Redbone - Yoo-Hoo

 

I love Redbone. I've seen her in as many festivals around the country as any other performer in the game, and she simply never disappoints or phones it in.

This bit of sheer silliness begins as a classic slow burn to some Bootsy Collins, and Redbone sells it as such. You know you're going to get a reveal, because it's right there center stage, but she doesn't have a tell that this is going to be a comedy piece centered around a lyrical disambiguation and a giant carton of everyone's favorite chocolateish beverage.  That misdirection is as good as anything David Copperfield has ever conjured.

Redbone is such a good dancer her smoothness on stage is another fantastic bit of "Look over there!" because that assured strutting devolves into a nasty cyclone of bouncing, crushing and throating at the end of the act.  It's just delightful how this lovely, controlled piece of work goes off the rails and becomes a sloppy mess in the best possible way.

I stated in my overall intro to these essays that the two pandemic years of mostly virtual shows was not my cup of tea, for the most part, but Redbone made a cinematic version of this act that utilizes the space and freedom of video to expand the number and illustrate the risks of wild, unprotected intercourse with a box of Yoo-Hoo. I believe it aired as a public service announcement in New Jersey, where Yoo-Hoo was invented.