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“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>It was a fierce rip in my good pair of stockings that almost made me miss FreeTime LLC’s Friday Alternative at Lola last Friday. As I barely prevented my face to hit flat on the pavement due to a good ‘ol stumble, I could hear Coco Soul squall from outside as if her life depended on it. Then I knew all was well. As I wiped the sweat beads from my face, I was blasted with the soul funk that was being served by the BSide band featuring F.R.E.E. To say the least, they rocked the house down featuring staples like Al Green’s “Love and Happiness” which featured Justin Hoskins – our St. Louis’ answer to Luther Vandross. As featured duets, riffs, and runs ensued, the stage suddenly became eclipsed by a female attendant that thought Halloween came early, with the biggest and most floppy black hat known to man paired with a dark colored outfit. I didn’t know whether she was goin’ as Mrs. Minever or to a jazz funeral. In any case, I was stewin’ at havin’ to do side steps around her questionable motif just to see a piece of the stage. As she cleared the way, Coco gave me life more abundantly as she went into Erykah Badu’s “Back in the Day (Puff)” coupled with Grand Daddy I.U.’s “Sugar Free” which Badu herself is known for doin’. While DJ Nune spinned in the back “I’m Going Down,”
“mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;”>Luther’s a Party),” were all offered as a precursor to Coco’s stab at “Rappers Delight,” and
“mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;”>Mtume’s With such a repertoire, it’s no wonder why Alternative Fridays is becoming the “it” place to start off the weekend.