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O’Jays, friends sing sweet tribute to Levert
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s a moment for the ages. Eddie Levert of the O’Jays conjures the spirit of his gone-too-soon son, and in a flashback moment of sheer Gerald Levert-dom, it’s gyrating, sensual, get-down-to-the-nitty-gritty hysteria Saturday night at the Gerald Levert Tribute Concert at the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center.
Before then, though, when the Manhattans with Gerald Alston took the stage, all hormones broke loose. They cranked out hit after hit from “Kiss and Say Goodbye” to “It Feels So Good to Be Loved So Bad,” which had ladies all but throwing themselves on stage.
But it was Alston’s rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” that really got the crowd going. Dedicated to the “Jena Six” in Louisiana, it was as moving as it was mesmerizing to see this man whip up so much chutzpah as if he not only wanted change but an overhaul.
Angie Stone had her harmonies in the bag during her show. Her neo-soul and funk tracks included “Brother,” “No More Rain,” “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” and “Everyday.”
Stone’s classic line, “This is old school. This is true school,” gave the evening an appropriate theme, and her perfect melodies, set against superb background music and singers, let folks know she bear-hugs her notes and blesses them before giving them to fans.
Then, when the O’Jays stepped out about 11 p.m. to thunderous applause, it proved to be a highlight. Standing ovations. Screams — and not one note had been belted yet.
Eddie Levert first took a moment to reflect on his son’s life and legacy, and then pleaded with the audience, the world, to make a difference, starting with the children.
“We need to stop using one another and start loving one another,” he said. Then the jam session and pelvic thrusts began. It was Eddie’s clear tribute to his son, who, despite his girth, could rival any skinny man in his libido-inspired moves.
This was O’Jays at its best, with the steady steam of a choo-choo train that keeps going and going. It was “Love Train,” “Used to Be My Girl,” “Backstabbers,” “I Love Music” and “Family Reunion” that had groups dancing in the aisles and jetting happily down memory lane.
And this was, indeed, a family reunion. Gerald’s brother Sean Levert performed. And his daughter Carlysia, a freshman at Spelman College, provided the other highlight of the evening.
“Thanks for all your support,” Carlysia said as a once- screaming crowd fell to a cricket-chirp silence. “I’m sure my dad is watching right now with a big smile on his face.”
Project 9-6-1 tries ‘man’s man’ show
Since 96rock’s Regular Guys and 99X’s Fred Toucher left Atlanta airwaves last year, the city has been devoid of that snarky testosterone-driven “man’s man” show. 96rock’s younger-skewing rock station replacement Project 9-6-1, after 10 months of playing music in the mornings, may be finally filling that void today at 5 a.m.
Standup comic “Giant Brian” Carothers, who last worked with a Philadelphia rock show as a producer, will be hosting the new “Giant Show” morning team with Shaffee, a pro wrestler who has done night radio shows at different stations in Michigan.
The radio station introduced the pair on air Friday afternoon, where Carothers quickly mocked rival station 99X and its year-old morning show: “We’ll be the Viva morning show with the green card. We’ll be the white V-103 morning show. We’ll be the new Morning X with talent.” Pause. “I know what you’re thinking: 99X still has a morning show?”
Current Project 9-6-1 program director and afternoon jock Chris Williams used to be the program director at 99X and has since clashed with his former boss and current 99X program director and morning host Leslie Fram. Project has taken a chunk of younger viewers from the veteran rock station 99X, which has been steadily losing listeners in recent years.
7 chefs in kitchen at Floataway event
Too many cooks in the kitchen? Not at Floataway Cafe on Friday, as seven of Atlanta’s most celebrated chefs collaborated on a six-course menu for the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America dinner.
Chef Joel Antunes took a break from preparing gazpacho with tomato sorbet to tell Buzz he’s happy to be cooking again at the recently reopened Joel.
We spotted a “Rathbun” placard on one table and wondered if chef Kevin Rathbun was going to sit this one out in the dining room. Turns out it was a placecard for his wife, Melissa, who was sharing a table with restaurant designer Bill Johnson. Rathbun planned to stay in the kitchen and prep the meal’s main course of roasted lamb.
Over at EcoManor, Rutherford and Laura Turner Seydel’s house in Buckhead, another chef was cooking to wow a crowd Friday night. Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene and his wife, sommelier Gina Hopkins, provided nibbles to promote Grow for Good, a Food & Wine magazine outreach on sustainable farming.
Stuffed eggs, pork belly and ham biscuits gave a Southern flavor to the event, which drew the magazine’s publisher, Jean-Paul Kyrillos, Atlanta corporate philanthropic consultant Dominique Love, along with dozens of other corporate, civic and social players.
Top 5
Rock songs
1. Foo Fighters, “The Pretender”
2. Linkin Park, “Bleed It Out”
3. Three Days Grace, “Never Too Late”
4. Finger Eleven, “Paralyzer”
5. Paramore, “Misery Business”
Celebrity birthdays Actor Tom Bosley is 80. Actress-singer Julie Andrews is 72. Actor Randy Quaid is 57. Singer Howard Hewett is 50. Model-actress Cindy Margolis is 42.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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