People Are Strange....

Strange feeling when you think you know and understand the quality of a person's character, only to find out the depths of how wrong you were; how badly you misjudged somebody you thought you could trust in your circle.

See this particular blog entry, it’s going to be the kind that opens a vein and meanders for a while so if easily bored or faint of heart emotionally, it may not be for you...and I don’t want to alienate anyone before they started reading, but I’d rather be forthcoming at the rabbit hole you’re diving down.

Truthfully, it says a lot about my emotional insecurities, when talking about what was said to me by this former colleague, friend, and fellow musician, especially when you think about the context. This is a fantasy football league where guys swear at each other with the filthiest of adjectives. The dirtiest porn gifs are posted regularly, as both a means to degrade a rival owner, provide shock value, as well as a visualization of what one owner predicts they’ll do to the other, in a given week of their head-to-head, fantasy football match-up. Stupid, right? But equal opportunity vitriol, spread and sent to all, throughout the league. No topic taboo. Sensitive about your “Protected Characteristics”? Then you’ll be the first to be attacked, about whatever group you were born to.

Now forgetting the merits, or lack there of, regarding how we disparage each other, there’s always a sense that the threats, boasts and warnings, are SO outlandish, so as not to be believed or taken too seriously. 

That said, I am a singer. I've worked on music most of my life, even if up until the past 5-6 years, much of it has been directionless and not professionally pursued. However, I have no illusion of where I'm at personally, nor am I confused on where and how I do/don't measure up to the best here in our incredibly diverse, robust, and competitive Minnesota Music Scene. 

Listen, when you come from a scene that casually produced Husker Du, The Wallets, The Replacements, Johnny Lang, Tina & The B-Sides, Peter Himmelman and Sussman Lawrence, Soul Asylum, Spymob, Alexander O'Neal, Mint Condition, Greazy Meal, Lipps Inc., The Time, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Prince; the list goes on-and-on...There's also many AMAZING bands that the national scene might never hear. Bands like KG & JazzFly, Dan Ristrom & The Big Throwdown, Droppers, Dr. Mambo's Combo, WestSide, Atmosphere, Nooky Jones, Hiruspecs, Jaybee & The Routine...The list and level of talent is MIND-BLOWING.
Here's some of my favorites:

*Greazy Meal, here performing at The Cabooze in 1996, and their original composition, and personal favorite, "Old Soul Cafe", feat. Brian Gallagher (Papa G) on saxophone and Tommy Barbarella on keys, both of whom, were Prince and The New Power Generation Alumni. Sadly, founding member and local treasure Brian Gallagher, passed unexpectedly, on March 3rd, 2016, irrevocably damaging the bands' future.

*The Replacements and my favorite song of theirs, called "Alex Chilton", from the album Pleased To Meet Me. Although the album itself was recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, "The 'Mats" as they're affectionately called around here, are as Minnesotan as it gets.

Of course we cannot forget Minnesota favorite flavor of FUNK, The Time, here performing "Jungle Love" on The Robert Townsend show.

Jungle Love appeared on their album Ice Cream Castles, but also appeared in the Oscar-winning Prince vehicle, "Purple Rain".

A final example of Minnesota's home-grown musical excellence, is Peter Himmelman, an incredibly creative artist that's been a part of the Minnesota Music Scene since the late 70's, in groups like Shangoya (Alex O'Neil), and Sussman Lawrence, which effectively became Peter's solo band.

Yet somehow, and for the most part, there's this feeling and spirit of camaraderie and fellowship, that elevates the discourse. It's not uncommon to hear "Come up and share the stage", or "hey let's collaborate"; generous invitations that reverberate from the soul and fortify the unity for all of us. Of course there’s petty jealousies and fragile egos, but thankfully, I’ve been lucky having my cosmic sphere, orbit the spheres of incredibly generous musicians, that are among the most creative and talented musicians you could dream of working with...

...Until it doesn't happen that way.
Because I wholeheartedly embrace this description of the Minnesota Music Scene as fact, it hurts that much more, when the scene and the people in it fall short. To me, what's most strange? When fellow-musicians behave in a deliberately obstructionist fashion. 

By now, you might be wondering about specifics, as they relate to me and what compelled me to write about it.
Before I tell ya'll what happened to me last night, at the hands/words of a fellow musician, a quick dip into my backstory....

Music was something born-to-my soul! It's how and whom I've always been. I did large choir and chamber/show choir all through high school. However, one of my biggest regrets was not taking up music through the eyes of a student; learning the scales, to read music, even learning an instrument or two. I dove into music in a more directionless fashion, relying only on natural ability and effort. 

Yet somehow, despite that, I was able to audition and, against long odds as an incoming freshman and a mostly untrained, raw talent, gain acceptance into an elite vocal jazz group at Ithaca College in upstate New York, singing under the wise-old tutelage of the great jazz arranger Dave Riley. 

