Come drink with me

On Oct. 16, I’ll be a guest bartender at Dixie’s Tavern. This will be my first time behind a bar other than the one at my own house, but I'm up for the challenge. Come out and enjoy, but be warned I make my drinks strong and I like the crowd rowdy. Party starts at 10 p.m. It's free. (All tips - if I get any - will be donated to the Latin American Coalition.)

If it's free they will come

The line to get inside Tempo nightclub wrapped around the building on Tuesday night. Yeah, a Tuesday night. People came out to see a free performance by R&B singer Bobby Valentino.
What my friends and I all wondered was whether it would be a capacity crowd if the show wasn’t free. I mean really, Valentino is adorable. He’s energetic on stage and some of his songs are catchy -- but he can’t sing. He’s one of those artists whom I’d rather hear lip synch. Valentino was in town promoting his new CD "Special Occasion," which is due out on Nov. 14.
He played to his female fans. He handed out roses to women in the audience. He sang to a woman sitting in a chair on stage. Probably because he only has two CDs, he had his DJ play a medley of Top 40 songs during his 45-minute set to get the crowd dancing. He closed with his popular song "Slow Down."
Speaking of free shows, American Idol Season 2 winner Ruben Studdard will perform at Tempo on Oct. 18. Doors open at 8 p.m., but to get in you must win tickets from Power 98 or V101.9, or be a member of the Tempo.
And lastly, the Roots are coming back for a free show as well. They will perform at 9 p.m. Oct. 19. I can’t give you anymore details yet, but be sure to check my blog. I’ll post how to get tickets for the show as soon as I get the greenlight.

College homecoming

I felt like a little kid walking from the car to Bowman-Gray Stadium. With each step, I soaked in the smells of fried fish and barbecue ribs, and the sound of rap.
It was homecoming weekend at Winston-Salem State University, and it was my first time really attending a homecoming. In college, I’d partied in towns for homecomings, but I didn’t start my day before the sun went down. Going to the game wasn’t even an option.
Walking toward Bowman-Gray on Saturday to watch Winston-Salem take on Howard University made me realized what I missed. Vendors sold T-shirts, groups of friends huddled around grills or cars. A DJ blasted music. Once we got inside the stadium, the party continued with more vendors and -- best of all -- the halftime show. The drum majors came out in an ambulance and led the band. The crowd was on its feet.
After the game, we danced at a homecoming-related party. We finished the night at the gay club Odyssey. The hip-hop side was packed tighter than sardines, and the smoke and heat were oppressive. On the house-music side, a group of gay men took over the dance floor, vogueing.
That’s when things got a little crazy.
A heavyset guy strutted with everyone else, but he wasn’t graceful at all. Actually, he looked a hot mess. His shirt was two sizes too small, and he couldn’t dance. The other guys picked on him. The big guy ignored them. Then some jerk pushed the big guy in the face. A brief scuffle broke out. The whole thing was comical. A bunch of guys fighting over vogueing.
To his credit, the big guy straightened up his clothes and kept strutting across the dance floor with everyone else.
Next weekend is North Carolina A&T’s homecoming, which is even bigger than Winston-Salem State's.
After attending Winston-Salem State's homecoming, I’m planning to go to Alabama’s homecoming next year. My boy is sending me a link to the black alumni group for our college, so I'm hype.