Despite my reservations, I attended Blue Jeans with my sis, and I must say, I didn't hate it. In fact, I pretty much liked it. Then again, Blue Jeans and I have history as it was the very first fete I've ever gone to and it didn't hurt that they had DJ Private Ryan, the most versatile DJ in the world (and my favourite DJ). But it's one thing to say I like a fete, let me break it down for yah.....
Okay, there were drinks other than shots, but you had to be blind to miss the shots bar as it had a neon sign with the word, 'SHOTS' tempting the daring alcohol drinker. Because it was an all inclusive, the liquid courage flowed, from sophisticated fare like spritzers to your good old rum and coke (Lawd, dem mek um strong!) to cocktails that had the bartenders looking like proud parents or maniacal geniuses. And when you didn't want to decide on the variety of liquor, there was a bar that comprised of a big grey tub filled with water and Red Stripe. But the shots were worth sampling, from the smooth, creamy good good to the one that burned on the way down to the one that I considered liquid dragon licorice (tasted like Sambuca but bitch slapped you to near sobriety.)

Now, this is why I liked Blue Jeans, I just love to dance. Ever since I was a kid, I liked to bruk out on the dance floor. It didn't hurt that the DJs played a mix that showed my age but whateva! From old school to new school, from dancehall to soca to pop/dance, I was a satisfied customer. I must say I was a little surprised earlier in the evening when they were playing Fadda Fox's Ducking, all of a sudden a whole bunch of people were, well, ducking. But I did appreciate that there was a designated dance floor, which meant whoever was on it, was on it to dance instead of just stand. But when you walked around, you soon discovered that the dancing wasn't relegated to the dance floor as some people were doing a little t'ing when their favourite song played. By the end, the dance floor was packed and all though the body and spirit were eager, the space was limited.
After a long set with the DJs, Claudette Peters hit the stage. Her outfit was not as daring as the one she wore at Stage, but her make up was amazing and she brought the usual energy and fun. In the middle of her set, Menace or is it MnM, whichever came to the stage and kept the energy up. Granted I vaguely know their songs with the one exception of 'Old Time Something'. You can never go wrong with a dance instruction song, ask Elephant Man. As the morning progressed, Claudette Peters came back on and then DJ Private Ryan took the stage, but it was different. He had an MC, is this good? is this bad? I can't fault him as some DJs do talk through their sets and this guy did bring more energy to his set. The jury is still out but he was easy on the eyes. Oh and before I forget, Tian Winter performed briefly during Private Ryan's set. He wasn't bad and I'm happy he did away with the hat. I know it's hard for male performers to differentiate themselves when it comes to their clothing, but we aren't there to look at them but to listen to them. And Tian delivered, dancers and all. We also had Ricardo Drue who sounded great.

Overall, I had fun, but not only that, I learned a few truths, like:

• No two fetes are the same. Stage is a concert while Blue Jeans is a dancing thing. White fete is for people who want to dress up and Blue Jeans are for those who want to dress down. And one can't compare Power Rumble to LOL or White Fete to Red Eye, they are all different beasts and give everybody a chance to enjoy themselves.
• Think twice about footwear. My initial thought was to wear sandals but I plucked on my UPP converse and went, and boy an I happy that I did. Because it rained and because they recently cut the dry grass, the location was a little muddy. Seeing women's bejeweled sandals and pretty pedicures smeared with mud and dried grass made me feel happy, knowing when I get home I would just pluck off my shoes and hit the sack.
• Jeans meant shorts or second skin. Sorry folks, I missed the memo, but I left my bottle of shade at home and I'm glad I didn't need it.
• Dancing trumps standing. Unlike at Stage, I danced and moved around at Blue Jeans as a result my body does not feel like it's 90 years old today. I'm not 100% but I'm not wishing I owned a cane, nor do I look like an arthritic penguin walking around my house.
• People don't like rain. Earlier in the evening, it rained and people flocked to the limited cover. It was while in a crowd, I gave into my dislike of stationary crowds and walked in the rain. Thank God I have natural hair, it was just extra moisturizer for my drying twists.

Blue Jeans is my last fete for the season, I wish I could say ever but I don't know it I will be the good sister and attend another fete with my sister. If I do, I can only hope there is a dance floor. Next on the agenda is J'ouvert. Haven't done it in a while, but you never know. You just never know.....