Photos by Rae
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What's up my Kings and Queens? Mix Juice here fresh off the plane from London (see Notting Hill Carnival 2k8 coverage), and I haven't even been on the ground long enough to remind myself what time zone I'm in before jumping in the car and heading straight to S.O.B.S for the Alison Hinds Show! I kept hearing her Crop Over 2008 hit "Soca In Meh Vein" in my head and couldn't wait to get up front and center!

We get a nice park on d corner by d club. Lawd talk about people! The place was pack up with love, so many people here to see the 'Queen of Soca', including fellow Bajan Dahved Levy (WBLS) and famed photographer Jonathan Mannion. A truly beautiful site.

I love how SOBs always lights their shows. There's a very subtle sexiness to it, lots of reds and soft blues set the mood perfectly for what was about to come. Now Petite Juice and I are short people, so yuh know we cyant see over dem tallies! DJ Rudeboy was kind enough to let us lime with him for awhile up in the DJ booth while he spun. Major big up to DJ Rudeboy, be on the lookout for our "5 Minutes With" interview with him ... coming soon!

Now when one thinks of a DJ booth, the word death trap doesn't usually come to mind but when thinking about this one, it should! Petite Juice, in her hotta hot heels and me in meh sandals had to climb a very rickety ladder behind the bar to get to d booth. I'm very sure Petite Juice went first so in the event of a misstep in her hotta hot heels, I would break her fall ... haha! Rudeboy lent a hand and helped us up the ladder, and there we were with prime viewing for the show.

The lights dimmed and the music started and ever so quietly, the Soca Queen came on stage. Colors in the air, hands everywhere, session start! Alison Hinds, decked out in full gorgeous gear let her voice shine and the crowd roared. "I'm lookin for my ladies, let me see your hands uppppp!" Wheeeeeeeyyyyy! Now you know what comes next ... at every show, the lovely Alison invites a gentleman on stage to ... ahem .. teach him the proper art of "wining". Aand tonight was very special because not only did she bring one man on stage, she brought two!! But I have to speak of only one of the men tonight ... the true star of the show ... my boy decked out in his Adelphi University shirt, skinny and shy (or so we thought) as can be, wavin' his Trini flag ... buss one wine on Alison once that music start!!! Go dahlin go! You win! My jaw certainly dropped to the floor proving that looks can sometimes be deceiving!

The show came to a great end with Hinds thanking her fans and showing her signature smile. Alison we love you!

Now at this point, I started to remember that I haven't slept in a good 36 hours and my body started to remind me that it's in control and my waistline stopped moving and I didn't fight it. I got my dose of Alison and my dose of S.O.B’s. I can now pass out a happy woman. It's off to sleep I go, with a smile on my face and music in my head! Big up Papa Jube and Rudy! We love you bad!

- Mix Juice, hugging her pillow tight!!