Well, as many of you know, Frankie Beverly and Maze are my favorite band. However, few of you may actually know the story of how that came to be. Well, take a trip with me back to July, 2005...
As most people know, every July 4th weekend, Essence magazine puts on a 3-day music festival, featuring some of the most popular names in music. Also, it's tradition for Frankie Beverly and Maze to close out the last night. Until '03, I didn't care about the concerts. I was putting all my time to man-whoring in the French Quarter, as it's the main time that African-Americans flood the French Quarter in addition to many of the clubs on Bourbon Street having no cover charge. I THINK that was the year I was to turn 21 (not that it mattered), so I was young and "feeling it".
Well, my good friend Tootie had an extra ticket to Maze night, and she wondered if I wanted to tag along with her and her family. At first, I said no, thinking it would take away from man-whore time, bumping booties on Bourbon. The offer was made time after time, but I continued to say no.
Then, the day of, I was talking to Lois, and she was saying I should give it a chance, because she had seen them multiple times. She knew my love for old school music, and she was just SO sure that this would be right up my alley. She said that even if I hated it, at least it was a free ticket and an opportunity to try something new.
I finally agreed, called Tootie, and accepted the ticket offer. I went home, got dressed, and threw some Maze songs on an mp3 CD to play in the car. I couldn't sing along to anything, because I didn't know any of the words to any of the songs. I met up with Tootie and crew, and we all went to the Dome for the concert.
We went to one of the non-main stage rooms known as Superlounges where non-headlining acts perform. I believe I was able to see Talib Kweli and someone else (memory escapes me). I DO remember Lionel Richie being on the main stage and me not wanting to see him, so we wandered around for some time after Talib left.
We went to our seats, which were about as nosebleed as you can get in the Dome, as far away from the main stage as you can get when it was time for Frankie Beverly and Maze to take the stage. I didn't know much about them, but I knew of 4 songs they did that I at least wanted to hear: Before I Let Go, Joy and Pain, We Are One, and Happy Feelings. They came out and began to roll through numbers, but I was just waiting on my 4. I didn't KNOW We Are One at the time, but I was familiar with the melody. The songs flew by and eventually this tune came on.It was the blare of cymbals and a keyboard chord. When the bass guitar kicked into its rhythm, the song just kinda had me. The vocals eventually came and sealed the deal. That song was We Are One. I recall counting down the songs as I heard them. By the end of their set, Lois was right: I enjoyed it all.
I went home and made sure I had We Are One, and I've loved it ever since. I've seen Frankie Beverly and Maze live 5 times since, and I've loved it every time. I have their set down pat, and I can predict every song cue. To this day, they remain the only musicians I've left New Orleans just to see. As for We Are One, anybody who knows me knows that's my song. To Lois and Tootie, I owe my all to you. Thank you VERY much.
...and that's the way it is.
-B
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