D.C. Native and comedian Earthquake graced the stage of the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse on Thursday, March 20th, 2021, for a night of laughs. It had been a few years since I had the chance to see Earthquake live, so when I found out he was in the DMV, I decided it would make for the perfect date night with my wife. Walking into the venue, one of the first things I noticed was a sign from the venue informing patrons that they no longer needed to wear masks. While I am vaccinated, I still chose to keep my mask on and the bulk of the audience did as well, unless they were eating, or drinking.
The show started about fifteen minutes late, which is the norm; however, once comedian Spencer Neal took the stage, all was forgiven. An Atlanta-based comic, Neal warmed the crowd up with a rapid succession of jokes. Most of Neal’s material revolved around 2020 and how the year was good for him. While I will not spoil the jokes that Neal told, I will say he is a comic on the rise, and he gained an Instagram follower in me.
After Neal’s opening set, Earthquake graced the stage, making his entrance to Drake’s “Show Me a Good Time.” The veteran comic ran through a solid ninety-five minutes without any dry spots. Some of the commentaries included the importance of life insurance, kids with autism, and dating. While I have seen Earthquake before, it was great to hear primarily fresh material and jokes that catered to the DMV audience. My favorite moment of the night occurred when the comic mentioned he is working on a special with Dave Chappelle that will air later this year.
With a night full of laughs and quality service from the wait staff, it was a great night out at the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse.
Final Grade: A-
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.
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