Thursday, February 7, 2008

Spend Valetine's Day with Ginuwine

By Katie Libecco

AUSTINTOWN – It's 2008 and you're a large, respectable venue that featured a performance by Boys II Men.

How do you follow that?

By booking Ginuwine.

It's true.

Ginuwine, or Gin-u-fine, if you must, will appear Friday, Feb. 15 at The Wedge in Austintown for a Valentine's Party.

Let me be fair. Ginuwine does have several respectable albums that didn't get fair airplay and the D'Angelo-esque video for "When We Make Love" was pretty hot. The 2001 release of the single "Differences" did bring the performer new life. Unfortunately, it was followed up by "In Those Jeans," but even that peaked at Number 3 on the Billboard R&B Charts, so what do I know?

And what song is catchier than Ginuwine's party song, "Hell Yeah"?

Unfortunately, it's hard for Ginuwine to hide from "Pony," routinely included in worst-ever song lists. And maybe he's not trying to, as his album released in November 2008 includes a radio re-mix of Pony, which sounds exactly like the song I couple-skated to before I knew the song was a metaphor, for well, anything.

Youngstown's Blaq Rose of group Who's Who will be the opening act. He'll be performing music from his upcoming album, "Timeless."

And how could we have an R&B show without Lucky Penny? I could tell you the hip-hop performer and 101.9 Jamz talent will be the co-host of the evening, but then, you know that.

There's also a "Heart Throb Contest" slated for the evening, to be judged by Ginuwine himself.

I'm on the fence with this show. I mean, it's not the most important show that's come to the area, but I can't imagine it won't be fun. And it's not that Ginuwine isn't a respectable musician, because he's worked with Jazze Pha, The Under Dogs, Track Masters, Timbaland, P.Diddy, Missy Elliott, Tweet, and Aaliyah. That says something about his ability.

And still, seeing Ginuwine in concert certainly beats most Valentine date ideas.

It's just "Pony" I'm hung up on.

Tickets are $20 in advance at The Wedge, MAyNSTREAM, Goldies Flower, Ryan's Chair, J&W Crown Limo, RGB Music, Final Cut and Klassy Cuts. Entry is 21-and-over.