Thursday November 5 – Gerald Albright at Birchmere in VA (7:30pm)
Saturday November 7 – Living Colour at Black Cat in DC (8pm)
Saturday November 7 – One Love Festival Feat. Capleton, Cocoa Tea & Anthony B Live at Crossroads in MD (9pm)
Friday November 13 – Love Train: the Sound of Philadelphia featuring The O'Jays, Russell Thompkins & the New Stylistics, Jerry Butler, Harold Melvin's Bluenotes, The Delfonics feat. William Hart, Eddie Holman, The Jones Girls, and The Intruders Door at DAR Constitution Hall in DC (8pm)
Saturday November 14 - Cedric the Entertainer at DAR Constitution Hall in DC (8:30pm)
Sunday November 15 – Rakim (Seventh Seal CD-Release Show) w/Rhymefest @ Black Cat in DC (7:30pm)
Wednesday November 18 - 30th Anniversary Party Sugarhill Gang at Rams Head Live in MD (7pm)
Wednesday November 18 – Public Enemy at Lisner Auditorium in DC (7pm)
Thursday November 19 – Angela Winbush at Blues Alley in DC (8pm & 10pm)
Friday November 20 – Angela Winbush at Blues Alley in DC (8pm & 10pm)
Saturday November 21 – Angela Winbush at Blues Alley in DC (8pm & 10pm)
Saturday November 21 – Stop Crying Start Laughing Play at Lyric Opera House in MD (8pm)
Saturday November 21 – Queen Latifah at Rams Head Live in MD (8pm)
Sunday November 22 – Angela Winbush at Blues Alley in DC (8pm & 10pm)
Sunday November 22 – Queen Collection Presents Queen Latifah Persona Tour @ 9:30 Club in DC (6pm)
Sunday November 22 – Jeffrey Osborne at Birchmere in VA (7:30pm)
Tuesday November 24 – R. Kelly at DAR Constitution Hall in DC (8pm)
Wednesday November 25 – N’dambi at Rams Head Tavern in MD (8pm)
Friday November 27 – Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Keith Sweat, Mike Brooks at DAR Constitution Hall in DC (8pm)
Friday November 27 – Kem and Will Downing at Lyric Opera House in MD (7:30pm)
Saturday November 28 - Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Keith Sweat, Mike Brooks at DAR Constitution Hall in DC (8pm)
Saturday November 28 – Chuck Brown at Rams Head Tavern in MD (8pm & 11:30pm)
Saturday November 28 – Queen Ifrica & Tony Rebel at Crossroads, MD (9pm)
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Concerts the week of Sept 28 to Oct 2, 2009
I attended 2 concerts this week. The U2 360 Tour at FedEx field with Muse opening and U2 and Maxwell's BLACKsummers'night Tour at the Verizon Center featuring Chrisette Michele, Common and Maxwell.
The U2 360 Tour was on Tuesday September 29, 2009 at 7:00pm. My ticket included an $8 parking fee. Seats were in Section 106, Row 16. I left the house about 3:30pm and planned for traffic. There was traffic, but it was not for the stadium, it was more for rush-hour traffic. It took me a very short wait to get into FedEx field – I entered on the street near the Morgan Blvd Metro Station and parked with a lot of tailgaters even though I was not tailgating. Got to the parking lot at exactly 5:00pm and sat in my car for about 30 minutes to pass some time. I got into the stadium and loved the setup instantly. Yes, I saw the U2 360 Tour claw – it looked like big crab claws – 4 of them and a huge stage on the field. At this time I wished I had field seats instead (GA section).
Well first thing I did when I got in the stadium is buy a shirt – I asked the lady at the stand which shirt is selling the most right now and she points to a shirt that has U2 360 Tour on the front and FedEx field with the date of the show on the back - $40. I purchased it although I probably won’t be wearing it until next summer. So then I got something to eat as I was hungry. I should have known better that food was going to be expensive - $10 for a burger and $5 for drink. I got fries later that cost $7. Stomach full. Time to get ready for the show.
Muse comes on first. Never heard of that band before today, but I must say that they sounded very good. I might have to go and purchase their album. Nice.
Next came U2 and from my seats and I didn’t really get to see them as my seats were slightly behind them. From a clock standpoint, they are performing at 12 o’clock and I’m sitting at 5 o’clock – okay, that wasn’t slightly behind them, that was behind them, but I didn’t go to the show to really see them even though it would have been nice. I was happy enough to just hear them live.
