The line around The Pro by midnight was unprecedented on January 31. What can I say, folks that had never even been to The Pro, much less a Rock Box Thursday night, showed up to git down with the regulars one last time.
Squincy Jones & Dayta warmed it up early on as Gonzo of Aerosol Warfare set up his paint on stage. I was up next, droppin’ some new and old cuts and Rock Box classics (Switch’s remix of “Bossy” really set it off). As I wrapped up my DJ set a quarter ’til that midnight hour, people–known and unknown–were already hittin’ me up with “Can you get me in?” messages. The kids on the dance floor were good and ready for Dayta.
Dayta worked it out, keepin’ it 125bpm and up, while President Reko Trill called it like it was on the mic. I would say that the safest place to be was up on stage for the remainder of the night because by the time Witnes went on, there was no point being on the floor or at the bar. Shina Rae and MC Cerebral Vortex from SA/SF repped on the mic, keepin’ it hype.
A little after 2 a.m., there was sweat on the walls and the crowd was still havin’ it, callin’ out to Wit for an encore. Wit touched the vinyl, cueing it up one last time as UGK’s “International Player’s Anthem” featuring Outkast rolled out.
But really and truly, words to describe the Rock Box finale can’t really do it much justice as much as photos (and video) would. So check out some of my clips online and parting shots below.
On YOUTUBE (keywords Rock Box Houston):
Farewell Rock Box, 1 of 3 – PYT
Farewell Rock Box, 2 of 3 – Roxanne
Farewell Rock Box, 3 of 3 – Gypsy Woman
A gallery of Rock Box posters.
Gracie Chavez & Denise Ramos (The Pro’s owner)
No sleep ’til Brooklyn, Wit!
Nana Chill’s Dayta goes strong.
Squincy & Gracie keepin it trill…Speaker Boxxx is on blast!
It was lights out for Rock Box…and Witnes! Photo courtesy of OneOctoberNight.com.
More pix up on my DUSTY CRATES gallery, at OneOctoberNight.com. and here on Flickr Photos.
The heater & other music:
“Bossy” (Switch remix) – Kelis
Dunnock’s live recording TBP.
