2 posts tagged “oliver wang”
Just want to give a little public thanks to:
Our Waiter at Arnie Morton's on Monday - It was our first time there and he treated us well. He cracked jokes, asked if we smoked out before arriving, was convinced he'd seen us before (which, you know, is possible. We are internet famous), brought us complimentary asparagus and molten lava chocolate cake and regaled us with tales of his long time experience as a waiter there. The steep bill was well worth it for my birthday dinner. Kudos.
Curtis - Curtis has been my bartender of choice for at least 2 years. It began the night of the LAist one year birthday party and has continued ever since. This week, with a packed bar at The Vermont, he bought Felicia and I our first round and then gave us a 5 minute classic Dave Chappelle routine. The whole experience of the Vermont is about us getting great service. From our favorite valet, who can see us coming from a mile away to Alex, the 2nd bartender, to the bar backs, the good twin and bad twin, Kevin, and even you, Smarmy Waiter, y'all make The Vermont always feel like home. Huzzah!
Dj O-Dub -- Mayne, you were in mad service to my feets last night. I did the slide, the twist, the wop, the boogaloo, the happy feet, the running man, the robot, the jerk, the swim, the shimmy shake, the rhumba, the salsa, a little west coast swing, the glide, the mashed potato, and my best James Brown and Billy Preston impersonations to your Soul Sides set at Funky Sole. We walked in to Mr. Wang dropping some of my Soul Sides faves - Those Dells and Dionne Warwick joints - before he just tore the roof off the sucker. It was hot and sweaty in the Star Shoes back room and it was perfect. O-Dub let my soul glow. Egon and Miles weren't bad either.
Joey - We see you, Joey, our Fred 62 waiter being sweet on us at 2 in the morning. Yes, you're right, we are internet famous. Now, go get us some mac daddy and cheese balls, damnit.
I appreciate y'all. I really do. Now, if only someone would come be in service of this damn sick I'm encumbered with today.
At around 3:40, Hudson screams, "I'm staying, I'm staying, and you, and you, and you, you're gonna love me!" and the band bursts into full power right here with the song's main musical motif - a simple but incredibly effective melodic passage that manages to accentuate Hudson's singing beyond where her voice alone could take it...yet never detracts or attempts to compete with her performance. She holds that note - "meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" before taking it back again into, "you're gonna love me" and the band makes sure that the longer you listen, the deeper you get pulled in with the gravity of it all.
- Jennifer Holiday/Hudson: You're Gonna Love This by Oliver Wang, soul sides, 12.26.06
For me, I pretty much lose it at 2:06 into the song. There's a particular "no way" right there, right before the bridge, that hits me in my core. I've seen this damn movie twice this week and both times at that point, I just want to run out of the theatre. As one of the commentators said on NPR's African-American Roundtable earlier this week, she just takes us there.
Anyway, O-Dub has downloads available of both versions.