Mr. Riley passed in 2015, but to quote his obituary, "His direction brought the Ithaca College Vocal Jazz ensemble international acclaim, and his teaching provided training for many jazz educators and performers including Emmy award winning artists, The New York Voices". 

I did my best to hang with the rest of the music majors and talented folks in that group, and that freshman year resulted in a memorable Spring concert at The OnCenter in Syracuse, New York, on stage in the historic John H. Mulroy Civic Center Theater. Three-fourths of my Grandparents were still alive and healthy enough to attend, along with my parents and little brother, making for a weekend I'll never forget!

But fast forward to my sophomore year, and through a variety of circumstances, I gave up on myself and the opportunity I had, electing instead to return home to Minnesota, with the hopes of staying on track to graduate. I quit singing and gave up on my dreams of making music and performing. I locked away that part of me, and left it dormant for more than twenty (20) years.

Then, during the summer of 2012, "The Voice" TV show came to St. Paul for auditions. My child Ruby, whom was roughly seven years old at the time, begged me to at least try auditioning. So, I went downtown St. Paul, and waited in line, outside The Xcel Energy Center for hours-upon-hours.
In fact, if you combine the total the time I waited, both inside and out, the entire ordeal took six (6) hours, 45 seconds of which, was the actual time spent proving to a judge that I'm an above-average singer.

Well, as you can imagine with being cut-off 45 seconds into my audition, I was quickly sent packing with the unceremonious "NEXT", shouted at me while I ramped up my audition song, from verse-to-chorus.

As I slowly, dragged my sad and pathetic ass back across the Wabasha Street Bridge, and up to my house, I felt a moment of hopelessness. The kind of hopelessness that leads a person to give-up on their deepest passions....

But I literally remember the self-talk in that moment, and it centered on the moment itself, and how I was going to respond to it.  I decided right then-and-there, that my goal was to dive back into making music, whether or not, "The Voice" wanted me or believed in me. My kid believed in me, and that was enough...even if I didn't.

So I replied to a singer wanted/band forming add, and began slogging my way through all the typically shitty gigs that start the avg. musicians' career. I experienced the craziest things; incidents that even as I'd previously dreamt of some idyllic "Rock'nRoll Lifestyle", I never imagined would actually happen, much less to me. Incidents such as my original drummer, coked out-of-his-gourd, lunging through his own drum-kit and attacking our guitarist, just as we're about to play that funky music like a bunch of "white boys".

But it was generally with quality guys and gals. Each year, the quality of musicians I get to work with, seems to get better all the time. I've been blessed to play lots of different gigs at lots of different types of events. I've hustled to book myself into gigs with three (3) different bands on a regular basis, all of which, I'm very proud of:

1) Monkeys In A Zoo: An acoustic duo playing Rock'n'Soul from the 60's,70's, 80's and more. My partner is Phil Lawrence and he's more like a brother, than merely a friend. Hell, my kid refers to him as "Uncle Phil". We've played all manner of public gigs, including The Dancing Dragonfly Winery, Hard Rock Cafe, and Treasure Island Casino, to name a few. But we also have had the good fortune of playing private events including graduations, engagements, cocktail hours, Halloween parties and Fall Pig Roasts!

2) Hot Brockoli: The do-it-all party band, playing hits from the 70's, 80's and today from all the best classic rock, dance, hip-hop, country, and pop. We've played all over town; Dunham's, Gluek's, Jersey's, Neisen's and The Pointe!

3) My passion project called The Soul Shack: a collective playing all the chunky jams from our childhood, with an eye towards covering gems that other bands don't play.  We've played all over town, from The Sherwood on the East Side, to Lee's Liquor Lounge and Kieran's downtown. But our No.1 spot is home base at Gluek's! Hell, we've even made an off-shoot as The Soul Shack Acoustic, playing private events, and even a date at The Hard Rock Cafe.

So, ultimately, I've done alright for myself, especially when you consider how brief my career has been. Yet despite my confidence in these things, a former colleague from the restaurant biz reduced me to the fetal position, when he went into our league fantasy football chat room, and turned our league rivalry, into a real-life “I’m a bigger, better, more popular musician, singer, and performer than Lippy” succession of savage posts.

Granted, this guy IS all those things and more. He’s got an INCREDIBLE set of pipes, he’s a studied musician that went to school for music, and he’s been successfully gigging around town longer than I have. He’s been a featured performer at The Chanhassen Dinner Theatre putting on fantastic, and well-attended shows.

What's worse? We used to have a great rapport. So much so, that years after we worked together, and I was just entering into the early days of really working to be a semi-pro musician here in town, I specifically reached-out and asked for any guidance, wisdom, support, or collaboration that he might be willing to do.  At which point, and I figured at worst he might say "Hey I'm too busy", or "I'm not looking to mentor anyone right now", or any number of candid responses...any of which, leave me shown a minimum level of respect; just a basic reply.   

