Entertainment

Welcoming 2004 quadruple style

By NATHELIE TAYLOR, STAR Writer

NEW YEAR'S EVE celebrations at the Quad on Wednesday night got off to a slow start but ended with a nice vibe. Patrons slowly trickled into the simple yet stylishly decorated multi-level complex at 20-22 Trinidad Terrace, New Kingston, each receiving traditional party favours, including a champagne glass.

By 10:30 p.m. however, none of the three clubs had more than 20 patrons inside. While Oxygen was slowly filling up, Christopher's on the first floor and Voodoo on the third remained relatively empty.

The Jazz Café easily relaxed its few patrons with tropical-inspired jazz tunes, but Voodoo was yet to see any significant action. Actually, at a few minutes shy of 11 p.m., when soothing slow jams eased from the speakers, the bartenders and waiters of this club outnumbered patrons. The patrons who were there chose to escape to the deck to smoke, drink and view the activities of New Kingston below instead of dancing.

On the stroke of the hour, however, the Qxygen nightclub on the second floor was shaping up to be the place to ring in 2004. It had the right mix of party elements to both entice those arriving and keep those already inside well entertained. House DJs, the FAME twins Alric and Boyd, played a variety of retro songs which seduced patrons, as the thumping beats could be heard far outside Oxygen's doors. Energetic dance music made way for the ultimate audience magnet - 90's dancehall tunes - and patrons began arriving in droves and immediately started to dance.

If the music wasn't enough, party-goers were sufficiently dazzled by the intense lighting which Oxygen is well-known for. The tone of lighting actually complemented changes in the music. For instance, the club was bathed in striking white light while dance music pumped from the speakers. However, this easily transformed to a kaleidoscope of colours with the change to reggae, adding an intensity to the atmosphere.

To top it all off, patrons thoroughly enjoyed the two champagne fountains within Oxygen. This 'party nectar' flowed freely all night long and Quad personnel were seen refilling the fountains at the first sign of depletion. And, just as quickly, patrons returned for numerous refills.

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Oxygen was almost packed by 11:30 p.m. Among those reveling in the club was a Londoner, Martin David, who with champagne glass in hand, said he loved the atrmosphere. According to him, "It's similar to Eurpean clubs and the vibe is just great." Other patrons admitted that the Quad was their first and only choice to ring in the new year.

While the elegant dress code was largely ignored, patrons were nicely outfitted. The ladies especially were beautifully attired in the season's latest retro-inspired dresses, outfits which by no means hindered their ability to dance when the FAME twins unleashed the hottest dancehall tracks of the early 90s.

At 11:50 p.m., Alric and Boyd began counting off the last minutes of 2003, a countdown which was accompanied by fast-paced soca favourites. The passing of each minute was fueled by louder cheers, brighter smiles and champagne glasses rising higher. As the final ten seconds drifted by, an almost tangible air of bubbling excitement hovered in the room. When the clock struck midnight, a simultaneous cry of 'Happy New Year' rang out and everyone lustily sang along to the traditional Old Year's song Auld Lang Syne.

The party did not end at midnight though. Funky '70s beats followed quickly on the heels of Auld Lang Syne then were replaced by the more aggressive and sometimes raunchy notes of more retro dancehall songs. Already loosened by the champagne and excited by the New Year, patrons danced wildly, some even forming a congo line.

Unlike those in Oxygen, party-goers inside Voodoo rang in the New Year in a more subdued fashion. The vibes were still slow in coming to that club and a few patrons actually turned tail at the door and headed for the hot party one floor below. Voodoo had it's faithfuls however, and they stuck around to enjoy the sweet strains of songs like TLC's Waterfalls and R. Kelly's Step.