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What's happening all. This is Ma'at about to give you all the outside report on the last 7 days since the last time I blogged you. Well sorta. This week, I'm doing something different. I took a hiatus of sorts and let my V.I.PEEPERS, who were out on the town gave the word on what was happening last week. I trust them and here is what they attended. OK. here we go.

Last weekend was the opening of the new venue, Improv and they had two events to celebrate their grand opneing, a free comedy show showcasing some STL comics last Friday and a dj-dance jam on Saturday. My VIPEEPER, CC, told me that the comdey show was packed like a chitlin bucket (I would think so, if the letters spell F-R-E-E_). The comics who performed were BET comic and Club Dremas co-owner Maurice G (pictured in the black and white photo), who also hosted the event, BET Coming to the Stage star Arvin Micthell (pictured on the right in the color pic)(who host Funny First Sundays at Blue Berry Hill) , former BET This is the Way We Do it star Darius Bradford (who host a Monday Comdey Night at Plush) and a white chick named Bree Johnson. CC said hat each comedian did theri thing. the highlights were when Arvin did an impersonation of a robber getting his gun taken at a store, Darius talking about whyy mammas let their kids go to the store knowing that the neighborhood dog was going to chase them and the white chick saying a line like, "You know, I just want a man to take me out to dinner and give me anal." I think that line is hilarious but CC said that the joke didnt go over well with the crowd (and it was a mixed crowd). Oh well. Anyway, STL comics are doing their thing and STL should recognize that ( I hear Last Comic Standing star Jessie Taylor is getting ready to do his thing at the Funny Bone Dec 21-23; He's also host of his own comedy night at Toxic on Wednesday night doing it like he used to at the Spot on Sundays) . I need to digress here. What was up with 100.3 the Beat Morning SHow host Dee-Lee saying a couple of weeks ago that Maurice G was spotted inside Faces Nightclub? That was FOUL. His co-hosts did not even break a giggle on that joke. I dont think that that is true. And if it was, Dee-Lee shouldnt have said that(And if it is, what does he know about Faces........) Speaking of comedians, we lost a big star of the genre this past weekend, Richard Pryor. He dide dof a heartattack at the age of 65 (Did you know he was born in Peoria, Illinois?). he ha s been battling health problems since the mid 80s with MS and I guess it was too much for him to bare. He was definitely a genius. he taught the book on how to be a comic, showing your true self behind the laughter. My fave movie of his was "Which Way Is Up." That movie showed his comical talent and the different characters he played in one movie (This movie definitely had to influence Eddie Murphy's Nutty Professor films). The Grandpa role was the funniest (who couldnt forget that line, "Somebody stole my last piece of CHICKEN"). He will be deeply missed.

Last Saturday, CC attended Matthew Dickey's Boys' and Girls' Club Fashion Show Benefit at Adams Mark Hotel (here we go) at one of the ballrooms upstairs. Now, I have to digress again, why do we still keep having events at this hotel when it is known that this hotel discriminates against people of color!!! Couldnt they have had this function at the WS or the Orpheum that is black owned by the Roberts Brothers. Enough of my soap suds, lets get back to the report.........Over 30 models from agencies West, Talent Plus, Thee Rasberry Company and Samaj (thats James spelled backwards) strutted their stuff on the runway. Some of them were my boy Carlos McClaurin (thanks for the invte to your B-Day celebration at Plush this coming up Saturday), sexy 5 Spot background singer Lynette brown, Lakeisha Halbert and, according to CC, "Two Jasons and a Donald." The event was emceed by KTVI's Bonita Kornute (who, by the way, is the reporter that got worked it out in her work out at Ballys in the Blind Item question from last week). KTVI sports anchor Rob Desir (who was dresseed in a tux) was the escort for the female models. It was definitely a dressy occassion cause teh tickets were 30 bones (even Mayor Francis Slay and his wife were in attendance) and it was a sit down dinner. I asked CC if there were any backstage dirt that was going on and it wasnt too much happening (CC did want me to report that one of the male models needed a lesson in fashion 101 when he put his street clothes on a hangar with the labeled clothes for the show. DUHHHH-DOH)......Later that night CC went to the Improv's second night of grand opening with jazz band Level ground performing and DJ Charlie Chan spinning on the 1s and 2s . CC said that it wasnt as packed (It was 10 bones to get up in there). People were probably nearby at Plush or Toxic. (I was going to say a dee-jay joke here, but I changed my mind)

Last Tuesday, an old friend of mine and I decided to have dinner at Red Lobster on the East Side across from the Fairview 10 Cine to catch up on old times and getting the update on people we knew. While we were there ( I had shrimp, lobster and crawfish pasta with a LOng Island tea), we were sitting by a large family that was seated in the center (It was about 10 of them) of the restaurant. Come to find out, the elderly lady who was sitting at the end of the table was celebrating her 69th birthday, Now, I must add that the olady was one of thos eblack mammas. And I love black mommas cause I have one myself. I add color into this becasue you had to have been there when her family opened her gift at the table: It was a long black mink coat. When they opened it, you would have thought she was on one of thos etalk shows when peopel are reunited with their love ones they havent seen in years. She was screaming and crying, "OH, thank you Jesus, Oh Lord Have Mercy!" It was dra-ma-tic. Over a Fur coat? I joned to my friend and said, "I hate to see if they bought her a car, they might had to get an ambulance." Then my friend said, "I hope there arent any people from PETA up in here." Too much playing. But it was nice to see black love like that-up and personal. Anyway, when she clamed down (she even had our waitress almost in tears), her family brought over her cake and they sang, "Happy B-day" to her (not the Stevie Wonder version but the traditional vesrion). I thought the waiters and waitresses were gonna do their B-Day song clap thing, but I dont think red does that (I Know Joe Crab Shack does, LOL). After that, the mamma got up, withher coat on (with peach, high heel boots , I'm noet mad at her with those) and started talking to peopel around, inclduing us saying, "I am not ashamed that I turned 69. I raised 10 chidlren, 8 boys and two girls, and my oldest is 5." The elder son was looking at us and said, "People think that we are sister and brother." I wanted to say so badly, "More like Husband and wife." he wa slooking older than his mamma! What's up with that? I just thought I share that only outside moment with you all.

