150 Years of Loving Jack

150 Years of Loving Jack

On October 21^st, Jack Daniels celebrated its 150^th year anniversary at Speak at The Light Box in Wynwood. From the moment you arrived at the event, Jack was lit and ready to get the night started. At the entrance of the venue there were two beautiful Jack ladies that were giving virtual tours of the distilleries. It was incredible to see people’s reactions as they put on the visual apparatus to participate in walking through the distilleries. I sat there laughing after each person swore they would be able to make it through without reaching for some virtual item, but time and time again without fail, once the tour was underway the individuals were lost in a virtual reality and couldn’t contain themselves.

From free t-shirts, to these super dope innovative phone holders, to a corn hole game, to taste testing, Jack Daniels truly came to this event ready to celebrate the diversity of its classiness. Throughout the venue little hints were present to show the impact a drink like Jack Daniels has.

As the event began and people flowed into their seats, I was in awe once again at the diversity that this event creates. There was such a variety of people and it never gets old. To be able to see the excitement of the attendees as they got ready for the magic was truly powerful. I walked around and I listened to some conversations taking place. Some people were returning, some had never been, and some were returning with newbies to pop their Speak cherry. The one thing that remained constant was the excitement of what was to come.

Some people had come to support loved ones, some came to enjoy the artistic nature of the events, some came for the featured performers, and some just came because they had been hearing about it for so long. Several times throughout the night, I went outside and hung out by the Jack Daniels Corn Hole game to hear what people were talking about. Without fail people were out there playing the game and talking about one of the performers. Just to hear people have opinions and express themselves in such an energetically safe environment was so profound. Atmospheres like this are very rare in this city, so authenticity is always appreciated.

I ended up performing for my first time at this event. I do these things called #Weirdnesssrants, where I take a topic and go off on it. I felt the urge to utilize the platform and discuss something this time around and taking into consideration the diversity of the audience I figured why not? I spoke about how easy it was to be kind and considerate when other people are watching or when we are at an event of like minded people. But who are we when no one is looking? Are we the person Snapchatting and humiliating the drunk and the homeless, or are we the person standing against the masses trying to help and make a difference?

As the night went on and different types of artists performed, I found myself looking at the event from an outside view. Watching people celebrate Jack’s 150^th birthday, while being mentally stimulated by verbal prophets such as Bertrand Boyd and being open minded enough to participate in acts ranging from comedians to musicians, just proved once again that Speak is truly a gem in the world as we know it. To experience a plethora of self- expression mediums all in one night is such a powerful experience. To experience it with strangers, to witness their heads nod as they identify with the artists, to witness their soul connecting to what is happening on that stage while subconsciously showing their vulnerability was even more powerful. I most definitely look forward to experiencing the power of Speak once again. I hope you are able to let go of your inhibitions and join us as we get raw, spiritually naked, and celebrate the love that we are and the love that surrounds us, by us and for us.

Next Event:

The Gratitude Show!

We will be collecting clothes for the homeless, so please bring any clothes, shoes and/or blankets!