When it comes to the ultimate groups of the 90s, nothing can make the ladies swoon like the men of Jodeci. They have brought their R&B swagger, their smooth grooves and the fan favorites to The Theatre at MGM National Harbor and as they have done for thirty plus years, they have taken us back to a time when R&B ruled the airwaves and our hearts.

The Theatre at MGM National Harbor was the stage where the legendary R&B group known as Jodeci was going to entertain us for the next few hours. The stage was lit up in blue LEDs and the band was planning to make this Friday night their own.

At 8:20p, the band’s musicians started to play and get the nearly filled crowd warmed up as the amazing R&B trio of men were about to make their way to the stage. After a dramatic pause, once you hear the familiar starting notes of “Come and Talk to Me”, it has brought the ladies in the audience to the feet, dancing & singing along. Even after nearly thirty-five years, Jodeci can still swoon the ladies. Dressed in matching black sparkly jackets, they come here to entertain the masses. Their vocals are still fresh as they perform one of their biggest hits.

There wouldn’t be a Jodeci concert without hearing “Stay”, one of their biggest hits their debut album “Forever My Lady” of 1991. Hearing this song live brings back some fond memories of my early teenage years. It reminded me of when I was trying to find the right words to tell your first crush or a young girl how you felt about them. Anyone who grew out during this time knew that this was the song of the day. It was a joy seeing people all around me singing along, yours truly included.

Its crazy to find out that the nation’s capital was one of the first cities that hosted Jodeci. The band wanted to show their appreciation and they thank the audience for supporting them all these years. The DMV has mad love for Jodeci. They kept striving and thriving. As one of the members told us “Jodeci is still here!” This was a great transition for their next song which was the love ballad “Love You for Life”. And the hits just keep on coming when they made their way to the title track of their debut album “Forever My Lady”.

K-Ci & JoJo performed one of their earliest hits – this was one that unless you were a true die-hard fan, you most likely never heard it. They tried the song out on the crown and the crowd was receptive. The night continues as K-Ci told the story of the one time they received a note from their Uptown Records about a song, by the one and only Stevie wonder that took them to number one on the charts. It was “Lately” which I can tell you that their rendition is still as beautiful then as they did it live tonight. When it came time for the chorus, everyone in the crowd got to sing out to their heart’s content.

While the music was flowing and we were singing & dancing, the concert took a moment of reflection as K-Ci told us a story about himself. He revealed that seven years ago, he had a stroke and was told by the doctors that he may never sing or perform ever again. He defied the odds and is performing well. He proclaimed to the crowd “Ain’t God good?” and the crows gladly responded “All the time!” After he took us to church, he goes out into the crowd singing “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” by Bobby Womack”. For the people who were on the 100 Level of the theatre, this was a moment not to be missed.

Throughout the night, the band brought back some of their amazing hits to the audience’s delight. During the song “My Heart Belongs to You”, K-Ci reached out and touched a fan’s hand. I am very sure that he made that fan’s night extra special. They kept the flow going with “Feenin’”, “Cry for You” & “Get on Up” and so much more!

Jodeci had done a tremendous job with their performance this Friday night. With their smooth vocals, great moves and killer swagger, this legendary R&B band has brought the house down and the ladies up on their feet on this very special night!

FINAL GRADE: A

About The Author

Dean Rogers

Editor-in-Chief/Entertainment Reporter

I knew early on that I wanted to take my place among the stars. One day, my mother saw me reading The Washington Post at a very young age. Who would have known that it would be the building blocks of my journey? Since that day, I dedicated my life to learn all that is learnable. I read everything from encyclopedias to books to dictionaries to magazines. I’m also an avid television viewer, with my favorite genre being game shows. If you’ve seen me on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire or Wheel of Fortune, then you know that this interest has served me well!

My unique style of reporting began back in junior high school, when I started to chronicle the events that shaped my life. Whether it was the annual family vacation or the local science fiction convention, I shot numerous pictures and recorded my thoughts so I could truly appreciate the history. During my senior year at Friendly High, I wrote what was to be my first masterpiece, “Advanced Space Academy – A One Week Journey.” I sent the eleven-page article back to the U.S. Space Camp staff. The article was highly praised for being “one of the best written articles in the history of U.S. Space Camp.” From then on, I knew what I wanted to do for rest of my life — to be a reporter.

Since then, I have trained in Broadcast Journalism at Bowie State University (2008) in Bowie, MD, earning a B.S. in Communications. I gained experience in news production and editing through field experiences with Bowie Community Media Corporation, Prince George’s Community Television, and Bowie State University Television. I also wrote scripts for a variety of quiz shows for over five years.

As a lifelong movie buff, I now see close to 100 films every year. I took this love of movies to the next step when I became a co-host for Eclipse Magazine TV in the fall of 2005. While at EMTV, I interviewed celebrities, worked on red carpets, and attended a wide variety of movie screenings. In January 2009, I took a leap of faith and started my own entertainment news magazine, The Rogers Revue. Shortly afterward, my lifelong journey of studying the silver screen and writing about what I learned finally earned me a place in the Washington Area Film Critics Association.

All of this has led me here, giving you the latest entertainment news for the DMV and the entire nation, and I am truly excited for whatever will come next.

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