People arrived steadily all day long Monday, the Martin Luther King holiday, for BeachJam '99 at Magens Bay.
Starting at 6 a.m. and continuing throughout the day they came: young and old; black, white and brown — even some red by the end of the day; locals, tourists and people from surrounding islands, joined together in a momentous musical event. And there was not a sour note to be heard on stage or off.
How many people? It's hard to judge, according to Bill Jowers, general manager at Magens Bay.
"Because there are no cars here, I don't have my usual measuring stick," Jowers said. Early in the day he said his best guess would be about 3,000 people, but as the day came to an end Jowers estimated the crowd at its peak to be 4,000 to 4,500. But people were coming and going all day long so there could have been more, he said.
BeachJam organizer Bill Grogan said he had no idea how many people showed up. But no matter how many people are there, Grogan said, "you always want more."
But, he added, "it's a great crowd."
And that was sentiment of the day.
"It was a great success and really well-organized," said UVI student Teneka Richardson. "I hope they do it again next year, or next week even."
Teneka arrived on foot from her home in the Wintberg area.
That is how almost everyone arrived.
"It's different here at the beach — to have this here and with top-name bands, too," said one attendee who asked not to be named.
"I'm a Seventh-day Adventist, " she explained.
Capt. Red Bailey of the sportfishing boat Abigail III said, "I've seen more familiar faces here today than I've seen in the last five years. It's great."
Those who didn't walk in came by boat. About 45 boats were anchored in the bay where it's unusual to see five.
"Except for the fishing boats, there are usually only one or two here on a good day," said Jowers.
People who came in by boat paid the same $15 admission fee as everyone else, according to a visitor from Boston who arrived on a boat.
And for the $15 ticket price, beach goers got a day full of music, starting at 9 a.m. at the two Jam stages at either end of the beach road with two gospel choirs, the UVI Jazz Ensemble, and continuing with the All Stars Steel Band.
Events got under way at noon on the main stage where HBO comediennes Barbara Carlyle and DK took turns MCing the event and cracking up the crowd with their unique wit. Irving "Brownie" Brown, local radio personality, calypsonian and musician, also took the stage to help introduce the acts.
Brown was surprised to find himself on stage again later, when headliner Tito Puente invited him to join his band for the final number.
Puente and Brown were reacquainted before the show when they realized they had met back in 1964 in New York City when Puente and well-loved local band leader
Milo Frances played the Palladium together.
As the sun began to get lower in the sky, the crowd slowly began leaving the beach, gathering at the entrance to the park to get a "ride-up" on one of the 10 shuttles that were circling the road into and out of the beach all day.
"Outstanding", said resident Richard Brown. "Someone stepped up and made this happen. That's the best part."
"Love it, love it," said Monique Sibilly Hodge. "I'm having a great time."
"These are the kinds of events the Virgin Islands needs," said E.J. Armstrong as he left the beach with his wife and two children.
A day at the beach, as the promoters said, will never be the same.
