Carnival Saturday night in Washington, DC and we're on the way to Soca in Motion at the newly renovated DC Star (formerly DC Tunnel, and after that, some other name). But you know now is DC Star, sooooo I hoping things change cause past experiences wasn't much to talk about.

The mood in the car wasn't the normal Carnival Saturday night excited, ready to have a time, live performances, we ready to get on bad kinda mood. It was more like we just hoping this fete was better than the ones we've been to in the last few days, because frankly they didn't live up to the "hype" (for a lack of a better word) but that is that, and this is "Soca In Motion". This is Bunji Garlin & Friends, celebrating the man birth strong. I doh even kno how old the man turning, but we deh!

We arrived around 11:30pm, pay the man to park because parking there is pretty much non existent. So we take one for the team and gave away we 20 bucks ... pressuah!

PAUSE...

Photos By Algerson V.
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See, at this point in the story this review could go in a number of different directions. I could talk about the disorganization - the lines outside, the bouncers charging you an extra $20 to skip the line just to have to wait in another line. I could also talk about me SPENDING AN HOUR AND A HALF trying to actually get inside the venue (cos the list with our names on it couldn't be found). But you know me, I is a man that doh dig no hurrahs, so I just outside watching gal go by and telling my boy, "Yeaaa boy". I think I get pass off to like 4 different people claiming they could get me in (mind you my name suppose to be on some list).

(cue the dramatic music, dim the light & send in Sammy the bull) I could even talk about my Sopranos like adventure when we, along with some others who couldn't get in because of this mysterious disappearing list was taken around the back by "some guy" thru this dark alley, balance my way over a loading dock to the back entrance. I lean over to my boy and tell the man, "yo, if you see me run boy you better take off, I ain't calling yuh mudda". I could talk about all tha pressure just to get inside to provide media coverage, but I wouldn't cause that was just my experience and within that HOUR AND A HALF of waiting outside I saw how swift the people with tickets were moving in. So it would be unfair to mention just mine. Like I should of just bought a ticket eh?)

Okay... well we make it inside at like 1am kinda like backstage to where I like to call "the sanctuary" (you'll see why later on). And as I exit my sanctuary, I feel the HEAT. This was no regular heat ... this was rehl friggin' heat, and the place was PACKED. I feel the owner turn off the AC, me no kno. I had to literally tap people on their shoulder and ask them if I could pass ... and it's only when they saw the camera they allowed me. Beside the heat, and the layers of people, the vibz were definitely at 100 percent as the DJ's blazed some Soca.

It wasn't long til KMC ("Am Not Drunk", "I Will", "Yeast") come out on stage and perform and that get the place even livelier. It was only a matter of time before the man himself, along with his lovely wife Fay-ann Lyons, took the stage. I remembered Bunji asking who goes to church and remixed a popular church song to a 2009 Soca riddim. I think that was the highlight of the night for me. Benjai ("Drunk Again") took the stage soon there after and did his thing, which only got the Soca more in motion (lol). At this time I was dying of thirst and about to pass out from heat stroke. My many attempts to make it to the bar were in vain because there was just no way I could make it there, and if in the slim chance I did, there was no way I could make it back with a full cup!! And it looked like the path back to "the sanctuary" was now blocked. So we had to say goodnight to Soca in Motion and trout to my car.

The night was definitely a good night. The vibz was there for many. This was definitely a fete for the "get on bad" crew.

Al for the TJJ fam

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