RARE ESSENCERARE ESSENCE WITH SPECIAL GUESTS EU FEATURING SUGAR BEAR
Sign up for our newsletter
[https://clydes.fbmta.com/members/UpdateProfile.aspx?Action=Subscribe&_Theme=23622320197&InputSource=W&storecode=HAM&emailaddress=]
to receive pre-sale promo codes
Seated GA Tickets - $39.75
Standing GA Tickets - $29.75
_For any wheelchair or ADA needs, please contact the Box Office in
advance of the performance at (202)-769-0122._
_Please note that the front row of tables and chairs will be cleared
for this show to create a general admission Pit. Be advised that there
may be some seated areas where vision of the stage is obstructed._
Rare Essence, Washington’s premier Go‑Go band for more than four
decades is a DC institution that has built a devoted fan base that
spans multiple generations, drawn to the indigenous funk sired in the
mid ‘70s by the late Godfather of Go-Go, Chuck Brown.
Rare Essence would be one of Brown’s earliest, and have remained his
most enduring progeny, with a consistently combustible live show honed
through countless performances in the Washington region. Go-Go thrives
live and that’s where reputations, and legacies, are cemented. As
the Washington Post noted in a 2010 review, “....this band has
performed more than 5,000 times. Like so many Rare Essence concerts,
it’s easy to believe you’re seeing the best one.”
Little wonder they were dubbed “The Wickedest Band Alive” by rap
pioneer Doug E. Fresh, who has collaborated with Rare Essence, one of
many artists to incorporate Go‑Go's percolating percussion, and some
of its key players, into their own recordings.
Rare Essence first came together in 1976 when a group of elementary
students at St. Thomas Moore Catholic School in Southeast Washington
gathered after school and started playing the then‑new, as yet
unnamed, music (Go-Go’s breakthrough chart topper, Brown’s
“Bustin’ Loose,” was still three years away). The band was kept
on track by several no-nonsense moms. Drummer Quentin “Footz”
Davidson along with guitarist/vocalist Andre “Whiteboy” Johnson,
bassist Michael “Funky Ned” Neal and trombonist John “Big
Horn” Jones and, calling themselves the Young Dynamos, jammed on Top
40 hits by that era’s funk and soul masters, earning their initial
show stripes on the city’s recreation center circuit.
Changing its name to Rare Essence, the band expanded its lineup and as
teens started playing on a thriving Metro Go-Go circuit that included
Maryland and Virginia. They built a huge following, and a reputation
as one of the city’s top Go-Go bands, through spirited battles with
the likes of Chuck Brown, Trouble Funk, Junk Yard and EU (Experience
Unlimited), putting on marathon shows that might run until 5 a.m.,
stacked sets seamless and unending. Rare Essence quickly developed
into the city’s most powerful Go-Go band, performing six to seven
nights a week.
The 1987 video “Go Go‑Live at the Capital Centre" captured the
first time that venue hosted an all go‑go lineup, with Rare Essence,
Chuck Brown, EU and others drawing 14,000 enthusiastic fans to what
was then the area’s largest concert and sports arena. Rap stars
learned early on the dangers of sharing a bill with Go‑Go acts and
their big live band energy.
Over the years, many great musicians have been part of Rare Essence,
with several going on to form their own bands, including Little Benny
and the Masters. A 30th anniversary concert featured close to 30
musicians associated with the band.
They have performed with Run DMC, Wale, DJ Kool, LL Cool J, Doug E.
Fresh, Biz Markie, Ice Cube, Heavy D and the Boyz, Wu Tang Clan,
Redman and Method Man, French Montana, Scarface, TLC, Eric B and
Rakim, YoYo, Shabba Ranks, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Thievery
Corporation, KRS-1 not to mention Chuck Brown, Trouble Funk, The Junk
Yard Band, & EU. While no two shows are alike, music lovers new to the
Go-Go experience and Rare Essence sound will quickly feel at ease
among an allegiance of loyal fans chanting along to hits like “Lock
It,” “One On One,” “Hey Buddy Buddy,” and the ever popular
“Overnight Scenario,” which is covered by Fantasia all over the
country.
Also lovingly known by fans as RE, “The Inner City Groovers”, or
Essence (if you are from DC), you can’t help but know who “The
Wickedest Band Alive” is and that you gotta be there to experience
the party in person!
music
363
Views
04/07/2020 Last update