So there's a root/nerve. I felt rejected. Not by his lack of interest in working together or helping me, but from the lack of a simple courtesy. Then to fast-forward to the past weekend, where he went full ham-sandwich on me, unprovoked, essentially indicting me as a musician? What about when I reached-out for help back when, so that I could grow and improve? I humble myself to ask a "friend" for help and guidance. It struck a nerve with me, that he would criticize me when he had concrete knowledge and experiences I sought, that would've made me better. Who does such a thing? Even more baffled that this chap would say things to me in a chat room, that he would NEVER have the guts to speak to-my-face. 

So, not only is this someone I formerly felt allied and aligned with as a kindred spirit, but someone I sought help from. Then, said individual talks trash about me, going very personal, and WAY below the belt, degrading me about the very thing I sought his help on. Again, this wasn't even to my face, but typed from the safety of hiding behind a computer monitor and keyboard. 

But look, as I said, I know where I stand, when I look out from the stage at Gluek's with The Soul Shack (this past Sat. 12-15-18), and see everyone dancing, singing along to every word from Young MC's "Bust A Move", drinking and having a good time. Then, I look around me at the talent assembled on stage and I feel a great sense of pride. Then, I go back and listen to/watch video footage from the gig and I feel a great sense of accomplishment.

So what have I done, you ask?
NOTHING; absolutely nothing!
He and other members of our league have been continually begging me and baiting me to respond, but I've refrained, showing an unusual amount of restraint. I'm an especially impulsive person, by nature, so it's taken all my power to NOT wade into the mud and get down with this pig.

Instead, as the playoffs for our league have begun, I've done my trash-talk with on-field results, winning both last week in the quarterfinals, and this week in the semis.
Next weekend? THE FINALS and the culmination of a season-long quest for ultimate bragging rights, and a fistful of cash.

...and what better scenario could I hope for, than going head-to-head against this bratty, smart-mouthed kid, in the finals of this stupid league I've been a part of since the 2000's.

Believe me, I'll be circling back to this as a "post-script" to this blog, in what I hope will be my best revenge.

Thanks for indulging me in this rant and vent. 

I’m Geekin’ Out Here....#Nerdgasm

What a fantastic 48-hrs last weekend provided, especially from Friday night, through Sunday too!
From helping my child host some friends to a Hanukkah party and experiencing The Festival of Lights for their first time ever, to a lazy day wandering around town with my BooBae having lunch together, trying to figure out the best way to help our kids succeed. This included a trip to The Source Comics and Gaming store, where I had a very satisfying NERDGASM.

What is a “Nerdgasm”, you ask?
What I can tell you, as a proud, card-carrying Nerd myself?
I love Star Wars anything.
I love Star Trek, especially the 1st two entries in the JJ Abrams reboots.
Indiana Jones and The Raiders of The Lost Ark, is my #1 favorite movie of all time; a list that includes other cinematic heavyweights like The Godfather, Jaws, The Usual Suspects, The Big Lebowski, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

But my most favorite geekery is with Comic Book heroes.
While I’ve always followed DC’s best and biggest (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and Flash...), it’s Marvel Entertainment that’s best captured my imagination since childhood, and sustains my interest in its characters to-this-day!

This love goes back to my earliest childhood memory. My parents knew this, and made comic books and heroes the theme of my bar mitzvah party, back in 1986. I remember the joyous surprise that greeted me as I walked in the doors at my synagogue; a life-sized, cardboard cut-out of Captain America!!

So...you can imagine my delight at seeing all these fellow geeks, fully costumed, and wandering around The Source, in celebration of their 25th anniversary celebration and jubilee.  
When suddenly, it became my job to enter the superhero fray!

There I was, trying to separate Cap and Bucky (a.k.a. the Winter Soldier) from killing each other over what ....world domination? Black widow? Who knows....but there they were, along with The Scarlet Witch, Spawn, The Green Hornet, and even Loki, The G-d of Mischief.

But what a day hanging out with all my favorite geeks and heroes all day long, including and most of all, my completely GORGEOUS, number one gal; my partner of sixteen years and counting, Justine.

...not to mention my gig with the Soul Shack, where we debuted our collaboration with the bass player from SpyMob and N.E.R.D, Christian Twigg. We also got a chance to spontaneously back up the owner of the company that was our client that night. We made a pretty funky jam with them not to mentiong our sound check to start the show at 5:30 was out of this world and I was perfectly fine not doing a favorite like "Black Cow", in deference to this made up funk jam we created instead.

And being able to collaborate with the son (Jason) of a woman (Tracee) whose engagement party I played with my acoustic duo, while the son did our sound engineering that night? SofaKing cool. It’s like the relationship I forged with Tracee, and her fiancé Stu, had already given me so much in the form of support and attendance at my gigs, bringing new ears-and-eyes to my gigs, introducing me to new friends and clients, and now? Helping me connect with Jason Peterson of Basques Productions...who we'll be collaborating with again, on Thursday December 27th, when The Soul Shack makes their debut at The Minnesota Music Cafe.

