuck
Chuck said, "Happy birthday Vicky"
Chuck said, "We got Sweet Cherie in the house". The crowd responded, "Wind me up, Chuck!"
7) Sweet Cherie-led "Let me see your grill" to Kay Kay / "Where y'all from?" / Luther Vandross' Take You Out - Bryan and Mark played Cherie's keyboards, Kay Kay was on backup vocals / Beyonce's Check on It - Little Benny was on backup vocals -->
8) Little Benny-led "Feel alright?" / "Hey ay, Ho oh" / "Everybody in the house" / "Hold up" - the crowd responded, "Wait a minute!", the frontline danced / Cat in the Hat / Alternating Young Joc's It's Going Down - Benny held his mic to the fans, he stood on the edge of the stage / "Everybody in the house move this way" - the frontline danced, Benny said, "One more time, this way" / "Everybody show your" / Dem Franchize Boyz' Lean With It Rock With It (tease) - the frontline danced / Rare Essence's Lock It - the crowd recited lines, Benny held his mic to fans / Freak a Deak All Night Long - the house lights came on / Rare Essence's One on One (tease) - Benny played his trumpet / Benny & Chuck-led Rare Essence's "Going to Hollywood" - both held their mics to the fans -->
9) Chuck-led Duke Ellington's It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That GoGo Swing) / Horn duo then trio
The ceiling was leaking, since it wasn't raining, it must have been from air conditioning
Chuck said, "Y'all got it in here.
I went over and said hello to Bobby Smoot.
Bryan called me over and gave me a flyer for Soul Sponge.
Outside there were a whole lot of people standing around.
I introduced myself to Lashan, whom I have seen at many shows. Darrell said, "Now he'll put you on the internet." She replied, "Only write good things."
A guy talked to me briefly as I walked to my car, he was upset that his friend was busy talking with women while he had to pee. He said he didn't want to be disrespectful and go in the bushes.
