29 *** The annual concert at Tiger Bay featuring Byron Lee and the Dragonaires has exceeded the parameters of a mere soca show -- it has graduated to the ranks of a Bermudian institution, like County Cup or the Boxing Day scrambling.

This year's concert was no exception. It almost becomes a waste of time to write a review, since just about everybody who likes soca music -- and even a few who ordinarily don't -- saw the show with their own eyes.

And what perhaps was as wonderful as the show itself was the pure diversity of the crowd -- rude boys and magistrates, black Bermudians and white Canadians, 12-year-olds and grandmothers were all represented.

Several thousand fans turned out to jump and wave in a soca frenzy that left them gasping for air, pleading for a cold drink, and begging for a foot massage.

And what makes the event so particularly family-oriented is the diversity of the music.

The Jamaican-based group provided enough of this year's soca hits such as "Ah Reading'', "Footsteps'' and "Doggie'' to keep hard-core fans happy while balancing it out with more melodic tunes such as "Give Praise'' and "Aie Aie Aie''.

The Dragonaires mixed up the vibe by playing some old-school music such as "Shake, Rattle and Roll'' along with "Ain't Nothin But A Hound Dog'' as well as the Princess Diana tribute "Candle in the Wind''.

Some of the younger members of the audience -- including myself -- were particularly pleased with Admiral Bailey's performance.

He sang a few reggae tunes including "One Scotch, One Bourbon and One Beer'' and thrilled the audience by performing both the song and the dance for "Soca Butterfly''.

And the lovers in the crowd appreciated the smooth voice of Leon Coldero who sang Lionel Richie's "Stuck On You'' and UB40's "Red Red Wine''.

In last week's interview with Byron Lee, he mentioned that the group's sound was their particular strong point.

At the concert, it became evident that he was spot-on. The sound was excellent and really added to the overall calibre of the show.

The evening's only dampener came at about 12.10 a.m. when there was an abrupt power problem that cut the music mid-jump.

It took about a half-hour to get the situation sorted out, but most of the fans stuck around long enough to appreciate the finale which included a fireworks display.

DeMello Entertainment has once again succeeded in putting on a high-quality show with excellent performers. See ya next year... Kim Dismont Robinson