IF I throw a party, I know who I'd want to invite: Pharrell Williams.
Then, again, something tells me that he isn’t lacking party invites.
The point is, N.E.R.D's recent concert at the Esplandade was not so much a concert, but a party. And a damn good one too!
Having the timing of the concert rescheduled from 7.30pm on a Thursday night to 11.30pm on a Friday night transformed the whole mood of the show - I mean, seriously, I wouldn't want to shake my thang on a weekday night knowing that I have to drag my sorry ass back to work the next morning.
Still, it was a pretty amazing sight to see Pharrell - and Shay Haley, though from the hysterical screams, one would rightly assume that N.E.R.D IS Pharrell - getting a packed concert hall on its feet for the better part of the hour.
And boy, did he bring it!
He is the consumate showman and his experience showed: He has produced albums for Madonna, ODB and Britney Spears, collaborated with hip-hop greats like Jay-Z and the Roots and opened for Kanye West just last year. And from the get-go, there was no stopping him,
From Anti-Matter to Killjoy to hits like Lapdance and Everybody Nose and to even unreleased material (Popcorn), everyone and their grandma were bopping their heads to the infectious tunes. And Pharrell lapped up every bit of their adulation.
Pulling a bespectacled girl from the audience onto the stage, he held and hugged the awestruck girl, told her she could remain onstage and do whatever she wanted the whole night - AND then with a mischievous glint in his eyes, told the audience, "Who said the girl in glasses never win?" to wild applause.
Probably some - well, many - women in the crowd were cursing under their breath in jealousy like my friend was, but they were all drowned out in the cheers and applause.
That set the tone for the entire night as he pulled many among the audience up to party with him up close onstage.
Women in heels - so untypical of a hip-hop crowd, and B-Boys - fat, thin, tall, short, cropped hair and afro'ed, they had their seven seconds in a party that would be spoken of in years to come.
I might not have gone to Coldplay - but for now, N.E.R.D is a strong contender for the gig of the year.
And mind you, I am not even a rabid fan. My knowledge of N.E.R.D was pretty restricted to a few of their hits and how my women friends unfailingly gush about how hot Pharrell is, how nice his small eyes are, or as one of them puts it, sex on legs. Drop it like you're clumsy, ladies!
Yes, at slightly over an hour, the concert seemed too short but every one had fun.
For that one magical moment, one might even have believed the Esplanade as the next hot clubbing venue. Thank you, Mosiac!