Yes, Jamaica is paradise…blue water, sunny skies, soft sandy beaches and palm trees blowing in the wind.
Add a bunch of really cool bands, stir it up, and the end result is Caribbean Holidaze.
For our 3rd year, we whisked hundreds of fans to two all-inclusive resorts in Runaway Bay for a week filled with musical heaven.
The Biscuits & Umphrey’s have been our partners on this event, “our” being the company I work for, Cloud 9 Adventures.
Jam Cruise is the other event we produce. And we get it…we know what works and what fans want. We’ve all been to muddy festivals where the porto potties overflow and tent camping just gets old.
Plus, we’re all a little older these days and want to be taken care of more. So when the housekeepers put my towel in the shape of a swan and put my sunglasses on its nose, I can’t help but smile and know we are doing a good thing for the music scene.
There were no worries over the Holidaze. We design the schedule to adhere to a relaxed vibe by day and full contact at night.
What was extra fabulous about this year’s line up was the mix and match possibilities within the bands. Umphrey’s & the New Deal have quite a thing going. Yacht Rock was the rendition of the smooth 80s featuring favorites like “Kiss on my list” and “Rosanna.”
But the highlight of my weekend was Omega Moos. Their show started 30 minutes late so it wasn’t until 2:30am in the middle of the week that the magic came alive. I had no idea….I really didn’t. Where I had seen and loved Yacht Rock already because they played on Jam Cruise, I didn’t realize the power of Omega Moos.
Let me side note that I am an OUT OF THE CLOSET 80s fan…there is no denying it nor will I ever lie about how I feel.
When Omega Moos opened with Girls on Film, I nearly lost it. Picture hot rock songs from the 80s combined with the ridiculous sounds of the New Deal then throw in Brendan Bayliss and you’ve got sensory overload.
The whole week was fabulous….everything from the weather to the artists to the fans to the resorts to the feeling of true freedom and comfort. Granted, I am working the whole time, but everyone gets some chill time. Poolside hangs on the yellow floats were among the best experiences of the trip.
We’re definitely planning Caribbean Holidaze Part 4. We’ll go to a new tropical location and invite the fans and some of the Biscuits & Umphrey’s friends to come party with us.
Hope you can make it.
Here are a few of my favorite photo moments:
Brock played a 2-hour killer solo acoustic set by the pool at Breezes
Ah…I am so in love with the New Deal. It’s been 10 years since I first asked if I could be their first USA street teamer (FYI, they are from Canada) at Wetlands in NYC. And since then, our friendship and professional relationship has grown into a lifelong thing.
We celebrated the first night of Hanukah with menorah lighting, dradle spinning and my alter-ego Hanukah Holly was in full force.
Sammy Altman came to Holidaze as a special guest. He didn’t play with the Biscuits….it wasn’t even like that. He just came to enjoy himself. We loved having him around.
Eliot Lipp brought the Pnuma boys with him. Here, Lane, Brownie and I were hanging by the bar just enjoying life.
As I said above, daytime pool hangs rocked. Peeps loved floating around, talking & relaxing.
Beautiful sunsets happened nightly. With shows each evening at this time, we all basked in the glory of thanking the day and welcoming the night.
Ah….Yacht Rock sunset set. Do you like Pina Coladas? I sure do.
The fact that we built a professional sized stage on the beach was incredible. We all loved wearing no shoes in the sand while pumping our fists to the beats.
Jamaican Heritage Day – two of the coolest friends I have, Ryan Stasik from Umphrey’s and his ridiculously gorgeous girlfriend Mary Welch, helped me sport the country’s colors.
Last day…poolside at Breezes, Jake & Wade from Umphrey’s were spinning to the music of the 80s. Umph’s Kris Myers and I couldn’t help but air guitar during Journey. I mean Steve Perry rulez, right?
Oh Magner, you’re the best…..REALLY! I feel so fortunate to be friends with boys like this. Here, our signature pose never gets old.
Continuing with the Jamaican theme, tons of us dressed up to honor the country we’ve called home for the Holidaze 3 years in a row.
OK, we’re not sure where we’re going, but we know where we’ve been. We’ve LOVED being in Jamaica. Now, let’s plan the next adventure. Caribbean Holidaze 2010 will blow you all away.
