Bud's Birthday Celebration
Bud's 501 Club, 501 Morse St NE, Washington, DC 20002

I arrived and talked with SweetAngel. Many signs for Bud's birthday were posted on various walls and doors; surprisingly her whole date of birth was listed: June 20, 1956. There was a big cake for her. It is also Mike's birthday (I don't know this Mike). I sat down. Nena came in and stood beside me. Scottiejay sat by me. Ras asked me if anyone from TMOTT played congas, then asked Scottie to play with him since his conga player was late. But the conga player showed up before they started performing. Tyra came in later and said hello. I went upstairs, passing Slim Goodie and Kato on my way up, and there was a good sized crowd.

Ras Lidj & Deep Band
Julian was there this time. He first sang a song about Murder. From the way Ras Lidj introduced him "as an original member of Deep Band" I assume he's no longer a member of the band.
Ras Lidj said, "Tonight is for a mother to us all, although she didn't give birth to us - Bud."
They then performed Son of a One Night Stand.
Julian then sang Bob Marley's No Woman No Cry. Then he left.
Diva walked in.
Ras then performed Ganja Weed.
He gave a dedication to the TMOTT board. He chanted "Log on".
He then performed his song "DC's a nice place to live"
He called up Bud and gave her a hug - not just a regular hug.
Bud then said, "It's Mike's birthday too."
Ras said to Mike, "Stay there, sit down," then told him he should hug Bud.
He held her left leg up at a 135 degree angle with her right leg on the floor.
Ras performed, chanting "Hot dog!" while they danced.
Kato pointed me out to Shorty Q, who introduced herself to me.
Slim Goodie danced onstage and she and Nena got on the mic with another woman I don't know. I didn't really catch what they said.
Mama Chelle was there.
The last song was really excellent - I don't recall the title (even though I asked Ras), but he did say it is on their EP.

After Deep Band was done, the members of EU walked in. Right behind Sugar Bear was my friend Duane Face with his keyboard. After he set up, he walked over to my table. He told me he has performed with them before, in November and December on Fridays. I asked if he was working on his arrogance in play. I said only in play! He smiled. He talked about how plenty of bands have asked him to join, but that they weren't doing anything and he's already doing nothing with Familiar Faces. I told him about Scottiejay and he said Scottie used to watch him in a Gospel GoGo band called Turning Point before. He said they are all doing different things; it is hard to get together. I told him about Mambo Sauce, Smoke's other band. He also talked about how hard it is to get everyone to do a free gig. I talked about how Dwayne had talked about how difficult it was to get MVP to play for free when they looked for exposure. I also talked about that being a problem with all Gospel GoGo bands.

EU
First Set
1) Stephanie-led Erykah Badu's Didn't Cha know
2) Sugar Bear-led 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease)
3) Sugar Bear-led Sly & the Family Stone's Family Affair
Sugar Bear said, "It's for Bud tonight".
4) Sugar Bear-led 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease) reprise
5) Sugar Bear-led "Give love to me"?
6) Donny Ray-led ?
7) Donny Ray & Junie-led ?
8) Sugar Bear-led Sly & the Family Stone's Family Affair reprise
9) Stephanie-led ?

Their regular keyboard player, Scooter, (the dude who looks like Walt Williams) showed up and played in the second set along with Duane Face.

Adia and Los were there.