I liked the overall show and the stage setup, but for me, the best U2 show I saw was back in the 90’s at RFK stadium (I missed the show at Verizon a few years back). Back then we got seats that were about 15 rows away from the stage when a lady came up to us and said “I’m sorry to say that your seats have been moved” and my first reaction was shock until I noticed she started walking us towards the stage, closer and closer and closer…wait a minute…we were getting real close to the stage. We got so close that our new seats were now positioned about 5 rows from the stage facing us and 2 rows from the stage to the left of us – the stage back then was like the letter “T”. Yes, we could reach out and touch the band. That topped everything.
Anyways, back to the current show today. U2 did a good selection of some of their former songs and they also did current songs from their 2009 album “No Line on the Horizon”. I liked it overall. I was freezing at the concert as I didn’t dress very warm as most people did, but that’s okay. I learned from my experience. I decided to leave the show right before they did their encore as I knew it would take forever to get home if I left when everyone was leaving, so it only took me a few minutes to get out of there and home in a good time. Some people were leaving at that time as well to beat the crowds. It was easy getting into the stadium as people arrived at very different times, but when leaving, everyone leaves together at the same time. That was not going to be me. Will I attend the next U2 show – I probably will as I have always been a U2 fan.
The BLACKsummers'night Tour was at the Verizon Center on Friday October 2, 2009 at 7:30pm. Seats were in Section 101, Row B (next time I’ll try to get Row C and up as I felt it when everyone stepped on the steps). Got to the show around 6:45pm and got to our seats which was not that far from the stage but still a little far enough.
The show started on time with Chrisette Michele performing first. She did about 4 or 5 songs, but I only knew one of them even though I have both of her albums. That girl can sing and she has come a long way. I first saw Chrisette Michele at the Black Cat in DC – it was when she came out with her first album and not only was she sounding really, really good, she was pretty too. I had already purchased her first album before the show back then and when I first saw her, I thought she should be playing at Verizon with the likes of Jill Scott and look at where she is performing today – Verizon Center – she has come a long way. I am proud of her.
Next on was Common and he also did a great performance. He brought a surprise guest on the stage along with him, Bilal and that was nice. I have seen both Common and Bilal before, but not on the same show. I saw Common last at Love Nightclub (yes, I used to go there to see performances) and I saw Bilal in 2009 at Liv Nightclub (it was my first time there and he put on a good show). This night, Common rocked it – did what he does best and he ended his set at the Verizon Center by doing a, what you call it when you spin on your back on the ground with your legs spinning in the air, what’s that called – breakdancing. Yes, Common was doing some breakdancing moves on the stage (he did some of that at the 2005 VH1 Hip Hop Honors for the Big Daddy Kane set – I know because I played the BDK piece several times on my DVR as I am a Big Daddy Kane fan as well).
Next on was Maxwell, with his fine sexy self. Hmmm….Need I say more.
Yes, I will say more. Maxwell’s set looked oh so romantic and soothing, like a calm over the stage.
He did his thing and he was very good at it. Doing songs from past albums and from the current album as well. He can never go wrong anywhere. Of course, as always, someone had to throw their panties on the stage – what does Maxwell do…picked it up and smelled it…LOL…too funny. He made sure that everyone in the venue got to see Maxwell especially when he went to the far right of the stage and did his thing and then went to the far left of the stage and did his thing. Some time in the show as he was performing center stage, he disappeared below the stage. He was gone for maybe 45 seconds when 'lo and behold he appears near the middle of the venue closer to us than being in the middle of the stage.
I think the stage was set up as a letter “Y” and that was wonderful to me as I got to see him perform closer than where he was before. I really enjoyed this show and I am looking forward to the next Maxwell tour whenever that will be.
For now, I’ll wait for the next album in his trilogy set:
BLACKsummers’night in 2009 – just occurred (darker but soulful compilation)
BlackSUMMERS’night in 2010 – coming next (gospel side)
Blacksummers’NIGHT in 2011 – coming in 2 years (cool collection of slow jams)
The U2 360 Tour was on Tuesday September 29, 2009 at 7:00pm. My ticket included an $8 parking fee. Seats were in Section 106, Row 16. I left the house about 3:30pm and planned for traffic. There was traffic, but it was not for the stadium, it was more for rush-hour traffic. It took me a very short wait to get into FedEx field – I entered on the street near the Morgan Blvd Metro Station and parked with a lot of tailgaters even though I was not tailgating. Got to the parking lot at exactly 5:00pm and sat in my car for about 30 minutes to pass some time. I got into the stadium and loved the setup instantly. Yes, I saw the U2 360 Tour claw – it looked like big crab claws – 4 of them and a huge stage on the field. At this time I wished I had field seats instead (GA section).
