Thursday at Xcalibur
Xcalibur Restaurant & Lounge, 2519 Pennsylvania Av NW, Washington, DC 20500

When I arrived, Doc was the only member of Familiar Faces there; he worked on setting up the audio connections. The prerecorded music was Familiar Faces, but I didn't recognize it. Donnell asked Pooh if he needed a rug for his drum (there is always a tan rug inside the biggest drum in his kit).

Familiar Faces
There was a fairly sizable crowd for this performance, most of whom were here for a birthday party, including DeeDee. Allison was there as well. Familiar Faces started performing late, but largely it was because the party organizers didn't want them to start performing until the guest of honor arrived. They did some light improvising while waiting. The line up was: Mike, Donnell, Dwayne, Doc, BJ, and Pooh. The guest of honor was Ms. Holmes, Michelle's mother. Michelle probably organized it. I hadn't recognized her when she came in because she changed her hairdo. They called her up (front & center) for her favorite song. That started people dancing - she even tried to get me up. Clearly Donnell knew many of the party goers from the Holmes-Jackson families. Despite being without congas, BJ and Pooh provided a strong backbeat for this performance.

At the break, Greg the owner came and talked with me briefly, but he was distracted because he was concentrating on which speakers were playing the DJ music. I asked Donnell about the FF music that played when I walked in, he told me that it was a compilation they put out - a FF release I thought I didn't have. One of the guests asked Mike if he would sing any Frankie Beverly. Mike said that "Donnell doesn't like Frankie Beverly". Donnell said, "No, I like Frankie Beverly", to which Mike said, "You're just saying that." In the second Set, Donnell made fun of Keta (spelling?), saying that she really loved apple martinis. The party started dancing again - this time Michelle pulled me on to the dance floor much to the band's encouragement. Shortly later, Mike called her up to the mic - to sing the female part. Michelle at first just danced behind the mic, but also sang with the choruses before improving 50 Cent's In Da Club. The dancers formed two parallel lines with one solo dance in middle (switching off at times). Donnell said that he could tell that the Apple Martinis had hit Keta. Donnell also razzed Mookie, Shawnelle, and Andrea. Some of the women had a lot of flexibility - they would go into a crouch with their butt barely off the ground, then come right back up again. Later on, Donnell said that Keeta was crazy, even crazier than Michelle, who he thought was the craziest girl in DC. Mike did describe Michelle's dancing as "Like a tall (22 ounce), cool glass of water" (Michelle is tall). Mike compared one of the dancers to Luther, the dancer on Solid Gold who didn't dance, he only pointed. He also said that BJ looks like the original Lionel on the Jeffersons (actor Mike Evans who temporarily left to work on "Good Times") - I don't see any resemblance at all. At one point Mike imitated what he called the funniest scene in any movie ever, the "Sexual Chocolate" band scene from Coming to America. They did their usual closing song, Prince's Purple Rain. Then Mike said that "They had an unofficial contest - who is the most conservative - DeeDee wins, she didn't sing, dance or even sweat." Then they started performing again and briefly DeeDee danced with Mike, but when he tried to get her to sing, she ran away.

When they done, they broke down the equipment and waited to be paid, like last week. They cut the birthday cake (rather large, over three feet long by around 15" wide) and offered it around at this point.

Much of the conversation after that was on the merits of Kobe Bryant (who just that day had decided to re-sign with the Lakers) vs. Tracy McGrady and Michael Jordan. Donnell is a Kobe fan and Nephew argued with him, saying that Kobe will never win anything now and that now that Tracy McGrady is in the West, he will burn Kobe four times a year. Donnell kept repeating what other (than McGrady)superstar lost 19 games in row like the Orlando Magic did and he had even talked about quitting. Donnell also talked about how Kobe played great defense and McGrady played none. He also said that McGrady was like Dominique Wilkins, he scored a lot because he took a great amount of shots. While Donnell acknowledged that Kobe is a ball hog, he said so was Michael Jordan (whom he and I hate). Nephew said that that was because they ran the offense through him. Donnell countered that he took a tremendous amount of shots and Nephew said that MJ shot 50% for his career. Donnell wanted to bet on it, but Nephew backed down (It is close - 49.7%, compared to Kobe's 45.4%). Donnell went on about how Jordan had the ball taken away from him in the 1995 Eastern Conference finals, "raped, molested" in his words for the winning score and that Jordan didn't even chase after him. He told Pooh he was too young to remember (Pooh is 24). Nephew pointed out that Jordan only played 17 regular season games and the playoffs, Anderson said he did that to 45 (the post-retirement jersey number Jordan wore), he never would have done that to 23. Donnell also talked about the steal that was made into a commercial, when Iverson as a rookie took the ball and Jordan landed on the floor. Donnell then went on to defend the Shaq trade - Shaq was traded on Wednesday to the Miami Heat for Lamar Odom (a small forward), Caron Butler (a wing), Brian Grant (a power forward) and a first-round draft pick. Slava Medvedenko is the only center currently on the Lakers' roster. He and Grant would be mincemeat against the other teams in the Western Conference. Donnell talked about how the Bulls never had a real center (but did not play in the Western Conference, either). He also talked about how Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was not that great in the end of his career (he got the Lakers to the finals his last season and they would have been competitive if both Byron Scott and Magic Johnson hadn't been injured) and earlier. He pointed out that Kareem was out of Game 6 of the 1980 Finals and Magic Johnson scored 42 points for the win. I pointed out how Kareem would have been the Finals MVP but they didn't want to award it to a player who wasn't physically present at the final game (to present the trophy to). He tried to draw Doc, (like me) a longtime Laker fan, but Doc said, "All these guys have made millions of dollars, they aren't giving any of it to me, I don't care." Nephew said that "Shaq is 7'1" 360 pounds, who can contend with that?" Donnell said that Greg Ostertag is 7'1" 360. I said Ostertag couldn't even handle Eric Montross (in the 1993 NCAA final). Donnell said, "okay, Shaq is more athletic." Donnell also said that Shaq couldn't defend Tim Duncan, but Nephew and I pointed out that Duncan plays power forward, not center. DeeDee laughed through much of this discussion and at one point said something that fortunately I did not hear, since Mike said, "Watch out, everyone will be reading that tomorrow." She replied with "Yeah, I'll probably have to fight Charles' girlfriend" (a reference to comments by her at an earlier performance).

They then talked about their next gig at Reggie's on Saturday. Pooh asked if they were playing with Dynasty Band. Donnell said no, Elevation. I confirmed that I had already seen the flyer on PA Palace's board. The flyer is below. Pooh said that they really have to be on their game with Elevation.

I asked Nephew whose nephew he is, and he pointed to Donnell. He said, "It is good to have a boss who won't ask you to do anything he won't do." Donnell replied, "There is a method to my madness."