Howard Theatre x Tevin Campbell {RECAP}

So last Tuesday, I saw Tevin Campbell LIVE at the Howard Theatre! I LOVE him!!!!!! Remember this episode of Fresh Prince of Bel Air below?

That Tuesday morning I got an email notification stating he would be there {I am on the mailing list). I was soo excited!!! Excited enough to ask my BFF if she wanted to go (we both love us some Tevin) and excited enough to skip my two Tuesday night Zumba classes. I didn’t care! I had never visited the Howard Theatre before. I bought my ticket for the SWV concert last spring but ended up not going. #IWASTEDmymoney I wish I went alone. The theatre was a straight shot on the green line {Branch Avenue} train for me. I got off at the a Shaw-Howard U stop and the the theatre was literally about a five minute or less walk.

According to the Howard Theatre Facebook page, it existed even before New York’s famous Apollo theatre. Below is a snippet of it’s history courtesy of the official Facebook page.

When the nation was deeply divided by segregation, The Howard Theatre provided a place where color barriers blurred and music unified. Dubbed the “Theatre for The People” by The Washington Bee, it was the place where dignitaries like President Franklin D. Roosevelt gathered with everyday folks to see both superstars and rising stars – many of whom debuted at The Howard Theatre. Along with Duke Ellington, greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holliday, Cab Calloway and Nat King Cole graced the Howard stage and made way for talents like Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gilespie, The Supremes, Otis Redding, Lena Horne and James Brown.

How cool is that? I felt like I stepped back into time as soon as I entered . There was such a historical vibe going on in there. Plus, there were pictures of great musicians such as Diana Ross, DC’s own Marvin Gaye, B.B. King and more throughout the theater.

Diana Ross-Howard Theatre

Marvin Gaye-Howard Theatre

That huge picture of Ms.Ross was between two mirrors in the ladies room. Such a beautiful picture! And the bathroom was nice. Nice enough for me to take a blurry #celfie. I couldnt get the focus right because I was rushing to do it before someone walked in and caught me in the middle of it. You get my drift though! I love my Target dress!

My ticket was $34.50. Tickets are even cheaper if you purchase them at the ticket booth {located inside the theatre} prior to the day of the show. I wouldn’t recommend purchasing them via Ticket Master because they add about an additional $10 fee to the total cost. I would only purchase Howard Theatre tickets via ticket master IF I know they’ll be sold out and I can’t make it to the ticket booth in time. I LUH me some Tevin but I knew tickets for his show weren’t going anywhere.

Now Howard Theatre is first come first served. You must spend a minimum of $10 for a table. If you decide you don’t want a table to sit down at, you’re welcomed to stand up around the theatre, in the middle of the theatre or at the bar. My BFF and I got a table and ordered dinner and dessert. The food was not that great and the dessert was even worse {actually terrible}. We got a nasty peach cobbler and one small scoop of vanilla ice cream. The service was poor but fortunately for the servers their gratuity is automatically included into the bill. Don’t order the spinach tortilla chips and artichoke dip {on the right below}. #GROSS You’ve been warned!

My BFF

Gross

Tevin was a little late, just a tad bit. He was scheduled for 8pm but he didn’t start to after, maybe 8:20pm (I don’t remember because I was just so happy to see him). He did ALL his HITS/CLASSICS, some old songs I never heard and one new song. He STILL has an amazing voice. He looked great! His back up singers and band didn’t do him any justice. No shade because maybe it just wasn’t their day. We all have bad days/off days Tevin was as close to me as Johnny Gill was at the 2012 New Edition concert I attended in Baltimore. (SIDENOTE: I am seeing New Edition again on Sunday 7/20/14 at the Verizon Center and I CANNOT WAIT!) He sure was but unlike my encounter with Johnny, I didn’t touch Tevin. Check out some video clips below courtesy of my iPhone. He’s still got it!

Always In My Heart

I’m Ready

Grammy Nominated hit single Can We Talk {YAAASS}

I was ALL UP IN Tevin’s face in this clip above. But doesn’t he look and sound amazing?! I mean he’s been doing this since he was about 12 and he’s now 37! Kudos to Tevin!!!!!!!! ❤ His music is timeless and so is he!

Can We Talk {Pt. 2}

I am looking forward to attending more concerts at the Howard Theatre. It’s perfect for a date night or an evening with friends. You can even go solo if you’re about that life (ain’t nuttin wrong wrong that, I go to the movies alone sometimes :-)) I will probably try other menu items *side eye*. However, I must say my BFF’s shrimp polenta was pretty good! My food was so nasty that I returned it in exchange for some jerk chicken wings and OILY death ridden plantains. The jerk chicken wings were decent. I wanted to live and see my grand babies so I didn’t dare touch the oily plantains.

Click here to see the Howard Theatre calendar. Keep in mind, their ALWAYS adding new shows so be sure to check the calendar frequently for updates and added shows. Or sign up with your email address to be apart of the mailing list. Baby Face is coming!!!!! I love him too!!!! I would love to see Monica perform live there and hear her sing all her 90s classics! Howard Theatre is the the home for all the 90s RnB crooners and former hit makers. I love that! Jon B is coming too <3!!! So many great artists this summer!!!

My BFF and I ended the night by going to her job’s rooftop that overlooks the city. Can you see the Washington Monument in my picture below?! How romantical! ❤ Too bad I was sick from that food. I’ll spare you the details.