Warren G at Commonwealth Lounge
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As a Southern California adolescent the 1994 release of Regulate… G Funk Era instantly made Warren G a larger than life icon to me. When the opportunity to work firsthand with Warren was presented to me it was something I simply could not refuse. Commonwealth Lounge in Downtown Fullerton had a packed house on the night of October 17th to see this West Coast legend live and in person, but it was what happened before the performance that will stay with me forever. I had the privilege to take Warren out to dinner at Hopscotch Tavern, which is two doors down from the venue of the performance. As Warren took his first glance at the menu he could not make up his mind on what he wanted and he seamlessly went into the chorus of his hit song “I Want it All.” It was extremely interesting to hear the opinions of Warren on the everyday topics of music, sports, food, and life in general. As the Dodgers were in the thick of a pennant race, Warren shared his verse on the new Dodger tribute track he did with Ice Cube and he even spit his verse right there at the dinner table.
As dinner concluded we headed over to Commonwealth Lounge where Warren put on a stellar performance. Performing hits such as “Regulate,” “This D.J.," and “Aint No Fun” amongst others. Immediately upon conclusion of the show it was extremely impressive how Warren willingly took photos and signed autographs for all who requested, exemplifying how he truly is gracious to those who appreciate his music. It is not hard to get caught up in the moment when you are in such an intimate environment watching someone who was so musically impactful to my generation and this entire experience was genuinely something that I will never forget.
Tim Roberto