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
Songstress Ashanti was experiencing significant success with two platinum albums at the time of the release of her inaugural holiday project, “Ashanti’s Christmas,” on November 18, 2003. Her label head, Irv Gotti, produced most of the album. This project comprises four original songs co-written by Ashanti, in addition to six cover versions of traditional Christmas standards and carols.
Vocal quartet A Few Good Man contributed two songs to the project: a cover of “Silver Bells” and the ballad “Merry Christmas My Dear,” both of which were produced by Daryl Simmons. Demail Burks, David Morris, Aaron Hilliard, and Tony Amey were the members of the group, and after introducing themselves in the festive video for “Silver Bells,” it was only fitting that they delivered a ballad on the album.
R&B legend Luther Vandross had already solidified his place in R&B when he released his first holiday album, “This Is Christmas. Arriving in stores on October 24, 1995, “This Is Christmas” validates Vandross’s ability to sing anything.