Bud walked around with a kid that I assumed is her son

Second Set
1) Junie-led Earth, Wind & Fire's Can't Hide Love
2) Sugar Bear-led JGW? "a real MF?" "Go to a disco"
3) Sugar Bear-led Um Bop Bop
Bud had changed her outfit, from a white top and cream colored slacks to a black dress
4) Sugar Bear-led 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease)
5) Sugar Bear-led Snoop's Drop It Like It's Hot
6) Sugar Bear-led - I don't know what it was, but it cranked
7) Sugar Bear-led 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease)
8) Sugar Bear-led "How low can you go"
9) Sugar Bear-led "Shake it to the right"
10) Sugar Bear-led Freak A Deak All Night Long (tease) / Funkadelic's Undisco Kidd (tease) / Bad Girls (Cops theme) (tease) / Pop the Coochie (tease)
11) Sugar Bear-led Ludacris' Number One Spot (tease) - "We're so hot, we've got the number one spot"
12) Sugar Bear-led OutKast's The Way You Move (tease)
13) Sugar Bear-led Hues Corporation's Rock the Boat (tease)
14) Stephanie-led 50 Cent's In Da Club (tease)
15) Stephanie-led Amerie's 1 Thing
16) Sugar Bear-led Get Your Freak On
Sugar Bear said repeatedly, "Happy Birthday Bud".

I went in the VIP room and watched the end of the Pistons' blowout win over San Antonio in Game Four of the NBA Finals. Also in the room were Doc, Stomp, Lorenzo, Telando, and an equipment guy I don't know the name of. I asked Doc if he saw who played keyboards for EU, he said, "Yeah, it's about f*cking time!"

I then stood in the hallway with Duane Face, and other members of EU. Halima said, "Good evening" to me and Duane.

Minnie Me, Michon and Candy were there. Surprisingly, Donnell was one of the last band members to arrive, Smoke was the very last. Kato said to me, where is everybody (he had earlier worried they weren't going to perform until I pointed out that it was still early and that Stomp had just arrived). James was there at the start. Someone pointed me out to a woman who said, "You are FunkMasterJ, really?" Junie of EU pointed out Halima as someone to check out to a girl with long hair that Kato later said hello to. The DJ? or GoGo pics guy asked me what I thought of Bud's - I said it has a nice atmosphere but was small. He asked, "The dance floor?" I said, "Yes".

Familiar Faces
1) Halima-led Fantasia's Free Yourself - another excellent performance
Donnell referred to Bud as the hardest working woman in GoGo, being a female entrepreneur. He said she's from Lincoln Heights. Donnell said they thought about what to sing for her and settled on Golden Lady.
2) Mike-led Stevie Wonder's Golden Lady
3) Donnell-led "Hey ay, Ho oh"
4) Donnell-led "Do it for the ladies/fellas, Oh my God!"
5) Halima-led Faith Evans' Again
6) Mike-led Bobby Valentino's Slow Down
7) Mike-led John Legend's Used to Love U
8) Mike-led Prince's Take Me With You
9) Donnell-led Hold the Note
Kay Kay was onstage
10) Kay Kay rapped
She put her glasses above her head - the first time I saw her without the glasses, she's really beautiful
11) Alternating Donnell-led Trillville's Some Cut / Notorious BIG's Warning / Keith Murray's Call My Name (tease) / Tupac's Hail Mary (tease)
12) Percussion solo
13) Donnell-led Rare Essence's Marinda
14) Donnell-led Miss Keta Will You Dance for Me - "Od ba ba ba"
15) Long percussion solo then Donnell rapped "Got to get you"
16) Donnell-led "___ got no drawers on"
17) 6 Minutes percussion solo
18) Halima-led Minnie Riperton's Memory Lane
They were basically done, but Donnell said he heard great singing from a woman in the back and invited her to sing, I later found out her name is Yvette Wright.
Mama Chelle said, "Can he play?" Donnell said, "You'll have to ask him yourself." I wasn't sure who she was talking about, so I walked up and saw Go-Go Mickey there.
19) Yvette-led "I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm about to freestyle, They turned the PA off, but it's alright"

I went outside with Godfather, so he could get something from his car. It was warm out and it really stank outside. He talked with Yvette Wright, who is friends with his wife, and her cousin, whom he knew, but didn't know was her cousin. He said at one point, "a guy is putting flyers on your car", she said that's my husband. He went over to talk with him, his name is Howard. Then he talked with the third girl who had been singing with Slim Goodie, Slim Goodie was in the car with her.