Livin' My Dream and Makin' The Scene with Dan Ristrom & The Big Throwdown

This particular blog post is about my foolish insecurities, hubris and ambition. It's a long overdue entry of things that I think and thoughts on how I roll. I'm sharing my biz, telling ya'll how INCREDIBLE the Minnesota Music Scene is...in case you're unaware of what is hip!

Tuesday night I had a gig with my acoustic duo, called Monkeys In A Zoo (MIAZ). My guitarist, Phil Lawrence, and I decided to play Neisen's new Acoustic Tuesday Sessions, down in Savage. The gig wasn't well attended; just 10-15 regulars that would've been there anyhow.

But we captured them with our song choices, and were proud of how things went; it was a good night overall.

So after two sets there, I raced over to downtown Minneapolis, for a stop at Gluek's Bar & Restaurant to see the weekly, Tuesday jam by Dan Ristrom & The Big Throwdown (DR&TBTD); an incredible 4-piece of really talented musicians that cover a HUGE variety of songs, as well as sprinkling-in an original or two. Dan and the guys are always so gracious, inviting and welcoming fellow musicians from the scene, to come up and join the band for a song or two. 

DR&TBTD comes from the Dr. Mambo's Combo tradition of world-class musicians, giving you WAY more value for the cover you paid at the door, than the live music you get back from the band that night. It's an incredible standard, for musicians to do that, when there's exactly ZERO dollars being collected at the door on an average Tuesday night! 

Besides the joy my wallet felt paying nothing at the door, walking into Gluek's for me, has turned into a real treat. After bringing two (2) different bands of my own there, for two+ years, (The Soul Shack and Hot Brockoli), I've built a little cache with the staff. So it felt BOSS walking in and  having a another warm greeting from Matt, always working the door and keeping us safe. Then, the band shouted out to me from the stage, mid-song; always a great honor.

Then I grabbed the corner spot at the bar for a whiskey-ginger, getting attention from bartenders Cody and Kirk whom were their usual, stalwart selves, taking good care of every thirsty patron that decides to belly-up! My pal Carl was doing sound. With all this friendly warmth, (and as always...), Gluek's offered a convivial spirit that made me so glad I'd come.

Eventually, during a gap between songs, Dan called me out, and asked me if I knew "What Is Hip" by Tower of Power.
I did, but was hoping to just chill and observe for the night.
I'd been drinking a bit, and a few puffs, so from that and singing two (2) sets already, I thought I'd just take the rest of the night off. I smiled and waved, and Dan went back into his thang!

So things continued on-stage, and that's when their guest vocalist Faye Lewis came into focus for me.
She's beautiful and has an INCREDIBLE high-alto.
Not only can she get up and offer beautifully sung, contemporary covers, but she's also collaborating with DR&TBTD on their self-penned Christmas show called Who Brought The Humbug...a show being featured at The Lab Theatre in the Northloop of Mpls. that the band previewed for us. It's fun and funky, and if you're a stubborn Scrooge like me, it's nice to get pounded with holiday tidings, but finally in a fresh vehicle that you've never had a ride in before, rather than another ride in dad's beat-up jalopy like "Silent Night" or "Oh Tannenbaum".

See, tonight… Dan Ristrom & The Big Throwdown (DR&TBTD) were absolutely sensational in my mind.

But I believe that to the band? It was just another Tuesday night, in the sense that they can make the extraordinary look so easy, week in and week out.  The band is full of virtuosos like Josh Alfaro on drums, Cory Blanchard on keys, Dave Feily on guitar, and Dan Ristrom on bass and lead vocals. 

All night long, Josh Alfaro on drums was EXACTLY how a drummer should be; pocket 1st, and always letting the rest of the band and soloists shine. It's not that he can't get to some creative smashy-smashy, but that's just not his approach. He's there to provide the foundation for the entire night.

They did "Some Kind Of Wonderful", but as the Joss Stone cover...and might I add, better than Joss Stone. Take out the rock elements, and make that bass groove. Here's Joss' version:

The harmonies were super-tight, and though my drunken ears heard it was "St. Louis" on vocals, it was really Faye Lewis! 

The band also did "Midnight In Harlem" a favorite tune of mine, by Susan Tedeschi & The Tedeschi & Trucks Band, on which guitarist Dave Feily did an incredible solo...a solo that literally moved me off my seat and onto my feet! 
...and that was AFTER Cornell "Cory" Blanchard completely SMOKED a soulful keyboard solo. I wish I'd captured The Throwdown's version, but here's the original, in case you're unfamiliar...

Then one of those live and unplanned moments happened, which gets to the core of why I go to live performances; to experience the unexpected as it's executed with as much precision as if it had been rehearsed. THAT, if nothing else, speaks to how incredible DR&TBTD are. 

