The laughs were plentiful on Friday, September 17th, when legendary comedian Bruce Bruce graced the stage of the Improv in Washington D.C. I have been a fan of the comedy styling of Bruce Bruce for nearly two decades, and my first time getting hip to Bruce Bruce goes back to his days as the host of New Orleans 10th Anniversary Party Gras edition of BET’S Comic View.
Ira Coleman served as the MC of the night and Bruce’s opening act. Coleman took the stage around 7:40 and instantly won the crowd over with his rapid-fire jokes about his non-celebrity status, in addition to jokes about topics ranging from growing up down south to his parenting skills. Coleman impressed me so much with his comedy that I instantly followed him on the gram once his set was complete.
It was then time for the man of the hour to grace the stage. Bruce Bruce was met with thunderous applause and let the crowd know he was happy to be back in the DMV area. Throughout a 90-minute set, Bruce Bruce touched on numerous topics.
Joke topics included his weight, politics, and Hollywood. He even gave a TED talk to the men in the audience about the art of chivalry. This show was my first time seeing Bruce Bruce live, but it will not be the last. The next time he’s in town, I highly encourage you to check him out.
Final Grade: B
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday, I want to revisit 2004 and highlight Romeo’s debut solo album, formerly of Immature. Titled “Food for Thought” and released on June 22nd, this project marked the singer’s change of name to Young Rome in an effort to distance himself from the youthful sound of his group, much like his bandmate Marques Houston had done a year earlier.
In the nineties, Hip-Hop reigned supreme, and every label CEO wanted a share of the lucrative R&B market. One strategy was to keep singers on their roster who could deliver catchy hooks, keeping everything in-house and saving money. Bad Boy had Carl Thomas, Death Row had Danny Boy, and Roc-A-Fella had Rell, our featured artist for this week’s Slow Jam Saturday
Growing up in the eighties, I was surrounded by incredibly talented male R&B singers who could deliver unforgettable love songs. Artists like Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osborne, and Peabo Bryson dominated the airwaves, but Freddie Jackson was another voice that truly deserved recognition.