Tonight’s Conversation (Live) – Review and Summary

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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General Information

This section includes information about the production, cast, staff, venue, and crew.

Director(s)	N/A
Writer(s)	N/A
Organizer(s)	Ace Metaphor
Language	English
Attendance Type	Offline – In Person
Event Status	On Schedule
Venue or Network (Javits Center)	429 11th Ave, New York, NY 10001
Performance Date	October 20, 2023
First Performance At This Venue	October 20, 2023
Opening Night Performance	October 20, 2023
Last Performance At This Venue	October 22, 2023
Venue URL	https://javitscenter.com/events/
Tickets Starting At	$99.97
Genre(s)	Comedy Romance Panel
Duration	2 Hours
Noted Performers
Self	Ace Metaphor
Self	The Trill AC
Self	Randi Rossario
Self	Tripp Fontane
Self	Kita Rose
Self	Kittie Rose
Self	Just Mike The Poet
Self	DJ Marky G
Self	Jay Martinez

Summary

This content contains pertinent spoilers. Also, images and text in this post may contain affiliate links. If a purchase is made from those sites, we may earn money or products from the company.

So, things begin with DJ Marky G, who plays through nearly every big-time R&B and Hip-Hop song, which can get the crowd singing along like they are in church. I’m talking anything from Isley Brothers and Teddy Pendergrass to playing “Love” by Keisha Cole, some Mary J. Blige, “Poison” by Bel Biv Devoe, etc. This is all to get the crowd hyped, and even after the scheduled start time, Ace Metaphor joins in and presents some rules (like no smoking), and a half hour in, the show starts.

Now, you’d think that would mean the familiar faces from the clips would come out, but instead, we got Jay Martinez, the Poet. He presented two poems, one of them a bit dirty, but it is to set the mood, get people’s blood pumping, and while it may take some by surprise that there is an opener for a live podcast, you come to appreciate Jay’s lyricism.

After him comes the main event and how things are set up; the crowd witnesses the taping of three episodes, each about a half hour, with up to five questions, depending on the topics, being responded to by the panel. Over the course of three episodes, some of the vetted questions were “Can Cheating Ever Be Justified?” “How to deal with someone whose penis is too small?” having a partner with a higher sex drive, when you know it is time to leave, and a few ratchet questions as well.

Of the three episodes, only Ace, Tripp, Kita, and Kittie were there for all three episodes. Randi was in for two, Just Mike The Poet and Trill AC also in for two, with Trill swapping with Mike for episode 2 and Trill swapping with Randi for the final episode. Between episodes 2 and 3, everyone in the audience was given a chance to buy merchandise from each speaker, including Ace’s cards, and things wrapped up a little after ten since the intermission ran long so folk on stage could make their money and take pictures.

Side Note

If you purchased tickets weeks or months back, double-check the website (LINK), as the venue may have changed. NYC was originally at the LaGuardia Community College but was moved to the Javits Center without any notification I could find.

Also, I went to the 8 p.m. show on Friday, and everything at the Javits Center was closed – from Starbucks to something for a snack. So, don’t expect to get a drink, a snack, or even a water bottle. But, with that said, they aren’t checking bags, so if you bring something with you, you may not have any problems.

Lastly, for the Friday show, getting in was smooth, but exiting was hell since there were so many choke points, so just prepare for the escalators you so quickly got in on becoming your enemy when only one is going up and they potentially block off the other one (until it becomes clear they need to remove the barricade and let people walk up a turned off one).

Content Information

• Dialog: Cursing and Innuendo
• Violence: None
• Sexual Content: There are conversations about sex
• Miscellaneous: None

Talent Descriptions

Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.

Ace Metaphor

Acting as moderator and sometimes comic relief, Ace tries to keep things moving along, especially when a question is given, and it leads to passionate responses or sometimes the desire for a back and forth from the question asker.

The Trill AC

Trill provides a male perspective of a more refined nature than what we get from Just Mike The Poet, but without the historic or deep context Tripp presents.

Randi Rossario

Representing the ladies who have a little hood in them, and can switch it up if they need to, is Randi, keeps it real while presenting the perspective of a married person. One who does enjoy and finds sex to be an important part of a relationship.

Tripp Fontane

Bringing historical context, the occasional joke, but often matter-of-fact advice for whoever is asking a question, Tripp presents himself as the dude ready to break down where you went wrong in a way that isn’t offensive, but you got to be ready for it.

Kita Rose

Speaking for the ladies between Randi and Kittie, Kita is Ace’s right hand in providing context and sometimes feeling like a moderator, as she gives her straight-up opinion, with the occasional grace depending on the topic.

Kittie Rose

Kittie gives older and married sister who raised you and has tried to instill moral and high values in you forever, and her job still isn’t done no matter how many times she told you to look for the signs, signals, and warnings.

Just Mike The Poet

Often, it seems Just Mike The Poet desires to play devil’s advocate, which leads to the rightful response from the audience.

DJ Marky G

The DJ who has the energy and personality of Ace in terms of getting the crowd hyped but doesn’t join the conversation.

Jay Martinez

The opening act who presents two poems and will get people saying “Rewind” as part of the show whenever a gem is dropped.

Notable Messages

Disclaimer: Some of these are paraphrased or not word to word; what was said and messages are cited to the best of our ability.

“If the bar is on the floor, why would I jump towards the ceiling?”
— Trill AC regarding men doing the bare minimum in response to what’s up with post-covid men?