Somehow the term "Joy" came up, I'm guessing in the holiday context, and then somebody on stage started to riff "Joy To The World". As a performer myself, it's one of those moments that I love, where there's a chance to create unplanned magic, on-the-spot. The question is always "how far do we go with this moment?". In this instance it was 100% ALL IN; stunning for both the depth of their commitment, AND the fact they could make a song like "Joy To The World", musically interesting...one of those "happy accidents" that happens on stage. Once it starts to bubble and boil, a band can either turn the stove off, or turn the flame up, and as far as covering this Three Dog Night classic bit of low-hanging fruit, Dan Ristrom & The Big Throwdown turned the flame to a Towering Inferno!!

And let’s not forget the terrific Janice Joplin work done by Faye and the boys, after the Three Dog Night foray.

And then, before I knew it, I was face-to-face with Dave Rodriguez; compared to me, a singer with real talent. He came up and did something as potentially mundane as a local funk band doing "Use Me", and sang it with such soul and precision incredible control and timber. It was the kind of thing people that love music and love Bill Withers and love funk and soul, would otherwise love to hear. Just a different caliber of musician and singer. In fact, when given the chance, I later told Dave, that despite being twice his age, when I finally grow up, I want to be Dave Rodriguez.

Then, one more time, the clarion call went out to invite me onstage to perform Tower of Power with Dan & The Boys, and foolishly, I accepted the invitation and challenge of following an incredible singer, walking up to the stage like I had any business doing so.

But I knew better than to do it....even BEFORE Dan Rodriguez got up there and was #SofaKing good, that the WRONG thing to do was to try and level-up at that moment.
Unfortunately, ambition and ego got the better of me, and I strolled right onto that stage, only to make a fool of myself with a rich opportunity that I’ve worked so hard to earn at Gluek's, my "home base"; a music venue where I’ve worked so hard to make inroads. 

Foolish how, you ask? Well, for starters, my voice was ragged already. Additionally, Dan had even offered me access to the Ipad, in case I need help with the lyrics; an offer I declined. 

So of course what happened? I completely forgot the 2nd verse of "What Is Hip"... which is shameful because I've done it previously with my own band, #TheSoulShack (as seen here): 

For Christ sake... I’ve done everything I can for two+ years to put two different bands in there once or twice a month, and I had the gall to think I belong on stage with a guy and his band that does it weekly? Just. Plain. DUMB. #Hubris

But of course, the band couldn't have been more gracious and forgiving about my gaffes. Real pros that don't let anything send the moment too far pear-shaped. 

In summation... Faye Lewis was a revelation.
As was Dan Rodriguez!
And Dan Ristrom as a band leader? Conductor? Mid-song Communicator? 100% what I want to be someday, as I continue growing my own musical career and ambitions.
Dave Feily continues to quietly earn his rep as one of the most gifted musicians on the entire Minnesota Music Scene.
Cory Blanchard is as a vocalist/keyboardist combo you'll find, and Josh Alfaro is what you point to, for how you want your drummer to approach each show.

It dawned on me that I need seven people, to get anywhere near the sounds that DR&TBTD get from FOUR?!!

Just as I've written at the top of this blog, in the COMBO tradition of giving you MORE than what you paid at the door.
Dan Ristrom gives you more for even LESS!

And the Gluek's staff feels like, and treats you like family, especially and even more so  when you've given your blood, sweat, and tears to the venue and it's success.

If you haven't ever given yourself the pleasure of experiencing THE BIG THROWDOWN on a Tuesday night at Gluek's in downtown Minneapolis, then I'd suggest you put it on your list of things to do!

Maybe give me a holler when you go, and I'll meet you down there.

Post Script-
I listened to that second verse from "What Is Hip", IMMEDIATELY when I got to my car to drive home. Needless to say, that misstep won't happen again, if I'm given another chance to jam!

Thanks for reading. Feel free to share if you liked it.
Regards-
Lippy

The 2016 BET Awards Show and The Prince Tribute

On Sunday May 22nd, 2016, Billboard Magazine held their annual awards show, a mere thirty (30) days after the sudden and tragic death of Prince Rogers Nelson. 

Somehow, Madonna (along with Stevie Wonder) was selected or invited to be the conduit for expressing all our grief over this loss. It was a highly-questionable selection that played out to a dubious, if not predictable result. For although Madonna and Prince collaborated back in the 80's on her album "Like a Prayer" (he played uncredited guitar on the title track, and they co-wrote and performed the middling "Love Song"), many observers and fans, myself included, felt there were MANY other choices to handle the duties of paying tribute to Prince. Some of the choices posed were right-on-target, including The Time, The Revolution, NPG, Chaka Khan, Larry Graham, and of course Sheila E. Now imagine a tribute performance where ALL these artists collaborated?

