Kat’s Korner: The Importance of Being Earnest

Kat’s Korner: The Importance of Being Earnest

This past Saturday, DJ Spinna’s WONDER-FULL party came to DC’s Liv nightclub. For those unfamiliar with the event, it is Spinna’s tribute to one of the greatest artists of all times–Stevie Wonder. As a world renowned dj and producer, Spinna has always been Afrofuturistic in his approach to his craft, but the beauty of WONDER-FULL is more than the fact that you get to hear Stevie all night. If you are lucky, you also might also get exclusive listens to unreleased music and remixes that only the likes of a Spinna would have access to. I’m sure to look at it now, WONDER-FULL looks and is the big deal that so many fans claim it be, but I am sure it wasn’t always that way.

As with anything, I know it took some time to grow what is now one of the do-not-miss events when it comes to town. Being a curator of things independent and progressive you begin to understand that usually birthing  a concept is the easy part, relatively speaking. Once it is out there, the hard work begins. There’s the nurturing, the failures, the reworking, the killing and bringing back to life-it can be exhausting work, especially when you are five years into the future and forced to wait for everyone to catch up. You continue on, sometimes grudgingly, and may wonder at times why you bother, but the truth is you do it because a force larger than yourself compels you to. Actually, you can’t help it. The fact is there are too many ideas living in your head and they each want their time in the sun. So, you keep at it and (hopefully) one day, when the time is indeed right, you look up and what you see looking back at you is a reflection of all of that hard work in the form of pure love and appreciation.

That is what Saturday night was all about (there is always a method to my digressing). Not only did DJ Spinna bring WONDER-FULL back to DC, he also brought along the inspiration. Stevie Wonder, the man himself, came to Liv hung out and performed! As expected, it was controlled pandemonium. People well into their 30’s and 40’s were pulling out phones to record what is probably for many, one of the greatest moments of their lives. I had missed the first appearance, where Mr. Wonder did an impromptu performance over some beats, but I was there for the main event just as caught up as everyone else. I found myself standing on the edge of furniture, looking over the crowd at the back of the great Stevie Wonder’s head and I loved every minute of it.  However, thanks to videography talent of  Ralston Smith, everyone can get a glimpse the beauty that was Saturday night.

stevie from ralston smith on Vimeo.


WARNING
: This will leave you salty if you live in the area and either heard and didn’t go, or had no clue this was even happening.  I have watched the video several times and am still blown away at the fact that I was in such close proximity of a living legend. Stevie was pure magic, but the thing that tugged my heart the most came at the end. In a beautiful moment, the entire crowd saw the awe and gratitude so clearly on Spinna’s face. I have to admit, I got a little choked up at this point. When he finally looked up,  the crowd went wild. It felt like we were his reflection of the pure-love-and-appreciation moment I spoke of earlier. It was pretty amazing to bear witness and for me, the part that  made an already surreal experience all the more epic.

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