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Date: Friday 26th June 2009 Location: The Broadwater Estate. Maryland D.C. Promotions: Gresham Entertainment Click on thumbnails to see the big picture/entire gallery We were very exited to learn that our DC Carnival Friday night staple event, "Taboo" was getting a facelift (makeover, transformation ... however you want to look at it) to resemble Gresham Entertainment's "DV8" events (in ATL and MIA), which we have previously attended and gave raving reviews to as well. Gresham's goal was simple. Scale back on the numbers, maintain (and improve) the quality of premium offerings and most importantly ... give partygoers an unforgettable experience. We arrived at Bowie Baysox Stadium (shuttle pickup/drop-off) just after 11pm. And although many people throughout the evening were complaining about the shuttle system, at this time, it was working very well and the will call window was organized, efficient and the attendants were quite pleasant and accommodating. The night was off to a good start for us. After a 15-20 minute bus ride, we got to the venue and noticed it was not up by the pool area were it usually is. Not sure why not … heard that the Broadwater Estate owners were having a private shing ding … but we could work with it. The toilets were little far, especially with the muddy conditions, but we could work with it. The bar seemed well organized, with mostly friendly staff. It would have been nice if the bar was spread out around the venue and they could have had Soda water and some Grey Goose … heh, they said "Premium Liquor" … but we could work with it. There was a designated dancing area with lights etc. that somewhat reminded us of Beach House Carnival'09 and the dance floor wasn't really holding up to the mud, but people were still having a time (especially in the early goings). There was a variety of food … Caribbean, Seafood, Asian, Italian & International … and we sampled pretty much everything. A move we would live to regret from about 7am Saturday morning and throughout the rest of the day.
DV8 DC this year had all the markings of a great event. The mature, party crowd … filled with the sexy people Gresham is known to attract … were out in full force. And our TJJ TV cameras did detect some partygoers squeezing in a small jam here and there in good Carnival spirits. However, things just didn't seem to work out as planned. Following Sprang International's warm up set, the early on DJ's never set the right tone for the event, playing wayyyy too much reggae and then sub-par, well aged, token soca music. By the time Jugglers and Back to Basics hit the stage, people was hoping for the soca to really start. More reggae..... By now, the system was already turned down so low, you could barely hear it and the vibes had pretty much fizzled since the bar buss at 2:30. I'm trying not to dwell too much on the negatives of this fete, especially since the DV8 crew has always taken good care of us. So let's just say that DV8 DC 2k9 did not live up to the usual high standard that we have become accustomed too. Yes some people did manage to arrive and leave early with no complaints, but the majority of folks had a totally opposite story to tell. With change always comes struggle, but I must admit that my vex meter was reading high because a whole day was stolen from me, and a carnival day no less. Plus, I'm still suffering from PTLBS (Post Traumatic Loose Belly Syndrome). All ah have to do is see a "Hot Roti" sign and I running for cover. We holding out hopes for great things from the DV8 crew in the future. Wados aka The Appraiser for the TJJ fam. ==================================== | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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