Easing into the hit single "Miracles," Alfred "Black Boo" Duncan stops abruptly.

He demands the crowd at Whitlow's on Wilson in Arlington, Va., comes to the front. Greeted with a tepid response, Black Boo shrugs.

"It doesn't matter, because y'all will be up here at the end of the night," he says.

Minutes later, the floor is packed, the audience engaging in a call-and-response with Black Boo and Joi "JC" Carter. It is safe to say that Mambo Sauce leaves this gig with some new fans.

The six-piece band, based in Bowie, is poised for national success. After charting "Miracles" and "Welcome to D.C." in 2007, the go-go/rock/hip-hop/hard-to-describe outfit drops its debut album, "The Recipe," this summer. The band won the Washington Area Music Association's 2008 Wammie award for best go-go duo/group.

"We will be multi-millionaires, traveling the world. It's going to happen," Black Boo says, his band mates nodding in approval.

The band, composed of lyricists Black Boo and JC, bassist Khari Pratt, drummer Patricia "Twink" Little, keyboardist/musical director Christopher Wright and percussionist Jermaine "Pep" Cole, is gathered next to the Whitlow's stage before its show.

"I feel a tour coming on," JC says.

But without an album to support, touring is tough. They can't just take off around the country. Members have responsibilities, mortgages, jobs.

"Yeah, five of us have full-time jobs," Black Boo says. "It's a lot of sacrifice."

The hardship fuels the band. Mambo Sauce sounds crisp with smooth transitions. Between sets, the band hawks T-shirts — just part of growing an audience.

So is the Internet. Wright says it puts "all bands on a level playing field." That expands the band's reach, but makes releasing music difficult.

On Mambo Sauce's MySpace page, there are four versions of "Welcome to D.C.", a song celebrating the whole metropolitan area. Someone unfamiliar with Mambo Sauce might assume the band has one song.

"Nah, we are two-hit wonders," Pratt jokes, referring to "Miracles." Then, more seriously, "We were trying not to take any songs off the album" [and put them online].

The last thing Mambo Sauce wants is to start over after an album leak. So the remixes stay.

"It's a hot song," JC says. "It would be one thing if it was a bad song."

Thousands of MySpace plays back her up. People aren't sick of it yet.

‘Not what they think we are'

The band's name derives from orange goo slathered on D.C. takeout food. Black Boo says you don't know what it is, you just know it's good.

"You put us in a box … go-go would be one thing," he says. "There's so much other stuff in the box."

"We're different, we're not what they think we are," JC offers.

The music is not traditional go-go. Mambo Sauce doesn't play covers and its song structures are diverse. Members respect go-go godfather Chuck Brown but draw influence "from the heart," not other bands. Subsequently, the band is subject to criticism.

"We embrace the hate," Pep says. "If they're not talking, it's a problem."

There's a lot to talk about. During one song, Black Boo laughingly goads Pep into harmonizing. He doesn't disappoint; the percussionist sings well. Pratt is a go-go staple: he got his start with the classic Northeast Groovers. Wright produced the Grammy-nominated Ludacris and T.I. song "Wish You Would".

Even with talent, success is never a given. Pratt is only half-joking when warning members not to divulge plans of future success to employers: he wants to make sure he has a job tomorrow.

Calling all artists

Bowie Town Center is looking for performers for its Summer Music Series. Contact Juli Williams at 301-860-1401 or juwilliams@simon.com for information.