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-
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.
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