By Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
BEENIE MAN strode on-stage at The Brewery on Saturday night like he was pacing his personal property, a grin splitting the lower half of his face.
Totally relaxed, he accepted the handshakes of a few female 'Spring Breakers' positioned just below the stage area, before saying a first trademark 'Zigi Zaw', which got the ram-packed audience in a tizzy.
Forty-five minutes later, when Beenie Man left the stage for the second time, the audience at Spring Break Splash was howling for the return of his lanky Celtic outfit and jeans-clad figure.
However, MC Cat Paw said Beenie Man really had to go.
It was three-quarter hours of deejaying, dancing and a few touches of humour which left the ram-packed audience at the Brewery begging for more, with touches from guests Nesbeth, Kitty Paw and Jahmel, the last of whom was introduced as the man who invented the 'row like a boat' dance.
With the crowd rocking away to excellent juggling from Renaissance Disco, singer Champagne opened the live performance segment with selections for the ladies primarily. The small man with the huge voice, John Gotti, was next, and he got huge cheers from the hometown members of the audience. He justified his welcome, as he hit his lyrics in good timing with the rhythm.
Fire Lion, the 'Zum Zi' man, was next, and he started out by telling the audience to say his name. A singer, Nico, was quickly introduced and the two worked in tandem, as Fire Lion interacted with a few of the ladies at the front of the audience.
The anti-oral sex song, Naa Stoop Low, followed, and after a song from Nico and Fire Lion had 'zoomed eeen' on a hip-hop rhythm, they left the stage.
The best of Fire Lion was to come when he was recalled to the stage, when he did I Know What Girls Like. Rapping again with some ladies, Fire Lion did his 'boom' song about the men who are afraid of the ladies, the 'boom' resounding from the audience.
However, it was Beenie Man that the people had come to see and there was a bit of a lull when he was not forthcoming immediately after Fire Lion. At 2:10, when it was announced that he was in the house, things perked up visibly and when he actually appeared on-stage it was pandemonium. It was not only the persons crammed onto the semi-outdoor deck area, overlooking the 'Hip-Strip', who enjoyed Beenie Man's performance. With a large TV near the bar area and music coming from well-positioned speakers, several persons found sitting comfortably and observing the action just as enjoyable. The number of patrons who chose the big screen option prompted one man to say: 'A Cineplex dis!'
Beenie Man opened with Goodas Gal and, as he spliced it with 'Till de day I die, more gal I want', he had to pull up. The women agreed overwhelmingly when Beenie Man advised that 'If yu fed up wid yu boyfren' let 'im go'. A touch of 'woman from yu neva shy' was enough to get them howling even more and Beenie Man, laughing, asked Renaissance for a 'rude boy' rhythm. He did not make the waiting period dead time.
"Anyway, before yu fine it," Beenie Man said, launching out a capella into 'Me buck di gal from Montego Bay'. When he hit 'Gal yu fi sekkle dung', The Brewery 'bus'.
The rhythm came in and Beenie Man declared that none of those felines were as bad as him, moving into Man A Bad Man, stabbing a forefinger at the crowd as he got into the lyrics. The tempo picked up with Beenie Man chanting 'She don't really need a toy friend', and the dancing segment ensued. At one stage there were four dancers, plus Beenie Man, cutting loose with the latest styles on stage.
Nesbeth and Kitty Paw did cameos, leading up to Red Red Red, which the audience practically did for Beenie Man as he 'conducted'.
A great 'run on the spot' ensued and Beenie Man left the stage, only to return. Jahmel touched the microphone as Beenie Man wrapped up on a powerful note, listening to the voice of the Rastaman, beating through the walls of Zion and out from The Brewery over the Montego Bay Hip Strip.