Last Wednesday, Kanye West was in town as the opening act for superrock band U2 at the Savvis Center(The pic above is not from the Savvis, but a stock photo). My other VIPEEPER, BK, was there working and gave me the skinny on the concert. Overall BK told me that Kanye was supposed to be on stage at about 7, but the Savvis was half packed. Most of the people there was there to see u2 and most of them were either still getting tickets, t-shirts, or trying to find a parking space (I drove passed there around 6:45 and the crowd was just started to swell around ether). I could just imagine how Kanye was acting when he saw that the Savvis was half full. He is too big of star to perform before a half empty venue. So, BK said Kanye got on stage about a quarter to eight and the crowd was decent, but still not packed. Kanye performed for about a half and hour (wheras u2 performed nearly three hours!) BK did say Kanye was dressed flyy. He had on a t-shirt, a light blue track coat, jeans, tennis and his trademark sunglasses, but the topper was him wearing a huge platinum and gold canary style necklace with a picture of Jesus Christ as a medallion. Now that is si-us, not serious, but si'us. Now suprisingly Kanye did not do any "George Bush hate black people" isms, he just rapped for about a half an hour. He had a live orchestra behind him as he rapped. He did stuff from both College Dropout (Like Through the Wire and Workout SANS the Fitness workout girls) with mild response and Late Registration (Diamonds, the concert opener and Touch the Sky). And he ended on, you guessed it, GOLD DIGGER. BK said when Kanye performed that, the U-2 heads got up from their seats and bopped their heads to it (I would think so, the song spent 10 straight weeks at the top of the charts this year). Afterward, he ran off stage and didnt say goodnight according to BK. It was liek Kanye knew that the U2 crowd was not his crowd and had the attitude of hurrying up and getting his set over and done like a Calculus test. Now that's the Kanye I know. That Fucc you Americatude!!! BK said it took about 15 minutes for U2 hit the stage and they ruled the stage and the lighting for the stage was phenomenal casting images of the band and everything. BK said it was like Woodstock up in there with people passing out, drunk and sick. Now that's what I call a party!

Now here is the killer. Hipster Magazine and Synergy had a private party that Kanye was going to attend to after his performance at the Savvis to celebrate the double platinum release of his Late Registration CD. It was held at Nectar Lounge (near the Pepper Lounge near 19th and Locust ) Hipster had it wher the 1st 50 people to RSVP at their website can get an invite. Well, when I got the e-vite, I got it a day late (talk about LATE REGISTRATION. LOL), and I knew it was tool ate to RSVP and I was not feeling trying to find someone I know to get me so I just sat this one out. When I told my sister about the party, she was running around her house like a chicken with her neck cut off. She LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVES some Kanye. (Even got Kanye' s picture as her screen saver). She was trying hard to try and go with her girlfriends, but I told her that the list is tight and I didnt want her to get her feelings hurt if she wasnt able to get in (I heard my sister's friend's boyfriend had tickets but he wasnt feeling trying to take anybody). I had my cell phone taggers who was going to let me know if they were going to open up the list, but I fell asleep waiting. The following day, I called around to those who were going like The Post's Kevin Johnson, Jamie Spencer, Hollabackboi, and former Track Boyz producer Capo (who ended up not going and wasted two tickets!!!!). Oh speaking of Capo, he told me that he split with the Track Boyz and doing his own thing. I will get more scoop on this maybe next week. Anyway, as of Thursday, I am still waiting to get the skinny on how Kanye was with the STLers up in Nectar (I will probably have to give you the scoop hopefully by Monday). But I must say, for Hipster and Synergy to bring in one of the hottest hip- hop artists around is most impressive.

RADIO DAZE. Veteran shock jock Howard Stern is leaving radio, well not really. His last syndicated show will be Friday "retiring" after 25 years on terrestrial radio (due to the constant heavy fines from the FCC, he was forced out of radio). Starting Jan 9 he and his crew will be broadcasting from Sirrius radio sattellite. I must say, I am a closted Sternie. Controversial? Yes. But thats what got people listening to him (as well as local radio guy Onion Horton--love him too)) I have been listening to him since 1998 and I have yet to get my radio to hear him. Oh well. As Sam Cooke sang 40 years ago, "A Change 'Gon Come." ..Bets selling urban author Michael Baisden show is making its debut here in the Lou on 95.5 at 2 p.m. tackling serious issues (how's that for a pun). I heard one topic teh other day,The Lockdown on religion (or something like that) when he was talking about the passivity of the black church and preachers talking loud and saying nothing. OUCH.

Well, That's it for me. I hope you enjoyed my not-so-my-report. I will promise to get back on track. Next week, I will give you the recap on the Platinum group's X-mas Party at Casa Loma, Carlos Maclaurin's B-Day at Plush, possible St. Lunatics' Murphy Lee's Birthday Bash at Club Dreams and anything else that may pop up while I'm outside.

Until next time, see ya outside!

Level Ground

red Lobster

kanye West