Adding depth to the consternation and agitation was Linda Perry of 4-Non-Blondes fame. She appeared on "The Talk" and tried to convince Prince-lovers everywhere that Madonna was the most appropriate choice, because no true Prince collaborator was relevant anymore, at least (in her warped mind) not as "relevant" as Madonna. This idea is so amusing because Madonna hasn't been relevant since Vogue in 1991.....THAT'S TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO!!
See the footage here:

The anti-Madonna fervor rose to such heights, there was actually a petition started to prevent the disaster before it happened ( https://www.change.org/p/billboard-awards-stop-madonna-from-tributing-prince-during-the-billboard-awards)

Yet, Billboard did it their way, and the result was a disaster. Madonna was so flat and off-key, not even the legendary Stevie Wonder could save the effort as it unfolded on-stage, note after agonizingly off-key note.
Here's the performance for those that wisely missed it!

Enter BET with timing that is innate to only a select few.
Not much description needed here, just check-out the add that floated across our TV screens after the Madonna/Prince Tribute fiasco:

Ultimate Shade, no?
Well, I liken it to The Kid, himself.
Never one to back away from self-elevation, but ALWAYS one to walk-the-walk, not just talk-the-talk, Prince could say anything, because he could do ANYTHING!!
In that vein, BET called their shot, and this past Sunday night (6-26-16) they delivered the goods to a world-wide audience.

Rather than an isolated moment in the awards show, BET wisely (and compassionately for the fans) chose a different route in paying tribute to this once-in-a-lifetime artists. Performances were woven organically, and throughout the show. Here are some things I think about the night, as well as the order of the tributes throughout the night.

Erykah Badu, Bilal and The Roots: 
"The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" and "The Beautiful Ones"
This was likely my personal favorite (with a humble nod to Maxwell and Sheila E). Not only am I a great lover of Badu and The Roots, but "Dorothy" is one of my favorite songs from my #1 FAVORITE Prince album, Sign 'O' the Times.  All kinds of off-beat lyrical references to cultural touchstones such as the American Poetess in the title, or the live sample and reference to American singer-songwriter, Joni Mitchell. The original song has incredible production values with all kinds of vocal-multi-tracking going on, plus plenty of musical nuance. 
Here's a version from rehearsals that preceded the '87 tour.

As you can hear, it wasn't an obvious choice for the average Prince fan, which is why it was so special to hear, ESPECIALLY in the context of a loving tribute. 

Now here's the Badu/Roots version from the 2016 BET Awards show. It's got all the texture, funky swing, and panache that a fan would have NO business hoping for. 
http://www.bet.com/video/betawards/2016/performances/the-roots-erykah-badu-bilal-prince-tribute.html

So, for those of you at home who were keeping score:
2016 BET Awards 1 
2016 Billboard Awards 0

Then, as Badu's song ended, there was an amazing, but brief transition between the two singers as they passed each other on/off stage. Was it planned? Or was it just an organic moment where Bilal had to stop Badu on her walk-off stage in order to light the spark of inspiration for his 100%-invested take on this sensuous and dripping ballad from "Purple Rain", the seminal 80's album by Prince & The Revolution?

It felt tender, spontaneous and sincere. 
How could someone NOT feel romantically inspired by "FatbellyBella", aka "Serra Bellum", aka "Maria Mexico",
aka "DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown"....especially after watching her perform?

As for Bilal's performance itself? It was tremendous.
I also think it's a funny, and funky coincidence that awards show opener, Beyonce has been covering "The Beautiful Ones" on her tour, and doing it pretty well.
However, I think the Roots have better chops than Bey's band, which is what gave Bilal the jumping-point to deliver a rendition of a song that MUST reach a certain emotional pitch, in order to be credible.

Not only did he hit the falsetto notes that Prince put into this song, not only did Bilal capture the emotional pitch, but he gave himself over to the performance so-much-so, that he even seemed to channel His Royal Badness.  It was evocative and a clear nod to Prince's performance of "The Beautiful Ones", as seen in the seminal movie "Purple Rain"; writhing around on the ground and shrieking for his lover to commit themselves to the same depth of emotion that he had reached in covering this classic, Prince staple. 

All of this analysis of Bilal's performance, takes on even greater interest, when you put it in the context of his Prince fandom. All the OkayPlayer crew (which includes everything from The Roots to Bilal to Badu to Talib Kweli to D'Angelo) are passionate and inspired Prince fans like the rest-of-us, and Bilal was no different.  
Read the following article for a hilarious account of his four (4) meetings with The Purple One.
http://www.okayplayer.com/news/bilal-on-prince.html

So, for those of you at home who were keeping score:
2016 BET Awards 2 
2016 Billboard Awards 0

Stevie wonder, Tori Kelley, & Jennifer Hudson: 
"Take Me With U" & "Purple Rain"
Still unsure who the band was, but I think it was the BET Awards house band for the night. They did a TREMENDOUS job, and Stevie and Tori Kelley did a great job together, too. Sure they had some subtle moments where their individual phrasing was a bit off, but overall, it was worthy of all the other tribute performances throughout the night. 
If I'm being honest, I think Stevie needed this moment.  His voice sounded great at the Billboard Awards, it was really Madonna, and the decision-makers who produced the show, that made her tribute a train-wreck. There was nothing more Stevie could've done. Here, he was heart-felt as always, and soulful with such Stevie-esque phrasing and embellishments.
The horns had pop in them and both singers traded some great vocalizations at the end. 
For the full performance, watch here:

