Three The Hard Way Retro Party Delivers
Published:Wednesday | March 16, 2016 | 4:26 PMShereita Grizzle
Patrons turned up at Jamaica College on Saturday night expecting a night of wholesome entertainment, and they were not disappointed as retro event Three The Hard Way delivered on all counts.
The Gleaner team arrived at the Karl Hendrickson auditorium just after 10 p.m. to a handful of guests, and although it took a little over an hour for the party to get into full swing, once things got going, there was no turning back.
Renaissance's Dr Dre was at the turntables for the early juggling jam session, and he did well to build the vibe inside the auditorium. Drawing on some of the biggest hits from local artistes who dominated the music scene during the '70s, '80s and '90s, the deejay masterfully led patrons on a trip down memory lane. From Dennis Brown's Aint that Loving You and Money in My Pocket, to Sanchez's, I'm Never Gonna Fall and Let Me Love You Down, the deejay wooed the audience and had peopl rocking to his every selection. It was almost as if the deejay could do no wrong because the crowd's response grew louder with every song played.
ARRIVING IN DROVES
By 11:30 p.m., the crowd had grown tremendously. Guests were arriving in droves, and there was now a long line at the entrance as persons waited to access the venue. Some patrons stuck with the retro theme as they arrived sporting bell-foot jump suits and afros. Others opted to display their school spirit ahead of the ISSA Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships as they donned their school colours.
Given the nature of the retro party, it was expected that the event would have attracted a more mature audience, however, it was clear that a number of youngsters were also out to enjoy the oldies party.
Almost everyone came in pairs, and so as the music played on, couples held each other closely as they danced the night away.
Later came deejay Venom, and first on his agenda was a tribute to the late Winston 'Merritone' Blake. He spoke highly of the deceased, describing him as a pioneer of Jamaican music. He then encouraged the audience to join him in applauding Blake as his contributions to the entertainment sector helped to set the foundation in Jamaican music. The audience obliged. That done, the selector got down to business, picking up where Dr Dre had left off. Drawing on songs such as Hue's Corporation's Rock The Boat, Abba's Dancing Queen and Madonna's Like A Virgin, the deejay took the party to the next level, and the audience willingly followed.