Kwajalein | August 27th, 2004 | Shocka

Here we are aboard yet another flight. Five minutes ago it was Thursday August 26th and you can see from the posted day that it is now the Friday August 27th. The day didn’t change because its midnight. Basically we flew out of Thursday and into Friday day just because we flew over the International Dateline. Here’s where things start to get a little weird. We left Kauai this morning and flew over to Honolulu where we caught another flight to our next destination Kwajalein located in the Marshall Islands. Now, it was Thursday August 26th when we left but Kwajalein is exactly 22 hrs time’s difference although it takes less time to get there than it would to fly from Baltimore to Los Angeles. So somehow we lost the rest of our Thursday and will land at 7pm on Friday. I’ve never been a big science guy and that whole time and space continuum has always escaped me, but I’m pretty sure that we just flown into the future. All I can say is that this whole time zone system seems to have worked well enough for longer than I’ve been alive, so who am I to question it?

The morning started a little rough with a big hassle at Aloha Airline (the only carrier to Kwajalein). Long story short, they tried to stonewall us because so much of our gear was over there standard weight limit. But again patience and respect will always prevail. Kevin and Roc handled most the schmoozing. It actually only took about an hour and a few thousand government dollars (apologies to all you taxpayers) to make Aloha bend its policy. However the supervisor who gave us the pass did specify it was a one time, and one time only pass that we received. I’m sure his desire to get us and the equipment out of the ticketing area didn’t hurt the cause either.

Finally after getting through that whole mess and the security checkpoint, Scotty gave us all a little much needed comic relief. Just pass the TSA stop were two Hawaiian musicians play an acoustic guitar and electric bass; just a nice send-of provided by the Kauai Airport for all the tourist. As I walked through the metal detector I heard Scotty on the mic saying, “Big up to all my TSA Security and all my Jah Works crew!” It got as nice laugh from the entire band and especially the TSA people. Later, the two musicians were nice enough to let Scotty and Bassy get up and entertain us all with an acoustic version of Sam Cooke’s “Change Gonna Come.” It was awesome and the vibes couldn’t be better. It still amazes me that after over a decade of seeing each other on a more or less daily basis, we can all still be this close---Give Thanks!!!

After a long flight we’ve finally reached our next stop, Kwajalein. Unfortunately Roc’s tenor sax didn’t make with us. We’re all hoping that it simply went onto the next destination and will find its way back to the island in the morning. I must say that Roc is handling it better than I would’ve had it been my gear. Kwajalein is basically a two mile stretch of land six feet above seal level in the Marshall Islands. Normally the weather is beautiful however it seems that we’ve chosen to visit at the wrong time.

We were greeted by our on-base liaison, Kathy, who informed us that there is an awful storm blowing in from the west. Most of the on-base employees are from a nearby island and ferried to and from work, but with storm blowing in the ferries have been forced to dock for the night and thus all services on Kwajalein were shut down earlier in the afternoon. That means no groceries or dining hall, no place to get any cigarettes or water, and worst of all—NO BAR!! After another 12 hour travel day most of the guys were looking forward to a couple of cold beers before sleeping. But that ain’t happenin’. I just ran in to Roc and Pang outside our hotel and they were lucky enough to meet some nice C-130 pilots from Arkansas who were happy to share there beers. Apparently they’re stranded until the storm blows over too and luckily had the foresight to stock up this afternoon—very nice guys. But everyone is extremely nice here as it’s such a small community it’d probably be hard to make it if you were an ass.
Regardless of the entire situation we’ll all survive and there will be food tomorrow. We come from the land where anything and everything is on demand so this will actually be a great exercise in adapting and serve as a reminder of how lucky we are back at home. Our hostess told us of another island named Ebeye where many of the other on-base employees ferry from. It is only one square mile and inhabited by 12,000 natives of the land. That makes it more densely populated than New York City only without the luxury of electricity or running water. Should the storm be really bad, Ebeye and its population might suffer great losses. Meanwhile each Jah Works member has their own air-conditioned room with a tv, vcr, bathroom, kitchen, and two beds. So for me to bitch about not having a hot meal would be extremely dimwitted.

We have a full day tomorrow. Kevin, Scotty, Roc, and I are doing a radio interview at 8am. The plan is for Kevin to accompany us on acoustic while we do a few tunes. For those of you who have XM—you still won’t get it. Then we have to load in the equipment and sound-check at 1 pm and perform at 9 in the Yuk Club. Again we are all looking forward to doing the one thing we do best---PLAY MUSIC. The travel can be a bit monotonous but the performance is always the pay off.

Kwajalein | August 31st, 2004 | Shocka

Kwajalein has brought Jah Works many nice surprises. With an awful storm looming and threats of the island being shut down, we awoke this morning for our first radio interview of the tour. Because the studio was so small we decided to have Kevin accompany the three singers on an acoustic guitar while the rest of the band would listen from their respective rooms. The DJ, Rich, was really cool and had us all relaxed and cracking jokes which is not easy at 8:30 in the morning for a bunch of night owls. He actually asked us about Amsterdam and the Seattle Hempfest which we thought would be rather taboo topics on military radio, but we would come to find out that Kwajalein is nothing like the normal military base. The interview went very well especially considering that Kevin’s borrowed acoustic was about the size of a ukulele.

