Booker T. Washington Brings Out The Stars--And We've Got Their Shine

Norah Jones' set came after the sun went down. (Pete Freedman) It was sticky as hell in the Saturday evening sun at Booker T. Washington's outdoor amphitheater as the masses gathered for a performance of some of the school's most prominent alums (go here for a slideshow). The good news,...

By Pete Freedman

June 9, 2008

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Norah Jones' set came after the sun went down. (Pete Freedman)

It was sticky as hell in the Saturday evening sun at Booker T. Washington's outdoor amphitheater as the masses gathered for a performance of some of the school's most prominent alums (go here for a slideshow).

The good news, though, is that the free lemonade they were dishing out was absolutely delicious.

Oh, and the music was pretty cool, too (although, unfortunately, Erykah Badu couldn't make the show, backing out at the last minute because, according to her manager, Paul Levatino, the singer hurt her knee during back-to-back shows held the previous night in Vancouver). Anyway, you can read my musings on the event in Wednesday's paper.

In the meantime, here's some audio highlights from the event...

Kinda a shocker to hear Edie dip into this part of the repertoire, but the crowd sure was glad to have it... Bonus mp3:

Edie Brickell and Kenny Withrow -- "What I Am (Live)"

The biggest hit of the evening's live performances... Bonus mp3:

Edie Brickell and Kenny Withrow -- Booker T. Washington Song (Live)

A fitting song about the other arts, from one Norah Jones... Bonus mp3:

Norah Jones -- "Painter Song (Live)"

And a new track from Miss Jones, this one about her dog... Bonus mp3:

Norah Jones -- "Man of the Hour (Live)"

All in all? It was good time. Although, Lost actress Elizabeth Mitchell, who emceed the event, did at one point slip up and call Edie "Eddie."

After the show, she apologized for the slip-up: "It was stage fright," she said. --Pete Freedman

KEEP THE OBSERVER FREE... Since we started the Dallas Observer, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.