By Nathelie Taylor, Gleaner WriterONE WOULD be very hard-pressed to identify the best moment of 'Jokers Wild' last Friday night because every moment was, at the very least, ecstatic. Held at the National Housing Trust parking lot in New Kingston, this wild annual J'ouvert was worth every penny of the $1,800-$2,000 price tag.
From as early as midnight when The Gleaner team arrived, a number of patrons were showing their true colours to the beat of sweet soca by FAME DJ Kurt Riley. He pounded out hot tracks like Insane, Ketch A Fire, Tremble It and Tempted To Touch. He created a great early vibe that only got better as the night progressed with the appearance of DJ Daryl from Trinidad, Oscar B and the Renaissance crew.
If they had to vote though, the women at the front of the stage in the VIP section would give the prize to Machel Montano and his band Xtatic for having the defining party moment. And, it could very well be so. Machel was his usual insane and overly sexually hyped self. He brought intensity from the moment he stepped on stage at about 2:00 a.m.
HORNY AS EVER
But Machel would not be Machel if he didn't incorporate some rather provocative sexual actions in his set. While other members of Xtatic were content to dance 'normally', Machel took things to a whole other level. When he wasn't 'wining' at the edge of the stage, he was grabbing his crotch or asking females to do it, or patting his crotch or placing a phallic object (bottle or mike) at his crotch and moving it in a non-too-subtle manner. At one point, he took off his shirt and, while erotically 'mock-licking' his nipple, gyrated to the females' delight. Machel's actions were so 'loud' that a few patrons openly wondered, "Lawd, him mussi horny." Whatever was driving him though, steered him right into the patrons' hearts.
The men on the other hand would have an even harder time choosing the best moment for them.
There were some very 'fine' women at 'Jokers Wild', many of whom were in something very short, very tight and very revealing. But it was the actions on stage that really put the men in a frenzy.
First, there were the female patrons Oscar B called on stage to wine, after he, of course, strategically positioned them to his liking. Then came the Hedonism girls in white. The testosterone level in the venue heightened when Oscar B invited them on-stage and it grew significantly more when he ordered them to 'wine'. Words cannot aptly describe the sexual tension at that point, but it was almost tangible. As the Hedo girls began to 'wine', the men hastily raced to the stage front, trying for a better view of gloriously exposed assets. Oscar B himself was no saint during their performance as he made sure to slap one hard on her quickly-quivering butt.
JUNKO BEYOND IMAGINATION
But none of their 'bootyliciousness' could compare to the unbelievable dancing of former dancehall queen Junko. Her dance moves were sinful to say the least, definitely sending up the blood pressure of many men in the crowd. But, the thousands who had arrived by this point were more struck with awe than sexual thoughts as they glued their eyes to her many decadent tricks. She was awesomely flexible, effortlessly switching from splits to cartwheels to head-top meanderings. The highlight of her performance, though, was when she quickly climbed one of the on stage supporting poles then proceeded to skilfully dance upside down while holding unto a section of the pole with just one leg!
Patrons could only stare in disbelief with some whispering, "She nuh fraid she drop?" But Junko safely made her way back down and delighted them for a few minutes more with crotch-bearing, gymnast-styled dancing. At the end, even women had to applaud this dancing diva.
Then, about 3:00 a.m, the inevitable occurred. It was time to paint, and the canvas was a ready supply of writhing bodies. The first drops in the VIP section flowed from the hands of Machel, who poured on the desired liquid on eager females.
Patrons were warned, though, not to throw paint on the stage equipment or on patrons who did not want to be painted. The latter seemed to not have been clearly understood by a VIP patron who did just that and was almost beaten for his actions by the offended. The matter was soon quelled, but not before security was called in that section.
One thing many patrons would agree on was the fast and efficient service of the food vendors. Delicious spreads of curried chicken, stewed chicken, festivals and other delights were quickly served by fast moving hands. The drink bar operated in the same efficient manner. No one stood for long waiting on an order as service was rather quick.
So, what was the best Jokers Wild moment? Well, the jury is still out. But the verdict may actually be in favour of all the party's great elements mad music, crazy vibes, excellent food and drink service, and near the end, unadulterated fun with painting! But while they deliberate, patrons are surely still filled with beautiful memories of yet another very successful J'ouvert.
