Read PART ONE HERE and PART TWO HERE.
I wish I could better, or more narratively, remember the show. I recall it only in kaleidoscopic pieces, as befits a religious experience. We positioned ourselves in the left wing of the stage, behind scattered members of Badu's band (the one directly in front of us had cornrows, broad shoulders, nice triceps) and I could clearly see Erykah's colorful bra straps, and when she tired of and removed her heels I could see her toenail polish, which looked white. It is silly to worship people as idols, but I couldn't help it: being that close to Badu made me feel imbued with magic powers.
And Erykah is in that rare echelon of artists whose fans comprise a world and culture unto themselves. When she started humming the "whoa-ooh-whoa-ooh-whoa" from "Bag Lady," we all knew how to join in and where this was going, just as any shul-going Jew knows how, and with what reverence, to join in the Sh'ma. Any concert can have a sing-along; this meant more. Erykah bypasses the usual levels on which artists relate to fans, and cuts straight to the soul. I don't know how she does that.
Adria is a Mama's Gun fiend. But my favorite Badu album is, and likely will always be, Worldwide Underground. The fact that few fans cite this as their favorite of course makes it an even cooler favorite to have. Apart from "Danger," which you can hear on the radio, and which isn't much like the rest of the album, the tracks from Worldwide Underground are not especially popular.
So while Adria and I were making utter fools of ourselves among the relaxed backstage elites (who may or may not have made bemused audible comment upon the pair of unhinged whitegirls) when "The Healer" and "Didn't Cha Know" happened, I retained some shred of dignity right up until I heard the sparkly sounds that foretell that quintessential Badu jam "Back in the Day." (Have you ever seen the part of Dave Chappelle's Block Party when Badu plays "Back in the Day"? If not: watch that shit.) I may have sung along dweebily; I may have davened and swayed; I don't whatsoever remember.
Three other things I am sure happened: 1) our butts were pinched in unison, and we turned about to see Shady, presuming the privilege (and when Adria later felt guilty that we hadn't been able to give him much cash in exchange for his great favor, I noted that each pinch was worth $50 at the very least); 2) at midnight Adria reached up for my face and gave me a smooch on the lips, which was adorable; and 3) Raphael Saadiq tripped over my coat as he hurried onstage. Like all celebrities, he is shorter than you expect.
When the show was over I assumed we would use the incredibly nice backstage bathroom and head home sated, but Adria sensibly observed that, you know, we were backstage after Badu. So we stuck around.
To be concluded...
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