Belated congrats to the fabulous Stew, who won a Tony Award in NYC on Sunday for the book of his hit Broadway musical Passing Strange (though it should've taken home the Best Musical trophy, which went instead to In the Heights). For much of the '90s, Stew helmed the amazing LA band The Negro Problem, which played Long Beach and OC clubs with fondly-remembered frequency. (Right now, I'm remembering the NP gig I caught one night at the Lava Lounge at Java Lanes Bowling Alley, but then I remember that the place has since been bulldozed for condos, then I start weeping, and it's really not pretty.)
Check out this clip of highlights from the musical. (Stew is the large-framed, bespectacled African-American gent, FYI.) Only question now is, will it play OCPAC when it inevitably tours? Or even better – Club Mesa! Oh, wait…..
