I’ve always been a sucker for summers. For those into astrology, they attribute that to the fact that I am a leo (sun and stuff like that). Anyway, nothing beats the heat of a summer night event with the following ingredients:
- the right crowd (a melting pot of locals and out-of-towners, of different backgrounds and personalities)
- the right food and drinks (the best pizza and anything else in the menu)
- the right venue (quite crowded yet intimate enough)
- the right music (the best reggae and ska the islands could offer)
With those mentioned above, i’m talking about the Island Riddims Tour that took place in Hayahay last Friday night (though starless, humid and warm, it was perfect nonetheless). The venue was beginning to fill up as early as 8 pm (showtime was at 10), and by the time we got there, we had to sit on extra chairs beside the Tiangge (a shop inside the venue). There’s another crowd who decided to skip paying the ticket (140 plus free beer) and settled for a free space at Escano (though they weren’t exactly inside, they were satisfied to just hear the music).
The line-up of performers included island joe, enchi with kakay (the local fave), tropical depression, and of course, jr. kilat. People were moving to every beat and filling themselves with the rhythm, that was way too infectious to resist. It was some kind of a metaphysical experience that pushes your feet to dance and your voicebox to sing out your heart’s content (though you only know the chorus). And to add icing on the cake: I got to share all of this with Ken! The vibe never went off even after the show ended (at around 3 am). Now, that’s what a summer party is all about! (think, a bora party with soul)
Kudos to all the people behind the success (te k, your sleepless nights finally paid off!).
editor’s note: had some shots taken through my mobile’s trusty old cam, but will post them as soon as i purchase a bluetooth dongle
