Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Ave NW Washington, DC 20001
I parked a couple of blocks away. As I was walking to the hotel, Tony came up. He and Patrick (who was standing in front of the hotel), were here to show Familiar Faces support, they weren't working.
The actual security included guys who work at J's on Fridays.
Telando was there. Googie was working the PA.
Dwele opened up at about 9:30 PM.
Dwele
Picture above taken by and Copyright - Jordan Rich. All pictures below taken by and Copyright - Darrell Foster.
He had two horns (they had multiple horns including French horn & trombone), bass, guitar/keyboard, a drummer and Dwele also played the keyboard.
There were seats for VIPs.
Dwele started off with Beyonce's Deja Vu. His fourth song was Maze's Joy and Pain. I found him boring - far too light for my taste, so I stopped paying attention after only a few songs. He played for about 40 minutes. After his set they packed up all the chairs.
I went over to the side and talked with members of Familiar Faces. Michon, Ariel, Sanisse, Yolanda, and Mary were there. Packy wore glasses whose frames had flashing lights.
I met a beautiful and unusual woman named Ali. She taught me a handshake and danced with me, tried to teach me some steps. (She threw my empty Pepsi bottle on the dance floor to get me to dance when my hands were full.) She kept grabbing the security (including their butts). She danced front and center during both Familiar Faces' and Chuck's sets.
Nita, Pinkie, Tiffany, Darrell, TJ of ASAP, Nikia, and Keshia's Cousin Kelly were there.
Bobby Smoot was there, working.
Familiar Faces
Doc (behind Sean), Sean, Boolah, Stomp, DP, Donnell, Jacques, Smoke
Ali is on the right (black), Arawai is in the purple dress
Clarence "Boolah" Roper sat in on guitar (Dwayne was sick). Sean played guitar as well as singing.
Donnell mentioned their winning the Best Grown & Sexy Band award at the WKYS GoGo Awards.
Donnell announced they were shooting a DVD for PBMC's 14th Annual Night of Elegance - there were many cameras both moving and still for their set. They showed stills on the big screens on either side of the room at the start, pictures from the band members' childhood to the present (including pictures taken by Darrell and me).
Michelle Wright talked about how she liked Familiar Faces and she asked Dwele to stay late to hear them.
They were in the "Bike Week configuration": Sean, Halima, Donnell, and Smoke in front.
1) Halima-led Mary J. Blige's My Life - Halima started off in a fenced cage, Donnell played a nice Sax solo
2) Halima-led Sade's No Ordinary Love - it cranked
Donnell did a special dedication to Gerald Levert.
3) Alternating Sean-led Gerald Levert's Funny - it cranked, Sean sang at the edge of the stage / Percussion solo - Donnell sang, "You've never heard a pocket like this I swear, we ain't going nowhere" / "Hey ay, Ho oh" - Donnell and Sean held their mics to the crowd / Tabi Bonney sat in and sang Put Me in the Pocket - Sean played guitar
Doc, Donnell, Boolah, Tabi Bonney, DP, Lorenzo, Jacques
Donnell, Tabi Bonney, DP, Sean
Boolah, Tabi Bonney
4) Donnell-led Familiar Faces rap / "Party, party, everybody" / Percussion solo - Donnell chanted "Eya eya" / Sean-led Ne-Yo's So Sick - Sean went on the dance floor and held his mic to a fan (her singing was way off-key), Donnell chanted, "Eya eya", Mary whooped, Donnell said, "Hey D-O-C", the frontline danced in synch
5) Alternating Raheem DeVaughn sat in and sang You - Sean played guitar, then Sean joined in singing it / Percussion solo
Sean, Raheem DeVaughn
Sean, Boolah, Raheem DeVaughn
6) Sean-led Justin Timberlake's Sexy Back - it cranked (I still hate it), Sean stood at the edge of the stage, Donnell chanted, "Eya eya"
7) Donnell & Sean-led "On the small of her back, she got a tattoo" - I danced with Ali (up until "Reggae" so my notes aren't great) / Percussion solo / Donnell-led Public Enemy's Welcome to the Terrordome (tease)
8) Donnell-led "___ Is yes!" / "You make me want to see, just how freaky you can be" / "Keep it low"
9) Alternating Donnell-led Notorious BIG's Warning - Sean played guitar / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease) / "Wait a minute" echoes
10) Donnell-led "Reggae" - I danced with Arawai up front, Donnell sat on the edge of the stage, Sean was also at the edge / Sean-led Damien Marley's Beautiful
11) Halima-led Beyonce's Ring the Alarm - Sean played guitar, Sean and Halima held their mics to the crowd
12) Donnell & Halima-led It Is What It Is "07 is mine"
13) Donnell-led Trina Was Great - Sean played guitar
14) Donnell-led 50 Cent's In Da Club - including a verse for Ali (I asked her afterwards if it was her birthday, she said no) / Boolah guitar outtro
Donnell said, "This is where the stars be partyin'". He did shout outs to GoGo Mickey and Shorty Corleone of Rare Essence.
