Ray Ray!!!!

On Saturday March 28th, L and I went to see Raphael Saadiq at the Variety Playhouse. We arrived at the venue shortly before the show was scheduled to begin and the traffic was horrible. The street was packed with people who frequent the Little Five Points area as well as the concert goers. To top it off the parking at the venue sucked. We ended up driving around for about 15 minutes before we were able to find a street parking space.

After we made into the venue it was straight to the concession stand for an adult beverage. Now, the tickets said it was general seating. When we got in the concert area all the seats were taken and there was standing room only along the sides. L and I settled in for space and noticed a woman sitting on the floor immediately in front of us. This lady had the biggest Afro I've seen up close and personal. Throughout the show it was a bit of a distraction. We made the best of it by cracking jokes about the shape of it. We were bad.

The show began with an opening group whose name eludes me. Maybe it's just me but I feel if no one has heard of your group before maybe you shouldn't spend so much time hopping around the stage. It would have helped if I understood what they were saying. The music was alright but I could have done with out them. Just get to the main attraction.

When Ray Ray came out the crowd went wild. A majority of the set was dedicated to his new material but he included a medley of his hits with Tony! Toni! Tone! and Lucy Pearl. I like some of the songs from the new cd but I am fan of his older work. He gives a great show. Besides Raphael the stand out for me was the girl singing background vocals with him. That chick can sing!

This summer Tony! Toni! Tone! will join En Vogue and Silk for concert at Chastain Park. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to check out the show.