Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Dave Chappelle in the 'hood

You would have thought Dave Chappelle said his after-party was in Baghdad.
At Ovens Auditorium Sunday, the crowd booed. At the Comedy
Zone, the crowd groaned. At both places Chappelle
asked what was so bad about Wilkinson Boulevard?
People yelled that it was the West side, the 'hood, that you would get shot and one guy said the street had ugly prostitutes (Okay, that was funny).

I went to the after-party and guess what, I didn't get shot. But I and a few hundred other people did go home with tales to tell.

Imagine seeing Chappelle sing "Sexual Healing," hearing Erykah Badu's early raps and shooting as many pictures of Chappelle as you wanted? That's what went down at Tempo on Wilkinson Boulevard. (It happens to be across the street from Coyote Joe's, another popular club.)

For at least an hour, Chappelle, rapper Talib Kweli and friends celebrated singer Erykah Badu's 35th birthday. They cut loose. It was a jam session and sing-a-long. It was like hanging on their tour bus or behind the scenes on the set of the "Chappelle's Show." Chappelle asked fans what they wanted to hear. Then he sang a few versus of Notorious' B.I.G's "F------ You Tonight." The crowd, Kweli and Badu joined in for that one. Chappelle sang the first line of Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing." That would be "Baayybeeee..." Then he started laughing and gave the microphone to Kweli. They went on like that for a while. Chappelle would sing a little something and then pass the microphone around. Badu sang "Bag Lady" and threw in impromptu rap about liquor, driving her man's car and sleeping with his best friend. When she finished, fans were cheering and laughing. Her brother and sister cut-up on stage as well.

Even better than their stage antics was how approachable all three were. Chappelle and Badu signed my friend's cast and posed for pictures with her and anyone else who asked. They signed autographs and talked to people. Chappelle hung out at that bar and talked to people.

What's so bad about Wilkinson Boulevard? People too scared to see there's nothing to be scared of.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

i am sooo sick that i missed this!!!! i totally slept on the chapelle show and the after-party. how can a sistah stay better informed??!?!?

Anonymous said...

Let's stop using code words here,westside=blackfolk=crime.
The image is so ingrain in the mind of folks that to try to tell them any different is a waste of time.
I have lived on the westside of Charlotte for 15 years and wouldn't live anywhere else in this town.
BTW my neighborhood is crime free,clean and diverse,you can keep your toney parts of town.

Anonymous said...

>What's so bad about Wilkinson Boulevard? People too scared to see there's nothing to be scared of.

You got lucky, Tonya. That's one strip where there should not be a red light at the intersections. It just needs two...green and greener.

Anonymous said...

There should not be any red lights at intersections on the Wilkinson Blvd strip...just green and greener.

Anonymous said...

I was at the Chapelle show and let me first say WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY!!! I did not pay $67.00 to go to a rap concert! Don't get me wrong I like both of the singers/rappers that came but I didnt pay to see them. So many people around me left...and I was tempted but yet I felt like I would maybe miss some more of chapelle. I was SSOOO disappointed in the little time HE spent on stage! Next time he comes in town i will think twice of seeing him if he has rappers with him. What time he did spend up there was GREAT! he is so funny!