The place fills up with the coolest cats in Chicago. All ages and races and religions. All kinds of hats, too -- pork pies, hamburgs, fedoras, caps.
"I wanna hat," I say to my wife.
"Okay...."
"One of those caps...."
"Okay...."
"The Kangaroo things, or whatever they're called...."
"Okay...."
"No, you always say okay, but whenever we're supposed to get one, you never go...."
"I'll go -- name the day...."
The woman deserves a medal for putting up with me.
Photo by: Jon Randolph
At 8:30 the lights dim. The background music turns off. The band takes the stage. I love this band. The background singer is a woman dressed in a black suit and tie. From where I'm sitting, she looks a little like Prince. The keyboard player is this beefy dude who looks like Donny Hathaway. Even has Donny Hathaway's wide-brim cap. I love Donny Hathaway.
They kick into a funky version of "Aquarius," the song from "Hair." I'm ready to dance. Only thing is -- there is no dancing. All those days of preparation. Practice at night. Looking at myself in the mirror. Wishing I was John Travolta. And there is no dancing, at least not tonight. I know, I know -- the ticket said there would be dancing. But the club's so crowded, there's just no room -- the dance floor's like a mosh pit.
Onto the stage pops Raphael Saadiq. The man is cooler than cool. He lives on the planet of Extra Coolness in the galaxy beyond planet Coolness. He's got this rusty orange suit that's luminescent in the lights and these glasses with retro-looking thick dark frames. Like a funky version of Clark Kent.
He sings all the songs from The Way I See It, his not-so-new-anymore CD: "Love That Girl," "Sure Hope You Mean It," "Big Easy...."
Yes, Raphael Saadiq may be the guy up on the stage, but, let me tell you, I'm the star. I'm singing the words and tapping my hand and clapping when he says to clap and, most important, under the table my feet are Steppin' in time to the song. Don't miss a step: one, two, three, four. I'm not even moving my lips as I keep the beats. Just feeling it. Me and Raphael Saadiq....
That night in bed before I fall asleep I think about the concert. I play back the songs in my mind. I see Raphael Saadiq in his rusty-colored suit. I see the backup singer who looks Prince and the key board player who looks like Donny Hathaway. I remind myself to remind my wife -- I gotta get a hat like Donny Hathaway.
I must fall asleep cause I have this dream. Raphael Saadiq's on the stage and he says: "Hey, Chicago. I wanna call up my good friend, Benny Jay. Put your hands together, y'all, for Benny Jay."
I take the stage and I hug the background singer, who looks like Prince, and I slap hands with the keyboard guy, who looks like Donny Hathaway. And as Raphael kicks into "Just One Kiss," me and the background singer are Steppin' -- one, two, three, four. The crowd's going crazy. And I leave the stage. And Raphael Saadiq goes, "Give it up for Benny Jay."
People are patting me on the back and buying me glasses of whiskey. I keep on Steppin' to the music, just gliding across the floor. Just like John freaking Travolta....
They kick into a funky version of "Aquarius," the song from "Hair." I'm ready to dance. Only thing is -- there is no dancing. All those days of preparation. Practice at night. Looking at myself in the mirror. Wishing I was John Travolta. And there is no dancing, at least not tonight. I know, I know -- the ticket said there would be dancing. But the club's so crowded, there's just no room -- the dance floor's like a mosh pit.
Onto the stage pops Raphael Saadiq. The man is cooler than cool. He lives on the planet of Extra Coolness in the galaxy beyond planet Coolness. He's got this rusty orange suit that's luminescent in the lights and these glasses with retro-looking thick dark frames. Like a funky version of Clark Kent.
He sings all the songs from The Way I See It, his not-so-new-anymore CD: "Love That Girl," "Sure Hope You Mean It," "Big Easy...."
Yes, Raphael Saadiq may be the guy up on the stage, but, let me tell you, I'm the star. I'm singing the words and tapping my hand and clapping when he says to clap and, most important, under the table my feet are Steppin' in time to the song. Don't miss a step: one, two, three, four. I'm not even moving my lips as I keep the beats. Just feeling it. Me and Raphael Saadiq....
That night in bed before I fall asleep I think about the concert. I play back the songs in my mind. I see Raphael Saadiq in his rusty-colored suit. I see the backup singer who looks Prince and the key board player who looks like Donny Hathaway. I remind myself to remind my wife -- I gotta get a hat like Donny Hathaway.
I must fall asleep cause I have this dream. Raphael Saadiq's on the stage and he says: "Hey, Chicago. I wanna call up my good friend, Benny Jay. Put your hands together, y'all, for Benny Jay."
I take the stage and I hug the background singer, who looks like Prince, and I slap hands with the keyboard guy, who looks like Donny Hathaway. And as Raphael kicks into "Just One Kiss," me and the background singer are Steppin' -- one, two, three, four. The crowd's going crazy. And I leave the stage. And Raphael Saadiq goes, "Give it up for Benny Jay."
People are patting me on the back and buying me glasses of whiskey. I keep on Steppin' to the music, just gliding across the floor. Just like John freaking Travolta....