It was after the interview that Kevin informed us that a minor catastrophe had occurred. Traveling as we are, there a lot of things to keep track of. Individually we all have passports, money, cameras, equipment, etc.. But as a band there is even more stuff. There are orders and document issued by the Department of Defense, plane tickets, money for each airline we’re flying issued to cover the excess baggage charges, and many other minute details that need to be remembered. Kevin has the burden of many of these details. In the fray of claiming the prior day’s travels from Hawaii, Kevin realized that he was missing a large sum of band money. He broke the news to me first that he couldn’t find nearly $1300 that he had the day before. I felt terrible for him and told him not to worry knowing that no one in the band would come down on him. How could we? When he told the others one by one, their reaction was the same. Still, Kevin felt as though he’d let us all down. I knew that incident would definitely sour his trip.
Then lo and behold, later that afternoon our liaison Cathy got in touch with Kevin and said that two Ebeyen workers named Karton and Amirio had found the money in the truck that held our equipment. And not only did they find it, they returned every last dollar! Now ask yourself where else in the world could that happen? Who among would find that much cash and turn it all in without the promise of any reward. The relief Kevin felt was palpable and he promptly gave the two men a $200 reward. That story in and of itself is priceless and the burden lifted off of Kevin was even more so. But it truly spoke to the magic of Kwajalein.

Both shows there were wonderfully attended and the crowds were so heartfelt in their love for Jah Works. I personally wasn’t expecting a vibe like that on such a small island but there’s nothing better than being so pleasantly surprised. As you all know, we like to invite talented guest-artists onstage from time to time. We were lucky enough to meet two such performers at the first show. There was Wise, a man from Fiji whose love for reggaes utterly apparent, and another artist from New York who had a nice dancehall/hip-hop flow. Because Kwajalien is such a small island, everyone in attendance new both of our guests and their presence onstage definitely was a huge crowd pleaser. As for the band, Jah Works always loves playing with other talent and these guys were well-skilled with priceless vibes.

The shows started and ended early so even after packing up all the gear we had time to visit a few late night parties. The Sunday night show was followed by an impromptu pool party in the on-base 24hr pool. Our man Wise pedaled up with sound system and cooler full of beer and Mike, Scotty, Roc and brought whatever other libations we could round up. It was a great way to end a great show night, although I think the details might be a bit hazy for all of us.

The storm never came, the shows were great, and on our last day there all our new friends held a barbecue in our honor. Jah Works brought the beers and several people made food varying from noodles, ribs, marlin steaks, chicken—you name it. And our new friend Wise from Fiji who’d gotten on the mic with Jah Works at the shows brought a sound system that pumped reggae well after sunset. It was truly a wonderful send off. We made great friends in Kwaj (as they call it) and even met a guy from Baltimore who grew up on Preston and Broadway--must be a small world after all. So to our new friends in Kwaj, especially our MWR liaison Kathy, we say thank to all of you for sharing your wonderful world with us. Big Up.

 

Leaving Kwajalein | August 31st, 2004 | Brian

Sitting on the plane, leaving Kwajalein, headed for Guam. This is unbelievable, all this traveling we get to do…already went to Seattle, Kawaii (Kauai) and kwajalein…and still it’s so early in the trip, so many more places to visit, people to meet, experiences of a lifetime. The best part is that we’re here because of the music, everybody wants to talk to us and hear our story…

Kwaj was incredible. Nothing can really prepare you for it. It was a 5 hr flight from Hawaii to Kwaj. The descent to land was so surreal…breaking thru the clouds early Friday evening, seeing all that water for thousands of miles, then starting to see portions of the coral reef give way to tiny inter-connected strips of islands…we're in no man’s land…

After landing and briefings/orientation, we got bumped up to Kwaj’s best quarters @ the Macy’s building…everyone got their own room, which was great timing, we all needed some space. We arrived 8-9 pm, too late for a meal or drinks, which was probably for the best. Lord knows we would get plenty of partying in before we left!

Our first full day there was Saturday, which was actually a day in the future having flown past the International Date Line to get here. We got a little tour of the island by our host, Kathy, but quickly got to work loading in the gear, setting up and soundchecking for a performance at the Yukwe Yuk club ("Yukwe Yuk" means "welcome" in Marshallese).

The 2 performances in Kwaj were a thorough success. I can recall at least a dozen or more conversations I had with folks telling me how they “really needed that” or “finally, a great band”. It was obvious, packed dancefloors, big applauses and big compliments. People were getting lost in the music, there was a collective hangover felt on the island after that first show.

