Sunday at the Fur
Fur Night Club, 33 Patterson St NE, Washington, DC 20002


They threw away my pen before I got in, so most of this is off the top of my head.

As I expected from past shows at the Fur, the door time was well after what the flyer said - that's the norm for "big shows" I've been to at the Fur. I arrived at 10:45 or so (the door time on the flyer was 9 PM). I was in the line around the corner.

They didn't open the doors until sometime after 11; I got in just before midnight. There was a Jamaican party before this show and they didn't let us in until they got them out. There was a cut line as well.
While I was waiting in line, I saw: Killa Cal, Chuckin' Drew, Do Dirty, Michelle Blackwell, Rah, Little Benny, Walker Mill, Tasty, Tracie (Model Chic), and Trina, as well as the guy who was right in front of me in line to see the Roots last Friday.

It was packed.

Black Heart was celebrating his birthday there (Angie Ange and Rah gave him birthday shout outs). He introduced to me to BJ, a local rapper. BJ said, "Take notes and don't forget about me". 02 was also with them. I asked 02 why he wasn't up onstage with WHAT? He said he was just a fan tonight. However, he also told me he is putting together a solo project. Slick Rick, Devlin, and Love were there. I wished Drew a happy birthday before he went onstage.

DJ Dirty Rico and Angie Ange were the host DJs

What? Band - They started at 12:15
The line up was: Chris "Rah" Black (lead talker), Michelle Blackwell (vocals), Killa Cal (rapper), Chuckin' Drew (guitar), Rico (bass), Dave (keyboard), Will (keyboard), Smokin' Joe (drummer), Duce7 (blocks), Rocket Rob (percussion).
1) Alternating Michelle-led Rihanna's Take a Bow - it had a light crank / Bob Marley's No Woman No Cry (tease)
2) Michelle-led "You don't know... treat me right" - it cranked
3) Killa Cal-led ? - it cranked
4) Rah-led "Walk with me" - the frontline & guitar players walked around the stage, it cranked
5) Killa Cal-led TI's Swagger Like Us - it cranked
6) Rah-led "I'm an Alcoholic" - it cranked / Crystal Skate
7) Michelle-led Aaliyah's I Need You Tonight - it cranked
8) Rah-led "Get low" - it cranked
9) Killa Cal-led "that @ss" - it cranked
Rah said, "We only have two more minutes left, so we'll just give you a preview of what's to come in the second set."
10) Rah & Killa Cal-led I am an Animal (tease) / Michelle-led "My wildest dreams come true" (tease) / Rah-led Northeast Groovers' Fight (tease) / Michelle-led TI featuring Rihanna's Live Your Life "mya ya hee, mya ya hoo" (tease) / Rah-led Northeast Groovers' Drop the Bomb (tease)
DJ Dirty Rico said, "You have two more minutes left". He told Rah repeatedly to "Rewind" (do it again).
11) Rah & Killa Cal-led I am an Animal (tease) / Michelle-led "My wildest dreams come true" (tease) / Rah-led Northeast Groovers' Fight (tease) / Rah-led Northeast Groovers' Drop the Bomb (tease) / Michelle-led TI featuring Rihanna's Live Your Life "mya ya hee, mya ya hoo" (tease)
They went to break at 12:52. During the break, Michelle came out and asked on the mic, "Tank, I don't ask for much, but my band members don't have water, and it's hot."
Later, they came out and Rah said that the promoter said they couldn't do a second set. He then said, "To the WHAT? fans, you may never see my face again, 'cause you don't know me, oh oh..."

An equipment guy came out to take apart the toms, then brought them back a minute later as the band negotiated with the promoter.

As the audience waited, DJ Dirty Rico spurred the fans to chant, "Ay ay ay" repeatedly.

A girl asked me if I was having a have a good time. Another girl asked me where I lived to come out here.

Dre "All Day in the Paint" came out and briefly rapped onstage, but DJ Rico was playing music still at the time.

Finally, the same equipment guy took apart the toms again and it was clear they were done.

When I saw Drew on the floor before he left, I told him I hoped he had a happy birthday anyway despite what happened.

Rare Essence - 2:15 AM
The line up was: Andre "Whiteboy" Johnson (vocals & guitar), James "Funk" Thomas (lead talker), Anthony "Little Benny" Harley (vocals & trumpet), Charles "Shorty Corleone" Garris (vocals), Dave "32" Ellis (vocals), Kimberly "Ms. Kim" Graham (vocals), Mike Baker (bass), Scooter (keyboards), another keyboard player, Darryl "Blue Eye" Arrington (drummer), Milton "GoGo Mickey" Freeman (congas), Quentin "Shorty Dud" Ivey (percussion).
1) Dre "All Day in the Paint" led the audience in a chant of "R-A-R-Double E-S-S-E-N-C-E"
2) James Funk-led Happy Birthday
3) Shorty Corleone-led "All night long" - it cranked
4) James Funk-led Lock It - it cranked
5) James Funk-led Nelly's Flap Your Wings - it cranked, / "To the left, to the right, to the front, to the back"
6) Whiteboy-led All Da Time - it cranked / Shorty Corleone-led "Southeast, South, Southeast" chant
7) Whiteboy-led "Bad, bad, the wickedest band alive" - it cranked
8) 32 & Shorty Corleone-led "got money (not the Lil Wayne song)"
9) 32-led Flo Rida's Low
10) 32-led ?
11) 32 & Shorty Corleone-led "Hit 'em from the back"
12) 32 & Shorty Corleone-led "Drop 'n' roll"
13) Shorty Corleone-led Lil Wayne's Got Money "this away, that away"
14) Ms. Kim-led Mis-Teeq's Style "hoodrat to go"
15) 32-led "It's a motherf*cking freak show"
16) Shorty Corleone-led "who be ___"
They finished their set at: 3:05 AM.
Ms. Kim sang acapella
32 said repeatedly, "F*ck the Cowboys!" and "DC don't stand for Dallas Cowboys!"
Both of the performances were nice, but way too brief.