New York City: #020 (Ashford & Simpson...& Levine)

This was written last Thursday while at the Sugar Bar, I finished it tonight...


...at the Sugar Bar tonight apart of the open mic. Ashford and Simpson just walked in.  They greeted everybody warmly, Nicholas Ashford in all black with cowboy boots and his shirt slightly buttoned like that of a seasoned musician no longer concerned with the hustle of ur average songwriter.  Valarie (Simpson) had on parachute pants and her hair spiked in a style I had seen before on pictures.  

[Together as Ashford & Simpson they penned many of today's classic songs I want to write: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing", "You're All I Need To Get By" (No...Method Man his own verse).  They were inducted into the songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2002. Yea greatness.]

Valarie gave a polite smile and continued down the gunshot aisle to the front of the stage.  Nick was a bit more settled, swimming the bar guests and finally greeting me as if he knew me and was happy to see me once again. I felt welcome, unlike any other open mic I had been at thus far.  This felt more real, although I had seen the band musicians separately at other venues and knew they came to get down.  I dug that.  Oddly no one was overly starstuck.  Everybody was cool, regular, down home people with no thought to who was who.  Everybody was a star.

The Open Mic host walked past me with a small piece of paper that looked like a list. I've been to enough open mics to know that as a newcomer, hosts cut you no slack!  You've got not only get on the list but remind them that you're on list and double check that they dont skip your name b/c most have selective visual memory when it comes to reading new names.  AKA they put them last.  

I walked up to him as he was walking away.

"Excuse, is that the list?" 
"Yes, you want on it?" he said.  
"Yea, my name is Darnell Levine." "Who? First name?" 
"Darnell." I over pronounced.

He scribbled it down quickly, I couldn't read it so I hoped he could.  

I was standing by the bar in a cramped slither of space along the narrow walkway along the wall.  I thought to myself, if I had money, I'd come here with my lady.  A coconut straw & reed rooftop covered the bar and most of the low lie ceiling while the dining area gave way to a little more space and ambience.  Still, this place was small.  Another guy, visiting from Ireland was standing next to me.

"Overstock." he said. "Overstock."  I couldn't get what he meant but he continued.  

"Some places in city are understock, too much space. This is overstock," pushing his hands together to complete the thought.  I understood the universal language of hands.  I nodded.  Finally the show began and Valarie Simpson takes the stage. 

"Good evening ladies & gentlemen, are you happy to be here tonight!" she was short and packed a powerful presence.  The first few performers took the stage, mostly older more seasoned performers.  Probably lawyers, or shoe salesmen, or teachers, or church singers.  One guy dedicated his open mic moment to his high school chorus teacher and family who was in the back.  He proceeded to sing two Michael McDonald songs (IF I HEAR YA MO BE THERE ONE MORE TIME!!), and got the rectangle-shaped crowd up on their feet as he shimmied off the tiny stage and down the aisle.  Think Michael McDonald meets H-Town.  Yep, I said H-Town.  All in good fun he made the crowd come alive, and laugh.

After about 8 performers came me.  By that time I had begun to make good conversation with a couple standing next to me on the merit of a short innocent Asian woman who wasnt so hot vocally but had a big heart - a definite "Aw bless her heart" moment. 

"Is Darryl here?" a smile in mid-conversation, turn to start walking to the stage.

"Oh is that YOU!?"

I wink and proceed down the aisle.  The host hands me the mic, nods, and I head to the stage. I motion the band, "Hey guys, I'm gonna do a Bobby McFerrin cover so you guys can lay out if you don't mind."  The piano player said "Oh really, which tune??"  I said "Thinkin Bout Your Body" (no easy way to answer that question when ur talkin to another dude)...he nodded with a grin.  I knew then it was gonna be a good 5 minutes.  A smile is the simplest point of encouragement.  I call it "the silent healer".  

"I'm happy to be here on this glorious night.  I'm honored to be on this stage tonight so thank you.  Does anybody out there like Bobby McFerrin?"  A few hands go up, not many.  I give a small grin in my brain to myself.  "This is a cover of a tune I love."  I take the breath I've taken so many times on my personal tours & shows before I begin, and go.  

That night was a good night.  As I sung the last note and backed away from the mic fading myself off, the Sugar Bar...erupted.  Claps & whistles.  Valarie Simpson herself popped out of her seat to greet me as I walked off stage, opened her skinny legendary arms and hugged me with the love of a nephew's favorite auntie.  I had finally nailed an open mic the way I wanted to. No compromise.  No fear.  No hesitation.  All Darnell Levine.  If you're sure about what you do, others notice, and most times they become sure too.  Be the greatest.

...going back to the Sugar Bar Thursday night.