I asked myself:

1. “when was the last time you went to a club event in Washington, DC?”
2. “…and when was the last time you went out and heard all R&B music?”

Well, the answer to the second question is never! On Friday, I went to visit friends and family in DC and was invited to an event called R&B Only hosted by Colors World Wide at the Howard Theatre. The term “presently surprised” rang true. Arriving at Howard Theatre first seemed like a nightmare because the line was over a block long. As the crowd started to move through security, the anxiety of standing in line for two hours wavered. Tickets were available online and scanned on your phone at the door. I hesitated about reserving online tickets because I didn’t want to sign up for yet another app/service but, I liked how Colors sent me updates leading up to the event. They even sent videos of the previous R&B party and explained what the concept was about and the background of the Organization including the different cities where they host various events. It gave me a sense of what to expect and most importantly, what to wear.

Three minutes after the party officially started, I found myself joining in to dance moves of the Electric Slide to the song ‘Before I Let Go’ by Frankie Beverley and Maze. If that doesn’t start a party, especially an R&B party, I don’t know what will.

The DJ moved through the times with relevant songs that entertained  a large enthusiastic, positive crowd. For a moment, the founder of Colors came on stage to introduce himself and explain the purpose of creating this rare theme party. The DJ then played a few retro hip hop songs to keep the crowd enticed to what would happen next, and because this was DC, he played snippets of GO-GO songs. Then came the announcement of a special performing guest, Mya! The crowd lit up when the DMV native came on stage. She sang a few of her hit songs and the crowd sang all of the lyrics with her. Pleasantly surprised twice at one party.

I two stepped and sang all night to some of my favorite R&B songs. I’m glad I didn’t miss out on this event and hope to catch another one in the future. Check out their website to see what Colors is all about. Treat yourself by catching the next R&B party or comedy night.

For nostalgia’s sake, check out the official video for Mya’s ‘Moving On.’