The Place: The Cubby Bear, Chicago, IL
The Day: Wednesday, April 2, 2003

The Time:
Approx. 11:00
By Wrecka pics by Carmen Maria (click to enlarge)


Wrecka roll in pon di door and sum funny bizness ah gwan, look like two yout ah try a ting wid sum fake i.d bizness, soldier pon security detail decide fi jus lock down door an gwaan deal wid di two likkle problem bway dem inside, so di I jus a cool ana wait wid at least four more people dem, sum likkle tight sweater gal dem a look good nuh raas.

Approx .11:15

Soldier bwoy come back now an sey tings ah gwaan good now, let dem in.

Wrecka enter now, well cold an dial up a Heinekin two twos- blouse and skirt $5!!!, fi dat my yout, ah so bar man a tun teef tuh raas. Anyhow the vibes dem cool. Whole heep a gal dem a fill up the wall dem, mi notice sey some serious dance hall sistren a hold up the stage front, inna some skinout style fi tru- yes boss right off mi know sey di vibes cool.
Nuff man inna club a hold down dem cup and bokkle still so tings jus a warm fi true.


Sound bwoy dem a bubble and move the early crowd wid some sweet Tanya Stevens old time tune, den dem come in pon the Showtime classic and dat start di crowd fi move and bounce. Skinout gal dem move in pon di center and Parle lik him high beams pon dem as Traffic Blocking fill up di speaka dem. Gal a whine and tek time, yes di vibes dem nice fi true. Sound bwoy dem send off a round ah di Return wid Cham, "finga on di trigga nigga" gun shot finga dem inna di air, and crowd start grow now, more center circle ah full up wid sum hot gal fi true. Den di "Bruk Out " riddim come in an nuff salute inna di air, gal dem a whine an ah tek time, TKO, Cham, and di Governor lace out di riddim an den stage start get busy, crowd a full up di place now and Slacky start warn di crowd sey di performers are on di way, definitely , Sound bwoy dem leggo some Sean Paul and di yankee inna di place get lively pon a BET tune fi real, as gal dem a "Shake dat Ting" den mi hear Saw come in wid da Backshot an di skinou^tr gal dem a keep Parle busy you f&%#, stage get busy again an Slacky start in wid di ususal big ups to the sound bwoy and all di crew dem inna di place an ah show time now.


Approx. 11:45

Salutes to di Sound bwoy dem, fi di time dat pass never seem so long, good juggling fi true. Alright now, band pon di stage, bassman a lik and drumma a drum- a yout inna wah Blue jersey tek di stage and dj some tune but di crowd nah really move, him gwaan good dough, an get some support when Singing Curt drop pon di stage and dem Boom Dynamite join dem a give di gal dem some sweet gal tune, dem exit wid a nice outro.

Approx 12:20

Yeah place full up nice now, good crowd and Kiprich tek di stage an hold tings down wid some solid tune dem, it look like dem turn up di mike dem cause mi ah hear fi him voice clearer still, im do "Bun a Batty Bwoy" and get crowd pon im side quick quick, next im start nice up di gal dem ah stage front, him do some more ladies work den drop "Bleachin Cream" pon di crowd, off of di old Fab Five "Shaving Cream" riddim- real nice fi true an di crowd and di gal dem special inna some good vibes now. Next him ask fi di R.Kelly "Ignition" riddim an start in pon some wicked bedroom bad man bizness, gal dem a love him and man dem salute wid gun finga fi true, outro Kiprich.

Headlina time now, "If You Want a War" and Elephant Man tek di stage, mi yout inna wah Michael Jordan Washington Bullets home jersey wid whole heep a gold chain and ting, even have trouble wid him head set mike, as him a try tek off di gold chain dem fi hype up. Still di crowd well ready an im get a good welcome from di Chicago massive. Him come wid "Replacement Killas" next and di crowd a get more hype now.

Elephant get him stage legs now an mussi si sey di crowd hype fi real, an is like my yout jus kick up di energy pon stage by a notch. "Chi Chi Man" den im go into "Bring You P%54y Come" and even dare di gal dem fi "gwaaan go touch and rub di anaconda". Gal dem hype now all feel up my yout til im haffi pull wey to blouse and skirt, him affi admonish di Chigao gal dem, im sey im never no sey "dem so bad".

Next Elephant decide fi introduce some new dance, him show di crowd how fi do di Wave, di Signal di Plane, di Parachute, Sweep out yuh rubbish, Higher Level den him gwaan inna di "J.A.M.A.I.C.A N. gwaan lif up you gun" tune, by now Kiprich deh back pon di stage and di two ah dem a hold up a Red Green and Gold Flag wid di Legend, Sellasie and Marcus Garvey pon it an dis a get all yard man inna di place well hype fi true. By now tings hot fi real an him lace into "Mek Yuh Money"“ den him come wid di big tune di "Log On" and by now gal dem ready fi rush di stage fi Log On, but Elephant step back and play wiud di crowd, an bring him new dance and song "Pon di River". Him invite up some hot gal fi come pon stage wid him an Kiprich an sey him ah go teach dem di Dance. Mi hear sey dis dance a mash up yard an mi can well si why, it start wid a slide step two step and a side kick out den di pon di bank part is like a running in place type dance, is a real group type dance as in di more people ah do it di more fun you have in doing it, imagine modern day "electric slide" type ting but wid some Elephant lyrics and some Q45 riddim right. Anyway by now stage full wid people an do crowd hyper dan hype him launch into "Love how dem Gal a Whine" den him do "Bumper" and dat get gal hype fi real star. Next him nice di gal dem wid "Some Gal nah go Down Low" and him get big loving from di gal dem wid "Walking Cemetry"

Him slow tings fi a next likkle lesson wid do "whine like a gypsy" "Egyptian" and den im show di crowd how fi "˜start dem bike and whine out yuh bike" dance hall style still. Pure fun inna di place and some good vibes all around, wid Kiprich back pon stage now dem finish out pon di "Ignition" riddim again an duet wah sound like di same song Kiprich did outro fi him set wid, a nice touch fi real. Di local Chicago crowd really tek to di "Ignition" an of course the "mr shizzle my nizzle" man played to it in true Elephant Style, wid some more badman bedroom lyrics, gunshot finga salutes all around and both DJs outro-

Approx 2:00
End Show

Overall Performance, strong.
Entertainment, very strong.
Venue/security/sound, very strong.
Crowd, more would have been better, but very hype fi Elephant.