In the dingy catacombs of the Jackson Red Line station, two men are in front of a small portable stereo that's hooked up to a mic. They're dancing and singing to old soul and r&b songs, but only one of them looks old enough to have known these songs the first time around. They are not proficient at their craft, but they know it, and so they really ham it up. As they dance, a small crowd forms to watch their show. When the song stops, the older man pulls out a fluffy black afro wig and starts to put it on.
"Whoa whoa whoa," says the younger guy. "What you doin'?"
"I'm James Brown," the older man replies. "And I'm doin' my thing."
This riles the younger guy, who says, "No you ain't, I'm James Brown. I got the moves, I got the voice!"
He starts dancing again, springing up from the concrete to prove how soulful he is.
The older man says, "But I got the wig. And it's Wednesday, which means I'm James Brown. I get Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. You get Tuesdays and Thursdays."
"Aw, my bad," the young guy says. He presses Play on the boombox, the voice of the real James Brown bounces around the tunnel, and the two men are back to dancing and grinning, and we are all a little bit happier for it.
"Whoa whoa whoa," says the younger guy. "What you doin'?"
"I'm James Brown," the older man replies. "And I'm doin' my thing."
This riles the younger guy, who says, "No you ain't, I'm James Brown. I got the moves, I got the voice!"
He starts dancing again, springing up from the concrete to prove how soulful he is.
The older man says, "But I got the wig. And it's Wednesday, which means I'm James Brown. I get Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. You get Tuesdays and Thursdays."
"Aw, my bad," the young guy says. He presses Play on the boombox, the voice of the real James Brown bounces around the tunnel, and the two men are back to dancing and grinning, and we are all a little bit happier for it.
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