HEADLINER KES the Band lived up to its billing with a sizzling hour-long performance at the soca, paint fest, Beach J’Ouvert held at Grizzly’s Plantation, Priory, St Ann, last Saturday.

“We did Beach J’Ouvert when it was at James Bond Beach a few years ago, but this is the first time at this venue, and I really, really have to say I love this venue. This venue, to me, is a good evolution of the event. I would love to see a venue like this in Trinidad. The ocean in the back, the moon in the sky, and people partying. Very cool,” Kees Dieffenthaller, lead singer of Kes the Band, told the Jamaica Observer.

Event organisers Bacchanal Jamaica made the switch to the larger venue last year.

Kes the Band was welcomed by the large crowd from the opening notes to their 2018 hit Hello. From there, Dieffenthaller kept the high energy between the freshly painted crowd and his band going. He had fans singing along as they ran through the band’s extensive catalogue.

“I love the vibes. I love the energy. I love always coming back to Jamaica. Before, Jamaican crowds would know only the older soca, but not the newer ones so much. Now you have to play the newest of the newest and be current with the soca because people know it out here, which is great thing,” he continued.

And there was no shortage of familiarity with whatever the band started to play. 2018 tunes like Like It Like That, Go Dung, and I Shall Return were mixed easily with staples such as Fallin, Million, and Wotless. Dieffenthaller showed off his versatility with a welcome medley of dancehall classics from Beenie Man and Mr Vegas, amongst others. By the time they closed, a shirtless Dieffenthaller had worked the female patrons into a frenzy.

Bookending Kes the Band was the event’s line up of DJs led by Patrick “The Hype Man” Anthony. He brought his full energy to Beach J’Ouvert proving a great match to DJ Lantern, DJ Nicco, and DJ Tyler.

“Last year I didn’t think it would be much better because of the perfect fit, but it has really allowed us to expand not only our crowd, but the execution and the entertainment of the patrons. We love the venue, it has been great to us and we can’t wait to be back again next year,” Michael Ammar III, a Bacchanal Jamaica director, told the Observer.

Bacchanal Jamaica’s carnival season heads back to its home Mas Camp in St Andrew on Friday, April 6 for Bacchanal J’Ouvert.

“We’re going live at Mas Camp with Ricardo Drue and Nailah Blackman. We’re going to go out on the road and pound the music until 7:00, 8:00 in the morning, making it the best way to start off carnival weekend,” Ammar III added.