I was stomach in a two - story room on Fairfax with no more than about 120 hoi polloi at 2:15am when John Mayer get down play the unmistakable riff that kicks off Nirvana ’s “ Smells Like Teen Spirit . ”
The way became live as everyone move in unison : the crowd jumped up and down in a summit of energy during a endurance contest set that had see way , way more than its middling part of electrified moments . And when the melodic line started , Kurt Cobain ’s drawl replaced with the ventilation acrobatics of harmonica player Frédéric Yonnet ( he ’s well - known as , well , the dude who toured with Prince on his last go ) , I take care forrad at the contraband - bandanna - wrapped , sunglass - abetted head of Stevie Wonder , no more than an arm ’s length in front of me , who was as excited as anyone else ; he bounce with the room , vibing off of the familiarity , at one with all the people around him .
That ’s when I started crying , because that ’s when I realized I was at the best show I ’ll ever see in my lifespan . And it would never happen again .
Jason Hoffman/Thrillist
- permit ’s startle at the offset : the text that came at 8:26pm . “ Dave Chappelle playing with members of Prince ’s banding tonight at No Name … ”
No Name – the sorta - private bar on Fairfax – has become well known as both a famous person knack and the form of spot where anything can happen ; when a tip - off like that comes from the proprietor , it generally means it micturate sense to cod . He let me know the password , and secern me it should get go around 10:30pm . I was in .
An hour after my girlfriend and I go far , Chappelle take the point . I did n’t take billet , because that variety of move – like saying hi to the Oscar succeeder unless you in reality acknowledge them – is wait down upon there ( before I put hand - to - keyboard to write this , I asked to make certain it was cool ) . But the gist of what Chappelle said at the top of the dark is this :
Let ’s aggrieve together . Let ’s observe Prince , and celebrate the medicine he loved , too .
“ Prince was a acquaintance , and used to ask over me to his house at Paisley Park for the best nights of my lifespan , where it finger like anything could materialise . I ca n’t trust he ’s gone , and I ca n’t believe I ’m not go to get those ask round again . So I wanted to put on a night that matte up like that . have ’s put our cell phones down , and have this to ourselves . Let ’s grieve together . permit ’s lionize Prince , and fete the medicine he have a go at it , too . ”
It was the first of a few tale Chappelle would tell about his champion over the course of the night , but this one served as prelude to the kind of jam musician dream about – a understandably anything - goes funk - and - whatever movement that the core lot onstage ( which included members of Anderson .Paak ’s band The Free Nationals ) delivered effortlessly . And then , at some gunpoint , Chappelle was back on stage , precede John Mayer . Say what you will about “ Your Body Is a Wonderland , ” but Mayer is among the well guitar musician out there . He acted as bandleader for the eternal rest of the night , which mean histrionics , sure , but it also meant subtle bending and tasteful note choices that echoed through everything from a jokey rendition of “ Hotline Bling ” to the punctuation of “ Purple Rain ” that ended the nighttime .
Those two Sung dynasty exemplify the anything - goes standard pressure that spiral as the Nox go along . Guests come fast and furious : short - hairy chanteuse Goapele let the cat out of the bag a move rendition of " Nothing Compares 2 uranium , " fall in by other singers on harmony and backing vocals , as well as a cornet segment . We erupted when Nas hit the phase , breaking down " Illmatic " rhymes under smoothed - out grooves . Retro - rapper Kid ( of Kid & Play ) run into some awkward verse about " House Party " – until Chapelle saved him with his own freestyle .
But the evening took a new curve when Stevie Wonder wander in and was spot by the audience . He expect like he was just going to seat and enjoy the show ; before long , though , Chapelle cajole him onstage , where it at first looked like he was just belong to sing a short node singer spot . rather , he joined the band on and off for the rest of the night , singing , playing key , and blast harmonica on master copy like " Higher Ground " and unexpected - covering after unexpected - cover .
In fact , it just hold open going : Wonder on stage , then off , an American fable in this flyspeck elbow room , there to worship another American legend , each call not on a setlist but called by someone on stage , veering from reggae bang to Sly & the Family Stone staples . The guy next to us – a deadened - bell ringer for a vernal Russell Simmons – lost his psyche early ( “ I can not believe this ! ! ! ” he kept yelling ) . Every time Wonder hit the stage , the woman behind me would yell , “ Stevie make for what you want ! ! ! ” ( pamperer warning signal : he did ! Each time ! ! )
Perhaps most impressive was that none of us were watch with our phone or recording .
Perhaps most telling was that none of us were look on with our phones or recording – and as it crept past last call and into those late - night hours that are so uncommon for LA , even texting became verboten .
We were all in the consequence together – a true rarity in this townspeople where we ’re all guilty of social media narcissism , attempt to bear witness that we ’re at the right place , correctly when we are . In this case , we all actually were – and there ’s no interrogation that Prince , himself an insular , private person , even at his most public , would have approved .
Sometime after 2 am , with Chappelle , Mayer , Nas , and Wonder all on stage , one of No Name ’s owners come up to me : “ If the cops come in at this point , ” he said , “ I ’m just gon na indicate to the stage and shrug . ”
And by the metre it all stop – with “ Purple Rain ” and Chappelle telling a motivate story about the last time he saw Prince live , at the White House , with Stevie Wonder and the Obamas , under a movie of George Washington – it all seemed like a dream . There ’s no manner it could have happened .
And even though the tongueless rule of No Name involve not chatting with the celebrities unless you get laid them , I could n’t help myself . On the way out , I go through Chappelle .
“ Dave , you do n’t know me , but my name ’s Jeff , and I just wanted to thank you for the best show I ’ve ever seen in my life history . ”
“ Man , ” he said , “ it was one of the proficient nights of my life too . ”
Dave Chappelle give me a hug . It was 3:30am . And somehow , I was go to have to sleep . Even if a devote - to - Prince , harmonica - driven “ Smells Like Teen Spirit ” was ringing in my head – and no one would ever see it that way again .
Sign up herefor our day-to-day LA email and be the first to get all the food / drink / playfulness Los Angeles has to offer .
Jeff Miller has see literally thousands of shows . validation is at his Instagram at@jeffmillerla .
