Shoulders shivered in the cold. Stiletto boots clicked on the pavement. People checked and rechecked their cell phones to see if the time was near. All the cool kids strong-armed their way to the front of the massive lines. At 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 25, Grambling students of all classifications and majors represented for a packed house. The talent was an artistic medley where dancers (both masked and unmasked, oiled and un-oiled) shimmied across the stage.
Spoken word artists captured the eyes, minds and ears of the audience including raspy voiced alumni, Harold Green, who delivered a silence inducing performance and received enthusiastic Black Power fists coupled with excited whispers.
Rappers, models and gospel singers each took advantage of their stage time in front of a largely captivated audience. (Although the brutal audience boo-ed a handful of performers, Apollo style), most were entertained enough to watch the majority of the show.
Just as scores of guys decided that the love song crooning wasn’t manly enough for them to stay and watch, the Florida Boys took the stage under the acronym alias E. F. F., (Every Female’s Fantasy).
The seven member group, who each donned shirts with blush-worthy nicknames on the back, won the $400 cash prize and the largely female audience’s favor with their Pretty Ricky-meets-Jodeci-across-the-street-from-R. Kelly, borderline Chippen-dales dance routine. The performance was complete with popular Florida party dances, the “City Boy” and “wooping,” before the group released silly string at the height of the performance.
Squealing, cheesing, picture snapping females nudged their girl friends and pointed out which ones caught their attention the most.
Kudos to all of the performers (and the hosts) for being vulnerable enough to take such a critical stage. Special props go to E.F.F. for bringing their brand of Florida flavor to that Boot.