Jibfest is worth the jaunt

I’m still reeling from the great time I had at the Jibfest Weekender 2017. The hangover turned into a combination of a chest cold, head cold and fever, so it’s clear that my body can’t keep up with the good times like it once could.

Back at Jibfest for the first time since 2013, I was unsure what to expect — I’m still a sore sight on the dance floor and Corner Brook is no longer filled with old pals of mine. Yet, the weekend of Feb 17-19 did not disappoint in any way.

I lucked into a seat on the Coors Light Party Bus and departed for the island’s west coast on Friday morning. With more Coors Light swag and beer cans than I could carry, we arrived at the Quality Inn Hotel around 8 p.m. that evening. Unaware that I had a hotel room to check into, my weekend was off to an amazing start.

Ditching my gear, I called up my favourite locals, attempting to bribe them with free beer in exchange for rides. The bribe worked, and I spent Friday night bar-hopping on Broadway for the Coors Light Block Party.

The first stop was Whelan’s Gate, where St. John’s bands Rough Hands and Twenty Dollar Pyramids were playing the only rock-related event on the weekend’s roster. Both bands were well received by their audiences, who danced and sang along through the night.

In between sets, I visited The Bar Room, busting terribly embarrassing moves on the dance floor while Craymak & DJJO pumped out the tunes.

Next up was Tall Boys, where Sharkweek & N-watts were spinning tracks. The place was absolutely packed. With no ginger ale left in the bar, we switched from whiskey and ginger to whiskey and water. This was the liquid courage needed to force our way through the dense crowd and up to the DJ booth.

We finished off the night with Louis Gee’s honey garlic fingers and our own unofficial late-night dance party in a pal’s basement. I tucked myself into my hotel room bed around 7 a.m., smirking at the fact that Jibfest was just as much fun at 25 as it was at 21.

Opting to forgo the skiing and snowboarding at Marble Mountain, I enjoyed a day of catching up with more west coast friends and taking my traditional visit to The Newfoundland Emporium. Part of the magic of Jibfest is connecting with the other side of the island and everything it has to offer.

I didn’t diss the hill completely, though. I headed up to Marble Mountain on Saturday night for Jibfest’s main event, with Canadian DJ and turntablist Skratch Bastid. The giant and beautiful lodge was filled with smiling partiers, dancing and fist pumping to hot jams. Overlooking the dance floor from the balcony, my cheeks hurt from grinning at pals bustin’ moves below.

All in all, it was a super fun weekend spent with friends new and old. The bus ride home and the subsequent flu weren’t much fun, but my biggest compliment for Jibfest is this: it was totally worth it.

Keep an eye out for next year’s event at www.facebook.com/jibfestweekender.