#MimzMusic...All I Kept Saying AND Hearing was, "damn..that shit is dope."

Last night, I was tired. I mean dog tired. (Why do people say dog tired? Are dogs really that tired?)

Anyway, everyday this week after the 7 to 4 gig, I've been in meetings, at events, holiday parties, blah, blah and more blah along with a host of other thangs. But last night, man....last night, although I was literally asleep with my eyes open, I went to see Amber Mimz perform at the Velvet Lounge. If you weren't there, I'll try my best to fill you in but ultimately, it was an experience you had to 'be there' to understand and enjoy.

It was about 6:30pm when I arrived to help setup and get my, you're with the band stamp...which I always get hella excited about because I'm a slight groupie to all the artists I support. Why wouldn't I be...they're dope.

To get to the stage, you have to walk up this tight staircase made of old dark, somewhat unstable cherry wood, covered in band stamps, logos, banners and tags from fans or visitors from all over. It sort of looked like someone had a collection of bumper stickers, got high and ran around the room sticking them any an every where they'd stick. It was dope.

So, I'm sitting there...sipping on my Jack & Gingerale until Mimz starts her set, looking at everyone arrive and chitchat about all the shit they do. Then one chord plays....

Miss Mimz is onstage looking fly to death-check the photo, I couldn't describe this coolness.

Credits: RAtheMC www.rathemc.net

She sings with only a few key notes from the piano, "Yesterday while we were getting high..." and the crowd claps and yells at the familarity of the song; she switches up the lyrics towards the end, "my name is Amber Mimz... put your hands in the air, (beat drops) if you like this shit." We all fall out knowing this night is about to be epic. Her band consist of a drummer, bass player and she's on her keyboard. In succint rhythm, they effortlessly move to one of her new tracks off the new album, "The Life of Riley," entitled Sober. You've never heard anything like this, it's a mix of electronic elements, which almost sounds a bit alien, like beem me up scotty, but it mellows out with the help of the baseline coupled with her soulful jazz vocals. Definitely a fave...

I have to tell you though, that one of my favorite moments of the night was her cover of, Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe by Kendrick Lamar aided by the unique sounds of a damn bull horn. Yes, to answer your question, it was the waviest, most epic-ness, creativedness thing. (smh - it was just dope as shit. ) Then..THEN, they had the nerve to transitioned to my favorite new song, Take Off Your Cool. Its subtleness just croons into the airwaves, as she speaks, asking the questions looking into the eyes of some poor guy in love, standing in the front row-

"Is it hard for you.....to relax? Do I make you nervous or.... is this one of your acts?"

Then the melody turns up and the lyrics of the song explains how this guy is trying his damndest to impress (ya'll seen'em, my sister and I like to call them the 'bowtie brothers') but all she just wants is to see him for who he is and she simply sings,  "Take off your cool..."

By the end, we're all singing acapella, "Tayyyyykkkkkkeee offff yourrrr cooool, tayyyykkke offff yourrrrrrr cool. TayAahhhake , TaaAhahahtake, offffff youuuur cool."

All the exhaustion from the day and even the events of the week held no power in that moment. Surrounded by great folks, listening to some awesome music and creating moments to remember did. I was grateful for the ride. Kudos.
 

...to the point of being used.

Let's be estranged.
To forget is to know peace.

Anger and pain play musical chairs.
Teardrops signals the music to stop.

It is easy to concede.
No one wins.

Me as the taste of lemons.
I cannot get pass my own trickery of 
outer sunshine with sour innards
and yet,
I am useful to some.

Check me out! I've Been FEATURED!!!

The wonderful and very talented Shannon Scates did me the honor of featuring me as one of her Extraordinary People...please go to her blog and check out her art and all that she is doing!!!

And yes, read the feature!

Wired & Inspired :
http://wired-inspired.blogspot.com/2012/08/extraordinary-people-danielle-elle-koon.html?spref=fb

I provided a link so....no excuses

PDA

You like,
kisses in the middle of the street,
when traffic is coming and everyone is staring at us,
as little kids yell out “Eww," whistles from the teens on the way to school.
You like hugs on the sides of buildings,
up above it all,
when people are peeking at us through binoculars they use for sightseeing,
seeing us instead- move around each other.
You like surprises at work with ten bouquets because one wasn’t good enough to say it,
you like taking my hand in front of my dad and shaking his with the other-collecting kisses from my sisters and mother.
You like curling up behind me at parties wrapping yourself around me tracing butterflies on my neck.

You like chasing and tickling me at bus stops and train stations giving me fits of giggles because you like the sound.