It wasn't until the set was over that I realized how packed it was. Early on in the set, I had held lenses for Darrell as he took pictures.
I danced with Ali again during the break. During the set, she kept moving up and kept being told to move back (there was a rope in front of the stage to separate the cameramen and band members from the audience).
Keisha and Los were there.
I talked with Vince Evans, keyboard player for the Soul Searchers.
Bryan Mills walked by as I was taking notes and said, "It's not me, I didn't do it."
James, Sweet Chelle, and Strike a Pose were there.
Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers
Bryan, Brad, Mark, JuJu, Chuck, Vince, Mighty Moe
Sweet Cherie, Bryan, Little Benny, Brad, Mark, Chuck
The line up was: Chuck Brown (vocals & guitar), Sweet Cherie (vocals & keyboard), Little Benny (vocals & trumpet), James Funk (vocals), Bryan Mills (Sax & keyboard), Brad Clements (trumpet), Mark (trombone), David Dyson (bass), Vince Evans (keyboard player), JuJu (drummer), and Mighty Moe (congas).
Chuck said, "We don't like ropes in front of us."
Darrell pointed out to me that Ali was again up front, she wore a different outfit.
1) The crowd shouted, "Wind me up, Funk"
2) Earl Hagen's Harlem Nocturne - Brad played a solo, Vince played a solo
3) Chuck-led "I'm just a brother from DC" / Chuck said, "Say oh uh oh uh oh" / "Tell me what you feel like doing" - the crowd responded, "Feel like moving that body" / "Feel like moving your body, y'all?" / "oh, oh, oh" / "Whoa oh"
4) Chuck-led Hoochie Coochie Man - Sharmba Mitchell went onstage, it cranked / "Y'all tired yet?" - the crowd responded, "Hell no!" / "On the Southside" -->
5) Chuck-led Barry White's Playing Your Game, Baby - it cranked, I noticed Vince had an IMac hooked up to his Motif6, Brad solo, I noticed Cherie didn't play much, she actually sat on a chair at the rear of the stage, Mark solo - Cherie came back -->
6) Chuck-led Slick Rick's La Di Da Di - Chuck held his mic to the fans, it came off the chord and Vince fixed it / "Tick tock, don't stop" / "Get it"
7) Chuck-led Sho Ya' Right "Al Capone on the microphone"
8) Chuck-led Duke Ellington's It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That GoGo Swing) - the crowd responded, "Doo wop doo wop doo wop"
9) Chuck-led Lionel Hampton's Midnight Sun
10) Chuck-led James Moody's Moody's Mood for Love - there was call and response
11) Chuck-led Louis Jordan's Woody Woodpecker
12) Sweet Cherie-led "Throw your hands up... to the side... get 'em on the floor"
13) Sweet Cherie-led Mary J. Blige's Enough Cryin'
14) Sweet Cherie-led Beyonce's Check on It - the house lights came on, Little Benny sat in
15) Little Benny-led "Are you ready to go home?"
16) Little Benny-led "Hey ay, Ho oh"
17) Little Benny-led Lil Wayne's Stuntin' Like My Daddy / DJ Unk's Walk It Out (tease)
Little Benny called James Funk onstage
Brad, Mark, James Funk
18) The crowd shouted, "Wind me up, Funk!"
19) James Funk-led "Happy Thanksgiving"
20) James Funk-led Rare Essence's one on One - Little Benny played trumpet
21) Band intros
22) Chuck-led ?
Ali had gotten a man and a woman to dance upfront and the guy fell over on his back on a very crowded dance floor. I had danced with Ali a little this set as well. They didn't have all the cameras out for Chuck, so I assume the DVD is just going to be Familiar Faces and the 2 special guests. I missed Soulsponge's performance that obviously went on at the same time as Familiar Faces' set.
Darlene was there.
