I AM GO-GO™
THE MEGA WEBSITE FOR GO-GO
RE
Band Profile • Washington, D.C.

RARE
ESSENCE

Earlier name: Young Dynamos • Also known as: RE, Essence, “The Inner City Groovers”
1976Old School Go-GoLive archiveAlias-connectedThe Wickedest Band Alive
Explore History

Band overview

Rare Essence’s own history traces the band to 1976, when elementary-school students at St. Thomas More Catholic School in Southeast Washington began playing together as the Young Dynamos. The band later became Rare Essence and grew into one of the city’s defining live Go-Go institutions. I AM GO-GO keeps the Young Dynamos name attached to the same history rather than creating a false second band identity.

1976Year the band’s official history says the group first came together.
Young DynamosDocumented earlier name.
Rare Essence / RERecognized name and common shortened form.

Music

Lock ItIdentified on the band’s official site among fan-favorite Rare Essence songs.
RELEASE DOCUMENTED
One On One / Hey Buddy BuddyAdditional official-site catalog anchors for the discovery page.
CATALOG LEAD
Overnight ScenarioLong-running signature title; official site notes it has been covered by Fantasia.
CONNECTION SOURCE

Live & PA archive

Rare Essence’s history is inseparable from live performance. The official band biography emphasizes marathon Go-Go shows and a heavy performance schedule during the band’s rise. This page connects surviving tape evidence, venue records, exact dates and posters back to the band.

Metro Go-Go circuitD.C., Maryland and Virginia performance history.
1987 Capital CentreThe band’s official history highlights the all-Go-Go Capital Centre event and its 14,000-person crowd.
PA archiveEach surviving live item is labeled by band, venue, city and exact date when the evidence supports it.

Timeline

Young Dynamos
Students at St. Thomas More Catholic School begin playing together in Southeast Washington.
Rare Essence
The group adopts the name Rare Essence and expands its lineup and live presence.
Major D.C. live force
The band’s live reputation and regional circuit become central to its identity.
Multi-generational institution
Rare Essence continues as an active D.C. Go-Go institution with a long lineage of musicians.

People & lineage

Rare Essence is a good example of why I AM GO-GO needs era-specific personnel records. The band’s official history names early members including Quentin “Footz” Davidson, Andre “Whiteboy” Johnson, Michael “Funky Ned” Neal and John “Big Horn” Jones, while many other musicians passed through the group across later eras.

Quentin “Footz” DavidsonDrummer named in the early Young Dynamos account.
Andre “Whiteboy” JohnsonGuitarist/vocalist named in the early account and modern band listing.
Band lineageOfficial history notes that several musicians later formed or joined other Go-Go groups, including Little Benny and the Masters.

Connections, collaborations & influence

The official Rare Essence history documents performances and collaborations across Go-Go and hip-hop. These names become research leads for individual show, recording and sample pages—not automatic proof of a specific sample or rights relationship.

Alias rule in action: Young Dynamos appears here as an earlier name tied to Rare Essence. Searches for “Young Dynamos,” “RE,” “Essence,” or “Rare Essence” should resolve to this same canonical page.

Source trail

Rare Essence — Official Band History1976 formation, Young Dynamos name, early personnel, live history, aliases and lineage.First-party source
Rare Essence — Official SiteCurrent band information, music, news and first-party archive context.First-party source
Follow the connections

Connected archive records

Move directly between the artist, surviving show evidence, sampling/reuse research and screen placements.

Explore the network →
Recording record

Lock It recording record

Official video + connected archive

Open record →Poster record

Triple Night Club · Aug 2, likely 1987

Estimated date

Open record →Poster record

Crystal Skate · Jan 20, likely 1986

Estimated date

Open record →Poster record

RFK Stadium · Aug 29, 1987

Confirmed artifact record

Open record →Poster record

Washington Coliseum · Nov 11, likely 1979

Estimated date

Open record →

Keep exploring

Stay inside the I AM GO-GO archive and follow the next trail.

Next artist

Little Benny & The Masters

Open another artist page and keep moving through the Go-Go story.

Live & PA trail

Physical Audio

Follow documented live recordings, tapes, venues and dates.

Visual trail

Posters & Shows

Move from the artist into documented shows, flyers and date evidence.

Context

Go-Go History

See where the artist fits in the larger development of the sound.