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Prince once said, “If you can describe it, it ain’t funky.” It’s hard to express the impact early funk juggernauts Cameo and the Ohio Players had on the genre; by now they’ve informed at least two generations of popular music. Cameo dominated the airwaves in 1986 and ’87 with the heavily synthesized electro-funk singles “Word Up!” and “Candy,” while the Ohio Players—led on this tour by Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bonner—reached the pinnacle of their success a decade earlier with the No. 1 hits “Fire” and “Love Rollercoaster.” Starting out in the early ’70s, Cameo was first known as the New York City Players; the group changed its name to avoid a lawsuit by the Ohio Players. Presumably any acrimony between the two groups has since dissipated.
CAMEO AND SUGARFOOT’S OHIO PLAYERS PERFORM AT 8 P.M. AT THE DAR CONSTITUTION HALL, 1776 D ST. NW. $45-$55. (202) 628-4780.