There was definitely a separate portion of people who really were getting off…the Puerto Rican’s, Hawaiian’s, Fijian’s etc…reggae and dancehall fans already. Letief was telling me after the last show (at the cookout) that most of the folks on the island are from the Midwest, conservative types who prefer country acts to visit. He said that everytime they’re at the bar, they’re always beefing over what music to play…reggae’s always getting rejected for country or rock’n roll. He said he saw those same guys out on the dancefloor enjoying themselves. Mission accomplished.

The sights around the island were breathtaking…and the heat was beyond words. At 7 degrees above the equator (Hawaii is 21), that sun reaches out and touches you. My SPF 48 was being tested like never before. Kevin and I decided to check the 9 hole golf course on one of the days. We came back looking like we’d ran a marathon. It was awesome though…playing golf on Kwaj between the Pacific ocean and the runway. I did pretty good too…shot a 42 with some crappy clubs!

The 2nd performance (Sunday) went equally well + it was obvious word had gotten out about the 1st show. We even got a few of these…”I know I was drunk last night, but I’m not drinking tonight…you guys really are good!”

Monday was a day off and our last day in Kwaj. They threw us a goodbye BBQ/party up @the beach (+ later at Miguel’s. They had a DJ system set up, cranking reggae, dancehall, and Hawaiian sounds. People were swimming, playing dominoes and relaxing…great vibes. It rained a few times but couldn’t stop the party. The weather changes so quick. I saw a system move in and out within 15 min dumping rain on us…I didn’t even bother getting out of the water.

I only can hope the rest of the tour will be as great as Kwaj. I know it will be different though.

WHOA! That landing in Pohnpei was more than a little suspect. We were going way too fast coming in…slammed the runway a couple times before hitting the breaks…I'm told they sometimes do "touch and go's" b/c the runways are so small...

Kwajalein | August 31st, 2004 | Scott

When we landed on Kwajalein, the vibe was a bit rough. First of all, they were predicting some really bad weather, so the whole island was pretty much shut down and locked up tight when we landed. Then the first impression I got of the island was a stone-faced cop who wouldn't say hello back to me when I greeted him. I don't dig that at all. He was all bad vibes. Then we walked into the receiving room and were told to lay our carryon bags in a straight line and take a seat. Next thing you know, there's two dogs, one for drugs, one for explosives, sniffing away at our belongings. I thought to myself, Jah Works isn't with Al Queda, right?! Oh well, you gotta play the game when you're in a new place, I guess.

Once we cleared customs, though, we were met by Kathy, our liason for the time on Kwajalein, and she briefed us very well on what to expect and where we would be playing. With the storms bearing down on the atoll, there was no food to be had other than a packed lunch, and no bars open to wet our collective whistle, so it was off to the dorms where I just showered and wrote a bit in my journal. The next day we got up early, had breakfast at the mess hall and then did a little radio appearance on the island network. That was a really cool experience, singing some songs with just Roc, Shocka and Red accompanying me. The vibe was great, we sounded surprisingly good for eight-thirty in the morning, and that was a great start to a great day. I went to the beach later on that day and swam in the little lagoon, where the water was like a bath, it was so warm. There was a lot of coral underfoot, so you had to be careful, but I thought, "How cool would it be to live here all the time?" Well, maybe a visit is better...to be honest, it's nice to know that you can jump in a car and drive somewhere if you get bored in Baltimore. On Kwajalein, there ain't no jumping in a car. But we DID have two boss golfcarts at our disposal, so we made the most of it. Later on in the trip, I drove one around and checked out some old Japanese bunkers, called pillboxes, made of concrete and constructed in the vain effort to repel our U.S. forces. Needless to say, our boys flushed them out back in the forties eventually, and now there's a golfcourse built around them. That's America for you, we kick your ass in the war, then build a golfcourse around your piddly little bunkers!!!

The first show on Kwajalein was a total success. People came out of the woodwork and really showed their love for Jah Works. We had a great crowd, lots of Native Hawaiians, some crew from Puerto Rico, etc. There are only about twelve active duty military personnel on Kwajalein at any given time, so the vast majority of people living and working there are civilian contractors and their families, there to do the many jobs that support the military mission there. We met sooo many people who were awesome, full of love and appreciation for what we do as musicians, it would be impossible to name them all, but Mike, my Hawaiian crew and their families, Miguel and his lady, Weis, Taj Mahal and his wife, my girl Sharon and everyone else, you have my undying appreciation, love and maximum respect for all the love you extended to us. We will ALWAYS remember you all. We played another show the next night and did it all over again. Then on our last day there, we were off, so a bunch of people from Kathy on down hosted a huge beachfront party and barbecue for the Jah Works crew, complete with grilled fish, short ribs, a cooler the size of Rhode Island, full of beer, wine, sodas and rum, and a full soundsystem with two or three DJ's spinning all kinds of great music ALL DAY LONG. I want to thank Miguel and Manny for showing me around that last night, ya hear me?!?! Nuff Respect! Until such time as we meet again, love to the max from Scotty P. to you!!!

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