*Title taken from "Spoil Mehself" by Kerwin DuBois.
AWAKE 3.0 Boat Ride with Freeze International
“Who goes to a party at 7am on a Sunday morning?”
“Umm... I do.”
At a housewarming in the Bronx on Saturday, I told my friends that I needed to make it an early night as I had to get up early to go to a party. The facial expressions cannot be captured in print, but suffice it to say they seemed concerned for my sanity. Yes, although I do not usually party on Sundays (aside from Carnival getaways), I decided that Freeze International’s annual morning boat ride would be worth the penance.
Upon arrival at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, I was greeted by two attractive young women who walked directly in front of my friend’s vehicle and told us that one of us would need to take a shot in order to get past them and park. As I was rolling with a non-drinker (always good to have a designated driver), I decided to pay the toll myself. A shot of Ciroc from a backpack is not the way I usually start my Sunday mornings, but this certainly put me in the party mood.
With only a slight delay, we boarded the Nautical Empress. Seeing the long line of hungry folks, we decided to skip the breakfast and head to the upper deck. I later learned, when Mad Man Maddy called Freeze out for saltfish that was not soaked good, that we did not miss anything. There were a few other party goers who also chose to forgo food for music and were already moving to the sounds of the live rhythm section upstairs.
What makes or breaks a party is the music. I love a rhythm section on a party boat and Dem Boyz had me chipping and pelting waist immediately. Soon after X-Factor played some throwback hits including “Focus,” “Iron Bazodee,” and the boat ride classic, “All Aboard.” With such good music, it wasn’t long before I closed my eyes and was in a wining zone. This continued as Natural Freaks, PanTrin Vybz, and Freeze International played soca and dancehall, both current and from yesteryear (my waistline paused when Elegance Sounds played hip-hop). By the time I opened my eyes and really took in the scene, the place was packed with smiling faces and wining waists. As usual with these events, there were more women than men and I could see the men taking advantage; moving from bumpa to bumpa as women demonstrated their skills to “Monster Winer” and “Too Real.”
My friend and I chose to dance in a corner to stay out of the way of people moving from inside the party, where the heat from so many alcohol-infused bodies was rising, to the cooling breeze on the outer deck. Although we were in a corner, that did not stop men AND women from thiefing a wine as they circulated through the party. I am not sure how long I was dancing and with whom and to what songs, but my feet, waist, and back were throbbing as I staggered off of the boat and headed to the car. Yes, leaving in pain is the sign of a great party.
It was not the brief bout of rain and wind that caused the boat to rock as we sailed along. It was the energy of good music and good vibes. Shouts to Freeze International and Ms. Redz CEO for a fantastic event! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some penance to do.
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