The distribution process was very organized and the staff was very friendly, professional and accommodating. It was obvious that each person was handpicked for the job. I LOVED the Monday wear. The shorts were very cute and comfortable. Yuma steered away from the spandex shorts that had become the norm for Monday wear. The shorts were sporty, a heather brown color with white trim around the edges. The white tank top was made of a cotton/spandex blend that didn’t stretch out of shape when you perspired or moved around. On the front of the tank top in rhinestones was the zodiac symbol representing the section you were in. The back was a mesh material that was breathable and see-through so that you could be creative with what you wore underneath. From the branded boxes that the costumes were distributed in, to the colorful lenticular printed wristbands and the professionally designed/printed informational booklet, it seemed as though no expense was spared in building the Yuma brand.
Security/Trucks-
From what I observed, security was on point. In addition to the security team that worked the perimeter of the band, there was also a special ops team that walked through the band making sure that we were safe and checking wristbands, throwing any stormers out. The problem I had with the special ops team is that they moved through the band in packs of about 5 with total disregard at times, just barging their way through. The band had 2,500 people and 17 trucks which is usually about the number of trucks that a band twice the size of Yuma would have. I think every other truck was a drink truck so I never had to go far to get a drink. The bartenders provided fast service and there was a wide variety of liquor, fruit juices and soft drinks.
Monday-
Food trucks were handing out breakfast when I arrived and continued to hand out small plates throughout the early afternoon until lunch. At the lunch stop, there were several tents serving food and it wasn’t clear what the difference was between what each tent was serving because there was no signage to indicate so. I just took my chances and stood on one of the lines and asked for a chicken lunch. The food distribution was relatively fast, the portions were big and the food was pretty good. Getting in and out of the lunch area was difficult as there was only one narrow entrance. I had an amazing time on the road Monday… As me and my crew moved from truck to truck the music at each truck was on point. Yuma did not cross the stage on Monday and that was fine with me because I had a nice road experience. Although we didn’t cross the stage, the DJ kept saying that we were heading for the stage… that created an unnecessary sense of false hope for those who really did want to cross on Monday.
Tuesday-
I loved my Taurus costume, it was absolutely gorgeous but in some ways it just wasn’t practical… The metal wire on the backpack that held the large rhinestones was a total pain in the ass because they kept getting tangled in other people’s headpieces and costumes and especially in other Taurus backpacks. My best friend and I spent a good portion of the day untangling ourselves from each other. We couldn’t stand too close to each other or even dance near each other. The constant entanglement caused the rhinestones on the end of the wire frame to come off and a very sharp metal edge was exposed that could have injured anyone passing too closely by. Also, the setting for the large rhinestones that hung right down in front of the waistband wreaked havoc on everyone’s tights… I’ve never before seen a section where everyone’s tights were so ravaged by midday. I ripped my tights off just before going on stage because they looked horrible.
Tuesday was a mess from the time we hit Frederick Street. We stood absolutely still for at least 2.5 hours without moving. We hadn't eaten lunch yet so I had some Royal Castle because I was starved and the food truck ran out of the small food plates that they were serving in the morning, they only had bananas left. When we finally did move we were only inching up and it was painfully frustrating and difficult to deal with because the band was so tight. Vendors lined Frederick Street before the savannah and they took up the whole sidewalk and would get upset and cuss when people were passing too close to their stalls. At this time trucks had to move to the right so we could enter the savannah so this left very little space on the road with the trucks and masqueraders being side by side. We were completely sandwiched between the vendors and the spectators that were walking in both directions on both sides of the band. At this point, I was ready to just dash away my backpack because it became an annoyance trying to pass through the crowd without becoming entangled in someone else’s backpack and just having to protect it from other people who were just pushing it out of their way to pass. My husband took it from me and held it above his head while we both fought our way to the front of the band to try and get some space to breathe and also to find my section which was towards the front of the band. There was a nice cloud cover all day that kept the temperature bearable but as soon as we started to get closer to the savannah the sun came out with a vengeance which made the sardine situation worse. I really hope carnival officials address this issue with vendors being on Frederick Street next year… it was ridiculous.
So we finally made it to the front of the band where my section was. We got to the savannah and were waiting for the band in front of us to exit the stage. The constant partying for several days straight and being on the road for 2 days started to take a toll on my feet and I started feeling a shooting pain in my leg. I popped some Aleve and started praying that it would kick in soon because I didn’t come this far not to cross the stage. I don't know if it was the adrenaline running through my body or that my prayers had been answered but by the time we got to the entrance of the stage there was no pain. The 2 sections that went before us, their music truck played Iwer's "Come to Meh".... he made a version for Yuma that was HOT... but I still wanted to cross to “Advantage”. Our truck rolled up and once again my prayers were answered.... STAMP ON IT! STAMP ON IT! STAMP ON IT! They let Taurus frontline loose and the rest is history.... I had the best time ever on dat stage!!! Ah stamp, trample, ramfle and wine on dat stage until my backpack come off. I couldn't be bothered to put it back on so I started waving it in the air. When I came off the stage a little girl asked me for my headpiece. I took my backpack and put it on her back and her face just lit up, she was so excited and happy... that made me feel good about not throwing away my backpack earlier. By the time we crossed the stage and made our way to the designated lunch area, the food was cold and it was very dark because the area had no lighting so it was hard to see anything or find anyone if you were looking for them. Lunch should definitely have been scheduled before crossing the stage. Although crossing the stage was an amazing experience, I really don’t have to cross the stage again next year if it means inching up Frederick Street for hours and hours like sardines in the hot sun waiting to do so. This really really took away from the road experience on Tuesday.
Summary-
Overall, I think that Yuma did a great job, especially for a first year band. No band is perfect and there will always be obstacles and hurdles to deal with, none of which were a deal breaker for me. Carnival is about endurance and tolerance… Go hard or stay home. I had an amazing C2K11 experience with Yuma. I’m optimistic that they will take masqueraders’ feedback and make Yuma even better next year. As long as the costumes are hot again, with Yuma is where I’ll be for C2K12.
excellent review and you rocked both your monday wear and costume
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