MY LOST OPPORTUNITY AT THE BLACK CAT!!!

ON FRIDAY, MAY 14TH, THERE WAS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT APPROXIMATELY AT 6:30PM, STATING THERE WAS A TORNADO WARNING IN THE WASHINGTON, DC AREA.   ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS SIGHTED.  LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT THE WARNING IN QUESTION COULD HAVE BEEN LITTLE BROTHER APPEARING AT THE BLACK CAT.  MY INTENTIONS, OF COURSE, WERE PURELY HONORABLE WHEN I DECIDED TO MAKE THE TREK DOWN BW PARKWAY TO SEE LITTLE BROTHER'S LAST AREA PERFORMANCE.

BECAUSE OF CIRCUMSTANCES EARLIER IN THE WEEK, I FIGURED THAT I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, BUT THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF AT THE LAST MINUTE.  I WAS EXCITED, NERVOUS, ANXIOUS, AS IF I WAS PERFORMING ONSTAGE WITH THE LEGENDARY EMCEES FROM NC.  WITH MY 15 YEAR OLD STEPSON IN TOW, I ARRIVED AT 1811 14TH STREET , THE LOCATION FOR BLACK CAT.  ONCE THERE, I NOTICED THE THRONG OF FANS OUTSIDE THE VENUE, ALL SHADES AND TYPES.  "COFFEE SHOP CHICKS AND WHITE DUDES" MIXED AND MINGLED WITH UNDERGROUND HIP HOP HEADS, OLD AND YOUNG.  YOU COULD SEE A NICE MIX OF DEMOGRAPHICS REPRESENTING FOR PHONTE AND RAPPER BIG POOH, AND I WAS ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES. 

ONCE I GOT TO THE DOOR, I NOTICED AN OMINOUS FLYER THAT SIGNALED THINGS TO COME FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE HUMID EVENING.  "TONIGHT'S LITTLE BROTHER SHOW SOLD OUT".  NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!  I DECIDED TO TRY AND GET INSIDE THE VENUE ANYWAY, SOME HOW, SOME WAY.  AFTER FIFTEEN MINUTES OR SO OF WAITING IN LINE, LISTENING TO SOME DISAPPOINTED FANS THAT COULDN'T MAKE THEIR WAY INTO THE SHOW, I SHOWED MY ID, AND WAS GIVEN A WRIST STAMP.  SO FAR SO GOOD.  ONCE I GOT TO THE TICKET AREA, I WAS KINDLY DIRECTED TO THE FOOD FOR THOUGHT CAFE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF BLACK CAT.  CAN YOU SAY DISAPPOINTED?  I HELD OUT HOPE FOR A COUPLE HOURS, BUT BY 11:30PM OR SO DECIDED THAT ENTERING THE MAIN STAGE AREA WAS JUST NOT IN THE CARDS FOR THE EVENING.

I DID GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK AND CHAT WITH SOME LIKE-MINDED INDIVIDUALS THAT FRIDAY EVENING IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL.  I ENCOUNTERED A BOHEMIAN CHICK FROM VIRGINIA BEACH THAT WAS SO SAD AND UPSET THAT SHE COULDN'T GET IN TO SEE NOT ONLY LITTLE BROTHER, BUT THE OTHER ACTS SUCH AS JOZEEMO, JOE SCUDDA, AND TRUCK NORTH.  I NOTICED A  BROTHER SELLING CD'S IN FRONT OF BLACK CAT, SOMEONE I ENCOUNTERED A YEAR OR SO AGO AT THE MALL NEAR THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.  HE WAS MARKETING HIS V FOR VENDETTA CD, SO WE CHOPPED IT UP FOR A FEW.  SHOUT OUT TO VAUGHN AND SEAN FOR PUSHING A POSITIVE PRODUCT.

FROM WHAT I COULD SURMISE, THE LUCKY INSIDERS WERE TREATED TO A VERY DOPE PERFORMANCE.  I WASN'T INSIDE TO VIEW HISTORY, BUT I WAS A VERY SMALL PART OF LB LEAVING THEIR IMPRINT ON THE ENTIRE DMV AREA, AND HIP HOP IN GENERAL.  BLACK CAT IS ONE OF THOSE VENUES THAT NURTURED LITTLE BROTHER FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, SO IT WAS VERY FITTING FOR THEM TO SHOW LOVE AT THIS DC PERFORMANCE INSTITUTE.  A VERY BITTERSWEET "CURTAIN CALL" INDEED...

                                                                                                                         --------WISDOM