LargeUp.com & Spurtree presented International Reggae Day NYC featuring a live acoustic performance by Toots and music provided by Rice & Peas at The Jimmy.
On International Reggae Day, a celebration of reggae music and culture, I visited The Jimmy to see Toots live in a penthouse lounge. The Jimmy is a high end cocktail lounge which is located on the 18th floor of The James hotel. The lounge features an elegant interior with a bar, seating areas, and a view of the city skyline. It also features a rooftop deck, which has a second bar, a 3 feet deep pool, and a view of the freedom tower, New Jersey, and Queens.
The lounge opened at 5 p.m., but the main event didn’t start until later. While waiting for the main event, the guests drank at the bars, socialized on the deck, or danced to reggae music, curated by Rice & Peas. Rice & Peas is a Caribbean themed group composed of local New York City DJ’s like Max Glazer, Gravy, Orijahnal and MC Micro Don. Around 6 p.m., it began to raining heavily; around 7 p.m., the sun appeared only to disappear again an hour later by the rain. The rapid change made the crew set the stage three times throughout the night, but this didn’t stop the spirit of International Reggae Day. While the crew was setting up the third time, for the main event, Toots arrived and sat next to me. This window gave me a great opportunity to interview him.
For those who don’t know him, Toots was part of a group called Toots and the Maytals. Originally called The Maytals, this Jamaican musical group is known for being pioneers in reggae, ska, and rocksteady. I had the chance to interview Toots, and ask him questions like what made him become a musician, and why was he here in New York City. He told me the reason why he became a musician was because he felt a connection with reggae, and that reggae is good for the soul and makes you see another part of the universe. The reason for his visit to NYC was because of International Reggae Day; he was scheduled to perform a couple of gigs throughout the city. He was very excited to be back on stage, and he appeared to me as a very funny and colorful person.
After my interview, Toots finally took to the stage to perform some of his past hits. He told the audience that he is back and here to stay, that he is recording new records and performing again. He started his first song, “Bam Bam,” to honor his old manager who passed away last year. The song is about a person that fought for the right reasons, and stated his manager had always defended him and fought for his success.
Then he changed the tone of his performance by singing his next song,”Monkey Man.” This song is about an old crush who fell in love with another man, so ugly that he looked like a monkey. Toots said that he doesn’t understand how a girl so beautiful could’ve dated such an ugly person.
He concluded the night by singing his number one hit,”Pressure Drop.”
Toots is a hilarious character, and was very entertaining to watch. It was a wonderful evening.