As for Jennifer Hudson's Tear-The-Roof-Off-The-Mutha-Sucka, spiritually-steeped and soul-stirring rendition of "Purple Rain", was widely talked about as THE highlight of the night. It certainly reached a near-epic crescendo with J.Hud unleashing her mighty instrument, but I had trouble getting past the rough start. It might be a modest criticism, but it felt like she really struggled to get things started. Almost as if she couldn't find the right tempo. If you listen carefully at the very beginning of her performance, it sounds like she's rushing and not paying attention to the musical cues that let the singer know when to come in. Maybe it was nerves, which would be natural, even for a seasoned and accomplished performer like her.

Still, it was instantly worthy of "All-Time" status as it was the anthemic spectacle it can be.  In fact, the emotional performance seemed like one giant exhale, where the entire world and our collective grief over Prince's death was stuck in her diaphragm, and this was her chance to get it all out.
Not just for herself, but for all of us collectively.
It was a tear-jerker and a highlight of the tribute show.

So, for those of you at home who were keeping score:
2016 BET Awards 4 
2016 Billboard Awards 0

Janelle Monae: A Prince medley:"Delirious", "Kiss", "Pop Life", "Eye Would Die 4U"

Prince, as an admirer of upcoming talent (especially for nurturing female talent), had been in Janelle Monae's corner from early on. This not only spoke to the synergy between these two uniquely stylish artists, but also must have inspired Janelle to higher heights as a performer.  You're that early into your career, and you have Prince advocating and agitating for you? That's as reliable a sign that you're on the right track, as any sign you could look for. Prince would say that "Game recognize game".
You'll find that Monae's version of "Let's Go Crazy" was a staple of her touring set in 2013 & 2014.

Her performance at the BET Awards show proved that not only was she up to the task of performing in a Prince tribute, but that it was a natural choice having her participate.
Janelle Monae was just like Prince; a tiny physical form that belies a MASSIVE ability as a show-stopping-star. She physically covered so much ground, running and dancing all over the stage, that Prince, at his advanced age might have had trouble just nipping at her heels. Her song choices were great relative to covering Prince's biggest hits. They even aped the original "Kiss" video in her stage performance. It was a great combination of excitement and splash, with gritty musical chops by the band. Wholly on-point and well-enjoyed.

So, for those of you at home who were keeping score:
2016 BET Awards 5
2016 Billboard Awards 0


Maxwell: "Nothing Compares 2U"

In a crowded field, this also might have been my favorite Prince-tribute of the night. After the usually-reclusive singer offered one of his new tunes, Maxwell turned his attention to this wonderful yet aching ballad that Prince wrote back in the 80's. In fact, this selection was intended for another Prince off-shoot group called The Family. 
However it was ultimately Sinead O'Connor who had the greatest chart and commercial success, with the song, taking the Prince-penned hit to Number 1. But I digress....

Maxwell's voice was in fine form, and he added a few lyrical wrinkles too, like changing the opening lyrics from 
"It's been 7hours and 13 days", to a precise detail of how long it's been since Prince's passing (7hours and 66days). Maxwell also changed some of the lyrics in the 3rd verse to convey a specific feeling about how we have all felt in losing such an iconic artist that we've all been following annually since our formative days of youth. His performance struck me like a velvet hammer. So much so, that I'd surely purchase Maxwell's live version of "Nothing Compares 2U", if it was ever released. I was in tears, again, and really feeling now sad at the elegant and poignant reminder that he's gone. 
There may be hundreds of thousands of unearthed music in the infamous, possibly soon-to-be-opened Vault at Paisley Park, but his mind was still agile and a creative well spring and it's sad knowing there will never be that next Prince project. 

For those of you at home who are still keeping score:
2016 BET Awards 6
2016 Billboard Awards 0


And now for the finale.......
Sheila E: "Housequake", "Erotic City", "Let's Work", "You Got The Look", "A Love Bizarre", "The Glamorous Life", "America", "Baby I'm A Star"

Sheila Escovedo and her crack band included many connection points from the Prince arc. There was the great Morris Hayes from the NPG, holding down the keys. There was Jerome Benton from The Time, The Family and from all three Prince movies (Purple Rain, Under The Cherry Moon, and Graffiti Bridge). There was Mayte Garcia, a dancer from the NPG-era and Prince's ex-wife, from Prince's present singers Liv Warfield & Shelby J, and from Prince's past singer Elisa Fiorillo, plus latter-day dancers The McLean Twins, and the NPG HORNZ......whew!


Not to be lost in the excitement and tremendous result, was the fact that D'Angelo was supposed to close the BET Awards alongside Sheila E and as part of this ad-hoc unit of former Prince collaborators, but as noted on Roots drummer Questlove's Twitter feed, (@questlove), and only a few hours into the show, that which we'd all hoped for was "Not gonna happen".

