2300
Twenty-five dollars cash to park! GTFOH. Betta forget about street parking too. Onward the parking quest continues. When music spills over brick edges onto black asphalt. Where groups of melanin hourglasses wearing lemonade braids with sneakers tread. Along the historic of avenues – Auburn.
This is just another hot boy summer Saturday night in these streets. Or is it? As twenty minutes later, the parking conundrum is solved. However, the question remains. Next trip drive solo, again? Or pay $90 round-trip to be chauffeured in a rideshare? Things that make you go “Hmmm.”
This year’s Atlanta Weekender’s night three swings under a Waning Gibbous that is two days away from the New Moon. Satellites sparkle in the clear sky. The air is aphotic. The temperature falls into the 70’s. Humidity dances as dew on skin.
Walking in front of a historic downtown brick and mortar, DJ Kemit & Luke Austin AKA Lounge Lizards’ “We Still Rise” (Bootleg Mix) greets guest moving in and out of double doors.
2345
Enter to experience. Afrique Electrique recapturing the feeling. Spreading love. Smiles. Hugs. “Yo. What’s up?” are exchanged. The legendary DJ Kemit sets the tone. Playing a sweeping soundtrack of encouragement and might. Let Melba Moore’s “Just Doing Me” (Terry Hunter Club Mix) be the guiding light through throngs of bodies dancing towards the DJ stage. Rear corner stands the top promoter putting the heartbeat back into Charlotte NC’s soulful house music culture, Steve Howerton. “Forget about what you’ve been told, you’re beautiful,” sings Lee Wilson. Laroye featuring Lee Wilson’s “Beautiful” (Extended Mix) shout-outs the queens and kings dressed in their finest drip, love and positivity. Nearby, dancing is Open House Conspiracy founder from St. Petersburg, Florida, DJ Austen Van Der Bleek. Within view is a scene of swaying hips, fingers snapping and shoes tapping to Lady Blackbird’s, “Blackbird” (Foremost Poets Adventure Mix).” A dance circle amid the global bazaar excites. “Excuse me.” Be sorry not to step on loafers or bump exposed shoulders. The space is packed tightly. The few vendor tables swallowing additional space should be removed to maximize dance real estate. The cashless event is billed as limited capacity for social distancing measures. After all, people are partying in the era of the Delta.
Ida. Tornados. Flooding. And gun violence. Oh my. A release from the apocalypse is much needed. And who better to serve the gathered mass a jab of healing is the high priest of house music.
Yep, that’s Osunlade playing barefoot. His exposed painted toes tapping the tile. Wearing worn denim and that black MCW tee. The dreads, crowning his head salutes his appearance. Osunlade dressed in his norm.
Gone are his days of Black hippie shock. His wearing of nose jewelry and ear stretching gauges now traded for approachability and amiability. Lo-key, the outspoken personality appears to let the music do the talking.
2400
Take, NLite featuring Sio’s “Between Realms” (Jullian Gomez Remix) that missteps. The track is subtle, a sleeper, perhaps awaking to tell what is to come. From there the playlist spits fire with N’Dea Davenport singing Tortured Soul’s “I Might Do Something Wrong.” Experienced Osunaladites are shocked to find Osunlade’s Lonely Mix replaced for the Ethan White Raindrops Mix. But when Coeo’s “Do It” drops, the Steve Huerta Dub Mix climaxes with deep house thumps that serve all the feels. The crooning returns courtesy of Kloud 9’s “Love’s Just Better with You.” The Realm Vocal mix shines bright as the moon that beams light.
There, on the roofgarden of the historic Atrium on Sweet Auburn. Viewing POC partying to house music underneath the stars where the air is fresh and breathing the air without wearing a mask is far safer, than dancing indoors without masks. Although, this party has the most nose and mouth coverings seen this side of COVID.
Onstage, jumping up and down is Happy Feet singing the lyrics to Vivian Green’s “Emotional Rollercoaster” (Osunlade Mix), dressed in all white stands Brooklyn’s Deebo in mid-conversation, Dancing House Head swerving her hips on DJ Fudge & Hallex M featuring Omar’s “Simpatico,” DJ Housecat hiding from cameras and the free-spirited Kiwi impressively performing the splits on Dave Anthony featuring Aleysha Lei of HanLei’s “I Feel For You” (N’dinga Gaba Remix), as playing Jazztronik’s “Dentro Mi Alma” (Yoruba Soul Remix) brings Mother Gaines to dance despite experiencing sciatica discomfort, all are family dancing in the inner circle of Osunlade. But seeing the tons of smiling faces on people swaying to a bootleg of Jill Scott’s “My Love” (Jason B edit) is most rewarding.
A look down three stories to the convertibles stopped at the traffic light wondering where and what is the music that plays – G-Washington featuring Miriam Makeba’s “Warrior Mbube” – is amusing. Someone please yell to them, “This is house music excellence.”
“I wanna hear an American poem/About a dead girl on Chadwick Avenue with a bullet in her neck/From a cop doin’ his job ordered by Fascism and crack cocaine/You know, something made in the USA/Something American.” Raps Ras Baraka on “An American Poem” the Foremost Poets Remix.
Osunlade is telling, the music he plays informs. Be topics from state-of-affairs, a virus, to stimulus checks. All are “Matters of the Heart,” the Tekniq featuring Colbert the FSF, favorite song forever, of cowbells, hand claps and snares. There is Afro-swing house music (a first), guitars, and screams soaring throughout the sound sphere. Broken beats that stutter on Theo Parrish featuring Maurissa Rose’s “This Is For You.” A progressive house number that rattles the environment only to fade into the night air. One fact remains; the transitions between songs are impeccably flawless.
Osunlade stands. Once again, reserved, showcasing not the 15 DJ poses he is known to perform while playing music. The Saint Louis native delivers one final note, a love poem to the crowd. “Black Messiah.”
To stay compliant and within the city’s noise ordinance the music stops abruptly at 1:45 am. The rooftop ritual ends. People pose and smile for the camera with the night’s star. People turn their backs to leave. Walking indoors and downstairs to continue the party below.
49 Days Earlier
Whereas in Charlotte NC, the Yoruba Soul played his introductory Osunlade 101 crash course in sweltering heat indoors in a tavern. Holding that event outdoors on the patio would have been novel. Where the setup was more spacious. The cement had less traction. The temperature was less suffocating. After all, who better to play a moon ritual than Osunlade?
Thankfully, Atlanta’s Afrique Electrique X Spread Love stepped up to the call, holding their intimate soiree on a downtown rooftop amongst the stars.
Ashe.
Prayers were answered.
wrds: aj dance
grphc: aj art
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Tags: #dancefloormagic #housemusicexcellence, afro house music, ancestral house music, Atlanta Georgia, ATLANTA WEEKENDer, dance, dance music, deep house music, DJ Kemit, DJ Salah Ananse, house music, Osunlade, soulful house music, Yoruba Soul