Chaos, Freelance Writer
Above: Evelyn 'Champagne' King was the 'Queen of the night' at Megajamz' 'Heineken Studio 98' last Saturday night at the Liguanea Club, New Kingston. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
LAST SATURDAY night, the Liguanea Club, New Kingston was the place to be if you wanted a blast from the past - an enjoyable one. Megajamz' 'Heineken Studio 98's theme was 'Dancing Through The Decades' and that is exactly what happened.
Deejay Squeeze and selectors from the Mega Skyy Disco laid down tracks from the 1970s and '80s which had the fair-sized crowd dancing up a storm for the most part. However, they took a back seat to the diva of the night, Evelyn 'Champagne' King.
After MC Spike and Squeeze had those on hand move from diverse corners of the venue to directly stage front, the crowd moving en masse like automatons at their demand, the live performances began. There were performances from five ladies, and although all were good, King took the honours as queen of the night.
The night's last scheduled singer, she came to the stage dressed in full black and simply rolled back the years. Her energy and dance moves belied her age, the Grammy-winning artiste came to the stage after being introduced by a hyper-energetic Spike and started off with very little ado. In the heat of the night/We've been making love she sang, owning the stage, the venue and everyone in it. "Do you feel me out there?" she asked and got an answer to the affirmative. Yet it was not to her liking and so she asked again, with the added directions "Put some hands in the air, let me hear some noise!" Those under her thrall obeyed lustily.
King move like one possessed at times, turning her back to the audience and 'wining' to the ground and back up, her posterior tracing patterns in the air that elicited spontaneous cheers, especially from the ladies present. The venue was not full, but the noise the patrons made would give anyone on the outside a different idea as 'Champagne' rapped with the crowd. "Ladies, you know how there's always another woman trying to steal your man?" she asked, and got lusty cries to the affirmative. "Give me some attitude ladies, c'mon" said the woman who was attitude personified before she sang She don't love you like I love you, smoothly, sexily.
"How many of you know who I am?" Evelyn 'Champagne' King asked, cheers greeting the question and in one particular case, a loudly shouted "No!" being the response. "I just wanna get a good blend on-stage... a little sweeter, a little wetter," she stated in an often risqué set, before asking for more volume on her microphone.
"I know you just don't want me to stand up here and sing... the '70s still got it going on and we gotta get it through to the people," she said. "This next song y'all made number one," Love Come Down bringing the house down as she sang over pre-recorded tracks, as did everyone on the night.
The word 'Irie' cam in for a beating last Saturday night, and the Jamaica Tourist Board can probably be blamed for that, as King asked "How y'all feeling? Irie?" despite an earlier injunction from Spike that the crowd say 'Mega' instead of 'Irie' when asked.
"Wave your hands everybody, work those hips," King instructed and then proceeded to show how it is done, 'working' it into overtime , with the audience loving every moment. "That's it fellas, that's all you're getting... no more butt stuff... you already get enough of that, I watch your TV shows," she laughed before inviting two guys on-stage to join in her gyrations. The two who were not afraid to make asses of themselves were 'Baba Roots', who presented the performer with a bottle of the drink of the same name, and Jerry D. Jerry D had cheers and laughter greeting his appearance and even more when he 'danced'. "What's your last name Jerry?" King asked and the crowd answered as one "D!"
I'm In Love she sang before asking "It's not time to go is it? Do you want it fast or do you want it... slow?" before launching into a more soulful number. Kisses Don't Lie preceded King telling the crowd about her man of 12 years who was present and warning the ladies that it should be "...friendship first, 'nookie' later."
Her international hit Shame brought the night to a close, but not before she was presented with a gift from Squeeze, who she thanked for saving her life earlier - well, if not her life, her middle finger, the importance of which she declared for any woman living in California before wishing everyone a good night and "I love you so much... God bless," bringing the curtains down on what had been an enjoyable show.
Earlier Shannon, dressed simply in beige and a pair of dark glasses firmly in place, had turned in a decent set. She too rapped with the audience and took the time out to 'big up' Spragga Benz, with whom she has recorded a song. The only letdown was that she sang over her own pre-recorded vocals on the favourites Give Me Tonight and Let The Music Play and for the most part opted not to sing the choruses, which left one feeling a little cheated.
The night's other performers were Chrissy D, Nadine Sutherland and Marcia Griffiths.
