Mirrors, 33 New York Avenue N.E. Washington, DC 20002
I had missed Proper Utensils before, but I wasn't going to miss this: I really wanted to see Mike Muse sing again especially.
Crossover Band
Tony, Ms. Co-Co, Slick Rick
The probable line up was: Slick Rick (lead talker), Tony (vocalist), Ms. Co-Co (vocalist), Joe (guitar & rapper), Battle (bass), Marky (keyboard), Moses (Keyboard), Miles (keyboard), Slim Jim (percussion & vocalist), Rock Steady (congas), and Gerald (drummer).
They weren't on the advertisement, and this was my first time seeing them, so I didn't know who they were until they identified themselves.
When they first started performing, the line up was: Tony, Ms. Co-Co, Battle, 2 keyboard players, and Gerald. I sat at one of the couches on the right side of the dance floor and a woman in another couch next to mine was filming Crossover's performance.
Sashay Shaunte came over and said hello.
1) Tony-led Blackstreet's Before I Let You Go
2) Tony and Ms. Co-Co left the stage and the band jammed.
Slim Jim came over and said hello before he got onstage.
The full band went onstage. They cranked.
Darrell was there. T-Bird was there (working).
They also performed: Mary J. Blige's Enough Cryin', a nice percussion solo, Lil Kim's Lighters Up, Rick James' Mary Jane, Sly & the Family Stone's Family Affair, Jay-Z's Show Me What You Got, Aretha Franklin's Rocksteady, and Busta Rhymes' I Love My Chick featuring Kelis. They were good, but I need to see them again to form a more full opinion.
Delano was there.
L!ssen Da Grew^P
I noticed D and Vincent from Bobby Smoot's sound company were setting up equipment; they must have come here from Zanzibar tonight.
L!ssen performed: Ne-Yo's When You're Mad and Jay-Z's Show Me What You Got - it cranked.
Darrell introduced me to Machelle; she was there with Gwynn, whom I already knew.
Nephew was there.
Tuffy had the towel on his head in his mouth.
They also performed Justin Timberlake's Sexy Back - I couldn't hear the lead lyrics, which was an improvement for that song (its lyrics are awful).
Michelle Blackwell got onstage and rapped.
They performed Busta Rhymes' I Love My Chick featuring Kelis, Snoop's Drop It Like It's Hot, 50 Cent's In Da Club, Sunshine, they played a sample of Shawnna's Getting Some, D4L's Laffy Taffy, and Dem Franchize Boyz' Lean With It Rock With It.
This was their best performance I've ever been to - I wasn't bored at all and they did crank.
Buzz, Patrice Bowie's manager, and Ron Moten were there.
Tasha, the promoter, talked with Darrell and me.
Proper Utensils
Donald and Mike (during Eric Benet's The Last Time)
Roy and Donald (during Eric Benet's The Last Time)
Donald, Little Benny, James Funk (during Anthony Hamilton's Change Your World)
Little Benny, James Funk, Mike
James Funk said, "If you're looking for go hard, you're in the wrong place." (I prefer the throw down crank myself).
He did band introductions: Dynamite Mike (Michael Muse) (singer), Little Benny "Been in the business for 30 years" (vocals and trumpet), Donald Tillery (vocals and trumpet), Roy Pitchback (spelling? Sax, flute, cowbell), John "JB" Buchanan (keyboard player), another keyboard player, bass player, Foxy Rob (congas), drummer (to be honest, I can't read all my notes on the line up).
Funk did birthday announcements.
Funk did shout outs to Gwynn and Machelle.
1) Mike-led Eric Benet's The Last Time
2) Donald-led Anthony Hamilton's Change Your World - James Funk was doing the air guitar (a trend he's famous for starting in GoGo, this was the first time I've seen him perform. I went to a Rare Essence show he performed with, but it was dark and I didn't see the band)
3) Percussion solo - it cranked, the crowd shouted, "Wind me up, Funk!" / Mike-led Toto's Georgy Porgy
4) Percussion solo / Funk-led "Hey ay, Ho oh"
5) Mike-led Gerald Levert's How Many Times
6) Percussion solo / Funk-led "Feel alright now?" - the crowd responded, "Hell yeah!" / "Tell me what you feel like doing" - the crowd responded, "Feel like moving that body" / the crowd shouted, "Wind me up Funk" - Funk held his mic to fans
7) Little Benny-led Yung Joc's It's Going Down / Funk-led ?
8) Funk-led 50 Cent's In Da Club - for Scorpios
9) Mike-led "Let me show you"
10) Instrumental
11) Little Benny-led Lil Wayne's Stuntin' Like My Daddy - the houselights came on, Little Benny said, "Randy Watson" (a reference to Coming to America)
12) Instrumental
I enjoyed their performance. They did crank, but not as much as I prefer
I had some of the usual treatment as a white guy, people asking if I owned the club or was a reporter.
On my way out of the club, I asked the cover taker when Saturday's show started. She pointed to a flyer on the opposite wall - it said it started at 10 PM.