You like copping feels in the isles of bookstores and coffee shops or 
tugging on my hair while waiting in line for Coldplay tickets.
You like screaming I love you over loud speakers after I finish a poem.

You like making it known

and I’m cool….so cool with that.

I Pledge: Trayvon Martin

...It's not at all about the hoodie. It is about the much needed change of perspective and the racial instability that this country has so severely neglected. I will keep doing His will knowing that one day I will affect the change needed so that this will not happen again. Do not judge me for not wearing a hoodie or buying skittles, going to the marches and posting pictures of myself to show my commitment. I commend you all for doing something. To me, this is what we always do. Hop on a fad to be noticed, recognized and not for the actual cause. If it were for the cause, after the marches were over we wouldn't resort to our usual misgivings that attribute to our unhealthy society. I feel bad for this young man's family for having to go through this loss. It’s unfair, unjust and heartbreaking. I also feel bad for the kids whose names I don't know and faces that are posted in the Sasha Bruce Safe Home in SE as murdered or missing.


I do have pride in my community for coming together for something they believe in. Is it just a trend? Because...that’s the perception. That this will soon blow over until the next ‘thing’ happens and we’re all wearing, saying, doing something that for that moment will be eventful. Later, when the case is closed and the media has stopped giving it air time…would you still care and if so, how much?

I am not saying that you have to become a full blown activist. That would be me being unrealistic and hypocritical. I don’t consider myself an activist. I am suggesting that you use the gifts that are given to you and put them in use for a divine purpose, towards our community and not for sole wealth. Whether it is music, writing, economics, sales or acting…all aspects can be used to affect change. This is how we work as a community and start to change the perspectives of other individuals who are ignorant to what we are truly capable of. I pledge my entire life to creating an environment for my family and displaying an image of self that breaks stereotypes and barriers of all kind.

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When your friends do things you're no longer able to and the sadness behind your eyes shine through and your best friend had to ask to be there for you and your phone never seems to ring like it use to and the TV makes no sound as you flip through and you lose sight of the goal bc its unattainable and your sick of cowards that won't approach you and the job that pays nothing for stress ensued and you feel like a failure bc falling is what you've become accustom to and your writing is a hobby and not close to being fruitful and the light in your heart has a blown fuse and spirits are the prequel and smoke is the sequel and patience is an act that gets cut after act 2 and tears are too common to be considered useful and parables are used as subterfuge and no. matter. what. you. say. you cant make change without a dollar.

It Ain't Hard Being Single

I want to be a game changer.

Like most.

That feeling of wanting to boast about one you made fall in love is like the best compliment and accomplishment a women can get but not in the – I’m  conniving, so I planned the shit out of this relationship - but in a way that says,

I stayed the same and that was more than enough.

So, its a slap to the ego,

pride and self-esteem when he says simply,

you aren’t what I want.

The panic of thinking clearly.

Images that you now remember differently,

like when he didn't pick up after calling and texting. Wasn't because he was busy.

The gaze in his eyes that faded- after u thought to him, u were still amazing.

fuck the time wasted

you think first,

damn what is it about me?

Whether or not you got the highest self-esteem....

Granted, u may get over it a bit more quickly

but the lost of the one,

results in you pointing the finger to the mirror picking pieces trying to gather the reasons for why it wasn't and the time has come when he decides he doesn’t and  its different

hearts have changed and minds have won.

He's just ready to be done –

so u move to a place where dating equates to wanting more than just hugs and platonic relationship don't exist,

resist to realize that nobody wants you for various reasons that are too complicated to express or they're too afraid to approach you due to fear.

Being single isn't hard, being lonely is

and its challenging and frustrating to think of

what you will become of in the end.

Now I'm too aggressive, too pushy, too thirsty.

Is it so wrong I know what I want and if you're deciding to bullshit or cower behind false bravado faking like u not feeling me when u are.

Man, I just want you to just take ur cool off...for like, 5 minutes.

Making me lose all hope for anyone who’s real and still believes in romance,

making me think damn,

let me think like a man and maybe that would grant me some luck.  

Then realizing I don’t have a dick so how could I accomplish what isn’t innate.

So I double up on romance novels, chick flicks and love poems that take me to a place where I don’t need to deal with reality. It’s sad because soon id rather choose fantasy over whats in front of me. Missing opportunities because I've let the hopelessness take hold of me, giving up on all things mentioned in the same sentence as love, I want to above this emo shit but im human and humans do human shit, I'm not afraid to be honest, hey no one else is doing it. Maybe I'm impatient and maybe I'm just rushing it but its lovely to have someone be your homey, your honey, hold me close, touch me, whisper that you love me, kiss me, console me, know me, it ain’t hard being single it’s hard being lonely.