You have to recognize the economics of what has changed for Black men and women. Black men have found economic success in blue-collar jobs, which have depleted as Black women have invested in Education and Nursing, which has grown. Thus, the economic shift between Black men and women.
— Tripp Fontane explaining the historical shift regarding the economic aspect of what has changed between Black men and women

Based on your relationship resume, you wouldn’t know a good partner if you saw one.
— This was tapped into by multiple people, with the context being the usual push of why “insert type of person here” ain’t s*** and there being a push for some level of accountability

If you are just looking for some D, make sure he doesn’t stay and learn how to get him out. Ask him, “What you doing after this?” to let him know the appointment is over and it is his time to go.
— Advice from Randi and Kita

Be okay with being the villain in someone’s story.
— Randi responding to someone who was speaking about having a partner with erectile dysfunction who wasn’t sexually satisfied, and Randi advised that you should be able and willing to leave if you are not happy

Let people exit your life.
— Ace responding to a dude who was still dealing with his ex who was seemingly trying to create a revolving door situation (honestly, the asker had a convoluted story, but Ace seemed to get the gist)

Sometimes you don’t know your triggers until you are in the situation.
— Kita responding to a woman who asked why people date someone, like a stripper, and act like they didn’t know what they were getting into

Don’t let people overexplain or justify.
— Kittie making it clear that there is no moral or respectful reason people can come up with regarding cheating

Set conversational boundaries.
— Kittie noting that, just like we have boundaries for many other things in life, set conversational boundaries regarding topics you may not have the capacity for, especially when it comes to friends and family venting about their significant other

The problem is we don’t date, we invest in people and say we wasted our time because we were invested in their potential and not dating who they were.
— This was either Ace or Trill and is 100% a paraphrase

You know a relationship is over when you begin thinking there is nothing more I can do or that I’m willing to do.
— Trill responding to someone who asked, “When do you know when a relationship is over?”

Review

Our Rating: Positive (See Live)

Notable Performances or Moments

The Energy

“Tonight’s Conversation” is like going to church or a movie primarily starring Black people. There is a call and response, expected audience participation, and everything feels amplified because someone next to you catches a joke or one-liner like you or adds their two cents, which adds oomph to what was said. But it isn’t just when there is commentary.

Between DJ Marky G and Ace, when the music is playing? Oh, the room becomes lit as many sing along, some start dancing, and it can damn near feel like a family reunion, with some you hope aren’t family because they have you doing a double take.

Real Talk, Issues, and Perspectives

Outside of Mike The Poet, even when there were jokes about a situation from the panel, it felt like a real talk session about what people were going through. After all, it isn’t just regarding what news and entertainment people consume where they can get stuck in a bubble, but their relationships as well. Many don’t hold themselves accountable and for a lot of the panel, it is recognized that person did you wrong, but there is also a call for why did you never mind the red flags?

Heck, the whole “Resume” message also was potent, for it was part of a larger discussion about how women think they are a good woman because they got a job, an education, a car, but don’t present their character and what they bring, beyond what men often would say they bring to the table. There were truly a lot of good gems and points that should get your wheels turning. Also, you have to love that there wasn’t a vibe the panel was monolithic and that things never devolved into a men vs. women thing, but just different perspectives due to different life experiences.

Highlights

The DJ

I don’t know if he was working with a playlist or what, but he was killing it from the pre-show to the intermission after the second episode tapping. He knew how to work a room, get the crowd involved, and was probably one of the best DJs I have ever experienced.

Criticism

Just Mike The Poet

You know how they say, like for “Ready To Love” that the editing is what made them look bad? When it comes to Mike, I’d submit the editing of the clips circulated online made him look good. I don’t know if he was high, like some were saying, maybe a little tipsy to have some courage, or just off his game, but something was off.

What didn’t help is sometimes it seemed he wanted to play devil’s advocate, never mind him discrediting himself about his relationship status and where he is in life, making anything that came after that reveal seem suspect. But, all I know is, after his first few comments, the crowd erupted in a groan I haven’t heard since I was in high school, and the principal was issuing new rules or restrictions as punishment for what a small number of people did.

On The Fence

Sound Issues At Inopportune Times

The side effect of having high energy and packing a room with the personalities shows like “Tonight’s Conversation” attract is that reactions will drown out a story, a response, or a one-liner. At times, it’s frustrating. Other times, like said above, it is like going to a Black movie. It’s the best part of the experience when a whole room erupts in a shared “What did they just say?“ “Are they dumb?“ or another community response.

But, when the room is drowning out the speaker, whether asking a question or they are getting a response, it will make you wish there was some kind of technology to amplify who was talking or a better grip on letting the crowd have a beat to deal with what someone flared up inside of them.

Jay Martinez As An Opener

Now, don’t get it twisted; Jay got notable wordplay, but it was unexpected and like going to a comedy show of a comic who talks about sex and drugs, and the opener mainly talks about family. Yes, Jay was bringing up topics, like a one-night stand, that could parlay into what the panel was going to speak about. However, I feel like he had to win the crowd over because he came between DJ Marky G getting everyone lit and the panel who everyone paid good money to see – and a poetry reading was by no means part of the advertisement.

The Limitation Of Getting A Good Seat

So, at the Javits Center, Ace said there were around 3,000 people in the room, right? I paid for VIP because there was a better guarantee of sitting somewhere decent, as there weren’t assigned seats. However, let it be known that this isn’t stadium seating; cameras will be blocking your view, and you may just find yourself looking at the screen from one of the cameras rather than the stage since, even in VIP, the view isn’t necessarily spectacular.

Who Is This For?

If the clips are not enough and you want to be in the room, hear and see the reactions, and maybe ask a question, this is an experience to have.

Recommendations

If you like this, we recommend:

1. Smart Funny And Black: Brings the same type of community vibe but with Amanda Seales and it not being a panel show but a game show with two Black celebrities
2. Wild N Out: If you purely want the jokes, this is the show to see when it is on tour

Check out our Live Performance page for our latest reviews, as well as recommendations.

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