Well first thing I did when I got in the stadium is buy a shirt – I asked the lady at the stand which shirt is selling the most right now and she points to a shirt that has U2 360 Tour on the front and FedEx field with the date of the show on the back - $40. I purchased it although I probably won’t be wearing it until next summer. So then I got something to eat as I was hungry. I should have known better that food was going to be expensive - $10 for a burger and $5 for drink. I got fries later that cost $7. Stomach full. Time to get ready for the show.
Muse comes on first. Never heard of that band before today, but I must say that they sounded very good. I might have to go and purchase their album. Nice.
Next came U2 and from my seats and I didn’t really get to see them as my seats were slightly behind them. From a clock standpoint, they are performing at 12 o’clock and I’m sitting at 5 o’clock – okay, that wasn’t slightly behind them, that was behind them, but I didn’t go to the show to really see them even though it would have been nice. I was happy enough to just hear them live.
I liked the overall show and the stage setup, but for me, the best U2 show I saw was back in the 90’s at RFK stadium (I missed the show at Verizon a few years back). Back then we got seats that were about 15 rows away from the stage when a lady came up to us and said “I’m sorry to say that your seats have been moved” and my first reaction was shock until I noticed she started walking us towards the stage, closer and closer and closer…wait a minute…we were getting real close to the stage. We got so close that our new seats were now positioned about 5 rows from the stage facing us and 2 rows from the stage to the left of us – the stage back then was like the letter “T”. Yes, we could reach out and touch the band. That topped everything.
Anyways, back to the current show today. U2 did a good selection of some of their former songs and they also did current songs from their 2009 album “No Line on the Horizon”. I liked it overall. I was freezing at the concert as I didn’t dress very warm as most people did, but that’s okay. I learned from my experience. I decided to leave the show right before they did their encore as I knew it would take forever to get home if I left when everyone was leaving, so it only took me a few minutes to get out of there and home in a good time. Some people were leaving at that time as well to beat the crowds. It was easy getting into the stadium as people arrived at very different times, but when leaving, everyone leaves together at the same time. That was not going to be me. Will I attend the next U2 show – I probably will as I have always been a U2 fan.
The BLACKsummers'night Tour was at the Verizon Center on Friday October 2, 2009 at 7:30pm. Seats were in Section 101, Row B (next time I’ll try to get Row C and up as I felt it when everyone stepped on the steps). Got to the show around 6:45pm and got to our seats which was not that far from the stage but still a little far enough.
The show started on time with Chrisette Michele performing first. She did about 4 or 5 songs, but I only knew one of them even though I have both of her albums. That girl can sing and she has come a long way. I first saw Chrisette Michele at the Black Cat in DC – it was when she came out with her first album and not only was she sounding really, really good, she was pretty too. I had already purchased her first album before the show back then and when I first saw her, I thought she should be playing at Verizon with the likes of Jill Scott and look at where she is performing today – Verizon Center – she has come a long way. I am proud of her.
Next on was Common and he also did a great performance. He brought a surprise guest on the stage along with him, Bilal and that was nice. I have seen both Common and Bilal before, but not on the same show. I saw Common last at Love Nightclub (yes, I used to go there to see performances) and I saw Bilal in 2009 at Liv Nightclub (it was my first time there and he put on a good show). This night, Common rocked it – did what he does best and he ended his set at the Verizon Center by doing a, what you call it when you spin on your back on the ground with your legs spinning in the air, what’s that called – breakdancing. Yes, Common was doing some breakdancing moves on the stage (he did some of that at the 2005 VH1 Hip Hop Honors for the Big Daddy Kane set – I know because I played the BDK piece several times on my DVR as I am a Big Daddy Kane fan as well).
Next on was Maxwell, with his fine sexy self. Hmmm….Need I say more.
Yes, I will say more. Maxwell’s set looked oh so romantic and soothing, like a calm over the stage.He did his thing and he was very good at it. Doing songs from past albums and from the current album as well. He can never go wrong anywhere. Of course, as always, someone had to throw their panties on the stage – what does Maxwell do…picked it up and smelled it…LOL…too funny. He made sure that everyone in the venue got to see Maxwell especially when he went to the far right of the stage and did his thing and then went to the far left of the stage and did his thing. Some time in the show as he was performing center stage, he disappeared below the stage. He was gone for maybe 45 seconds when 'lo and behold he appears near the middle of the venue closer to us than being in the middle of the stage.
I think the stage was set up as a letter “Y” and that was wonderful to me as I got to see him perform closer than where he was before. I really enjoyed this show and I am looking forward to the next Maxwell tour whenever that will be.
For now, I’ll wait for the next album in his trilogy set:
BLACKsummers’night in 2009 – just occurred (darker but soulful compilation)
BlackSUMMERS’night in 2010 – coming next (gospel side)
Blacksummers’NIGHT in 2011 – coming in 2 years (cool collection of slow jams)
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