“The driving force was community(…) we wanted to bring a community together through music, fashion, and being able to have a good time.”
-Matthew Gittens
Hosted by Matthew Gittens, Andrea Santos, Cayla Williams, Quinn Azhar, Arendel Owen, Jenesse Montalbo and Steven Aird.
https://www.instagram.com/the____scene
Counterculture is not dead!
Trinidad is assuredly no exception. The island is known for its fetes, bars and beaches, but there exists an underground of raves, parties and concerts.
The Scene was an event that created a safe community for every attendee, much as old counterculture did (see: disco, EDM, raves). Most, if not all of the attendees and staff were friendly and progressive. The sound engineering was amazing and I appreciated the selection of music, which included hyperpop, EDM, pop and house music. I felt no judgment, and I had no difficulties fitting in with the crowd.
Score: 7/10
It’s worth noting that this was the first event hosted by these organizers, and I’m sure they’ll improve with experience and better funding. Many of my criticisms were also imposed by the venue.
I’d go for the company alone, though I have some criticisms:
- There was no free water despite being an outdoor event (The venue had no tap water, but I think that should have been considered by the organizers).
- I was not searched on entry (The security was chosen by the venue).
- The lighting could be improved.
- The drinks could have used more variety (Drinks menu & chit system was chosen by the venue).
- The venue was hard to find.
Arrival
I arrived at Calabash Gardens at 9:00pm sharp. The entrance is nothing more than a brown wooden gate next to a bright yellow brick wall. I’d been at the venue previously for a rave last December but I still had to check Google Maps multiple times to ensure I was in the right place.
I was standing outside chatting with the bouncer before the doors opened, maybe fifteen minutes late.
I had two tickets, one scanned successfully, but my another was rejected as a “duplicate”. It was clear that the ticket was legitimate: not only was a different name on it, but it was an entirely different category of ticket than the other.
One of the organizers, Quinn Azhar, came to see what was going on. He looked at the tickets and shortly admitted both me and my friend despite the ticket not scanning, which I appreciate.
I was not searched on entry, which I would like to see improved.
The Ambience & Menu
The dance floor was in the centre of the area – DJ booth elevated above the crowd – lit by purple neon lights, streaming rows of fluorescent bulbs and a few hanging disco balls.
The lighting could’ve been improved upon. Aside from the moving white spotlights that would occasionally turn on during the DJs’ sets, I found it rather lacking.
Drinks were purchasable through a chit system, sold at no less than 5 chits for a price of $100. The charismatic man at the chit booth talked me into it before I could frown at the prospect.
I’ve paid more than $60 for a shot of whiskey before, so $40 for a shot of rum or vodka is well-priced to me. The thing is, I would have preferred to pay $40 for a shot of whiskey, which was not available at the bar.
Water was sold at a price of $10 a bottle (two bottles for one chit). The venue did not have free tap water available; the venue did not have tap water at all.
According to Quinn Azhar, neither the drinks menu nor the chit system was decided by the organizers, but was instead handled by the venue.
As this was the first event they hosted, I can more understand the lack of free water. I consider it either an oversight or financial limitation.
The Crowd
It was a somewhat hot night, and after downing a shot of tequila, I sat sweating in my white button-up shirt and brown jacket. My eyes were on the crowd: stylishly dressed attendees of many different genders and sexual orientations.
In many Trinidadian events and bars, queerness is sneered at and looked down upon. Yet not once had I a foul look since entry. I’m a transgender woman, and it’s not uncommon for me to get looks, but I hadn’t had any since I arrived.
During the initial hours of the night, the floor was somewhat thin. By 11:36pm, The Scene was full and lively. The dancefloor wasn’t quite packed, but the population was healthy. I had no issue meeting people, and found the average attendee very friendly and receptive to answering my interview questions:
“Everyone’s nice, it’s easy to make friends,” says Gabriel Grant, regarding the party’s demographic.
“It’s music you wouldn’t find in most parties. There are VERY ATTRACTIVE people,” says Jay Dyett, 23.
Although the crowd was generally progressive, the culture espoused by these underground events can sometimes stray from typical views.
“I think it’s cool. Under self-reflection, I feel a bit weirded out by the LGBT thing, but I’m open to it,” says Dasan LaCroix, a first-time attendee.
The Music
I found the music hit-or-miss at times, but the sound engineering was great. Some songs featured hard hitting 808s and ethereal, textured leads. Others were somewhat dull. Regardless, the sound was crisp and well balanced.
Three DJs held down the mix throughout the night: Zo, Arendel and OHMG. Zo was a hired DJ, while Arendel and OHMG were both part of the organizing team.
Between the hours of 2am and 3am, Arendel and OHMG went back-to-back on the mix, swapping out intermittently.
The event ended at 3am.
The Future
I’d like to believe that The Scene’s shortcomings are a symptom of inexperience and poor funding. The organizers seem to be going in with the right intentions, and I’m sure that their next event will be an improvement.
According to Matthew Gittens, The Scene started as a group of friends that intended to take clubbing to a “different place than we usually see in Trinidad”.
Gittens emphasizes the intent to create a space for people who may not feel included in the average clubbing events.
His outlook on the EDM scene moving forward is optimistic, “I think we’re going to see a lot more parties(…)that’s just a reaction to wanting change, wanting something new.”
The Scene 10-10-26: 7/10
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