Of all the nights' participants for the various Prince tributes (and Linda Perry can forget about how SHE defines "relevance"), Sheila E was the MOST qualified to do a proper tribute... She knew Prince's live music style from performing on stage with him for so many years. 
She knew what he respected, and what he expected.


She kicked off a seven-minute medley by smashing the drums during "Housequake", wailing that classic Prince call, almost like a wailing cry to all who are funky and want to get down. Like a traditional Muslim call-to-prayer by a Muezzin from a minaret, she inserted them in all the right spots that Prince himself would likely have chosen to. It was a great selection from Sign 'O' The Times, and a Prince funk masterwork. She then jammed through "Erotic City", a real treat from their earliest work together. All the sexy slink and slithering sleaze was there in the dance floor classic. 

Staying in the 80's Sheila took us through "Let’s Work" from the Controversy album. She followed with a snippet from another Sign 'O' The Times classic with "U Got The Look", originally a Prince duet with Sheena Easton. 
That tasty morsel transitioned into the Prince and Sheila E collaboration "A Love Bizarre," one of Sheila E's most popular solo cuts. By the time this tour-de-force turned to her other biggest smash, "The Glamorous Life", she had given a lot and covered many fan favorites. She could've stopped there and I would've still cheered at the TV from my bed....but she kept on, just like Prince would.

Next up was the lone representative from Prince's follow-up album to Purple Rain, Around The World In A Day, and the up-tempo, rock-funk workout, "America". Jerome Benton was there on stage, kind of sashaying right up next to her as they invoked that classic dance that Morris Day and Jerome are known for their work as The Time. Then, wrapping up this marathon she pummeled the drums a little more (as if they hadn't been through enough already), strummed a guitar and slid across the stage just like Prince at the 1985 Grammy Awards. Closing with "Baby I'm a Star", it might be the closest thing we'll see to one of His Royal Badness and one of his performances, ever again. She even had one of Prince's classic guitars as a totem, maybe representing all that he hath bequeathed unto us. All the glorious soul. All the FUNk and spiritual and sexual awakenings. The sense of belonging as an outsider. The commitment to craftwork and excellence. The efforts to mentor and collaborate. The way we turn to music, in order to process the abundance of emotion that is the human experience; This Thing Called Life.

Click here to view Sheila E's performance:
http://www.bet.com/video/betawards/2016/performances/sheila-e-medley-prince-tribute.html

I also LOVED the post-performance interview that Sheila gave, especially the insight on how they picked which songs, and the choice of arrangements. 

And the final score for those at home, and who bet on the over/under?
2016 BET Awards 7
2016 Billboard Awards 0

Special note to "Trap Soul" artist, Bryson Tiller.
Everyone in the audience not only seemed to know the songs he performed, word-for-word, (the hits "Exchange" and "Don't"), but were so taken with his music that the entire crowd attending the show hosted at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, was on their feet and acting out the lyrics while Tiller out-performed contemporaries such as Desiigner, French Montana, Young Thug and Future.

Of all the fantastic non-Prince Tribute performances that we witnessed throughout the night, the aforementioned Tiller, as well as performances by Beyonce w/ Kendrick Lemar, Maxwell, Alicia Keys, and Usher, I'd be remiss to exclude the impassioned speech by Grey's Anatomy's Jesse Williams, who portrays Dr. Jackson Avery in the ABC hit series, as he accepted the Humanitarian Award. The entire night was really charged with political leanings, but no one captivated the audience and the whole world that watched, the way Williams and his speech did. Articulate and candid truths that must be talked about, regarding the myriad problems that arise in everyday, American life, due to lingering systemic racism. For example, Williams talked about Police violence in the African American community:

“We know that police somehow manage to deescalate, disarm, and not kill white people every day, so what’s going to happen is, we’re going to have equal rights and justice in our own country or we will restructure their function and ours.”

He talked about continued efforts to silence these truths, by many Americans who moan and complain of hurt feelings when these truths, and discussions about racial inequity are pointed out in an effort to discuss, understand and ultimately move past, responding:

"The burden of the brutalized is not to comfort the bystander.That’s not our job, alright – stop with all that. If you have a critique for the resistance, for our resistance, then you better have an established record of critique of our oppression. If you have no interest, if you have no interest in equal rights for black people then do not make suggestions to those who do. Sit down."
There were so many more remarks, all equally as eloquent and insightful and candid as the two I mentioned, so no matter your racial background or levels of cultural understanding and interest, I urge you to watch this historic speech.
http://www.bet.com/video/betawards/2016/acceptance-speeches/jesse-williams-receives-humanitarian-award.html

The 2016 BET Awards show was SENSATIONAL.
The non-Prince Tribute performances were strong and the Prince Tribute performances were other-worldly and they captured what a Prince performance always entailed; emotional and musical heights with superb execution.
All-around, this was an INCREDIBLE collection of artists displaying their artistry, as both individuals and collaborators. Is there anything more Prince than that?