Freeze International’s Awake Boat Ride 2013–2014: Sunrise Soca on the Water
Most Caribbean boat rides build toward the middle of the night.
Awake did the opposite.
Freeze International turned an early Sunday morning into fete time, sending Soca lovers onto the water while much of New York was still waking up.
Across Awake 2.0 in 2013 and Awake 3.0 in 2014, the event developed a simple but memorable identity: get up early, head to the Brooklyn waterfront, board the boat and start the Soca before breakfast was even over.
Both editions took place aboard the Nautical Empress, sailing from the Brooklyn Army Terminal, with Julianspromos there to capture two consecutive summers of one of Freeze International’s most distinctive New York event concepts.
Awake 2.0: Sunday Morning Soca in 2013
On Sunday, July 21, 2013, Freeze International presented Awake 2.0 aboard the Nautical Empress.
Patrons began boarding at 7 AM from the Brooklyn Army Terminal, 140 58th Street in Brooklyn, with tickets advertised at $40.
That early start was not just a scheduling detail.
It was the whole personality of Awake.
Instead of finishing a party when the sun came up, patrons were arriving at the pier to start one.
The city was waking up.
Awake was already feting.
Freeze International Awake 2.0 — Sunday, July 21, 2013 aboard the Nautical Empress from the Brooklyn Army Terminal. Boarding began at 7 AM.
Watch Awake 2.0 — 2013
Julian C. Hackett shot and edited the Julianspromos coverage.
The video was uploaded on July 27, 2013, six days after the event.
A Boat Ride Built Around the Morning
New York already had a strong Caribbean boat-ride culture, but Awake separated itself through its timing.
The morning was part of the attraction.
Instead of taking a normal nighttime fete and moving it onto a boat, Freeze International built Awake around the experience of starting the day with Soca.
Patrons boarded together, the New York waterfront became the scenery, and the vessel became the party.
Even the name worked perfectly.
You had to be awake to make it.
A year later, the idea returned with its next numbered edition.
Awake 3.0: Bacchanal Meets Jamishness
On Sunday, July 13, 2014, Freeze International returned with Awake 3.0, billed on the flyer as:
“Bacchanal Meets Jamishness 3.0.”
The party started even earlier than the previous year.
Boarding — 6 AM
Sailing — 7 AM sharp
Once again, the vessel was the Nautical Empress, departing from the Brooklyn Army Terminal at 140 58th Street in Brooklyn.
By its third numbered edition, Awake had a clearly recognizable identity.
The early-morning start was no gimmick.
It was the event.
Freeze International Awake 3.0 — “Bacchanal Meets Jamishness” — Sunday, July 13, 2014 aboard the Nautical Empress.
A Serious New York Caribbean DJ Lineup
Awake 3.0 brought together a large cast of DJs and sounds from New York’s Caribbean party circuit.
The advertised lineup included:
Pantrin Vybz
Young Maddy
Elegance Sounds
Natural Freaks
Conquest Sounds
Freeze International
Press Play Boyz
Jason Benn & Musical Mix
Additional music during the event included X-Factor, while Dem Boyz brought live rhythm into the experience.
Unlike a concert built around one headline performer, Awake put the DJs and sounds at the center.
That allowed the music to move across current Soca, older favorites, Dancehall and whatever else could keep a boat full of Caribbean partygoers moving at an hour when plenty of New Yorkers were still asleep.
Chandy Hosts Awake 3.0
For the 2014 edition, Chandelle “Chandy” De Riggs hosted the Julianspromos coverage.
Chandy moved through the boat and crowd on camera while Julian C. Hackett shot and edited the footage, giving viewers a closer look at the people, music and atmosphere aboard the Nautical Empress.
The video was uploaded on July 14, 2014, one day after Awake 3.0.
Promoter: Freeze International
Julianspromos Host: Chandelle “Chandy” De Riggs
Shot & Edited By: Julian C. Hackett
Date: July 13, 2014
Vessel: Nautical Empress
Departure: Brooklyn Army Terminal
Boarding: 6 AM
Sailing: 7 AM sharp
Why Awake Worked
The Awake formula was easy to understand:
Wake up. Get on a boat. Turn up the Soca.
Freeze International combined two familiar parts of Caribbean party culture — early-morning fetes and New York boat rides — and gave the combination its own name.
The numbered editions helped build continuity too.
Awake 2.0 in 2013 became Awake 3.0 in 2014, with both editions using the Nautical Empress and Brooklyn Army Terminal as their setting.
The concept had enough staying power that Awake was still being listed in New York in 2026, with Freeze International identified as both promoter and DJ and the Brooklyn Army Terminal again serving as the location.
More than a decade later, that makes the early editions feel less like isolated boat rides and more like the beginning of a lasting event tradition.
Two Summers on the Water
Awake 2.0 and Awake 3.0 capture two consecutive summers of Freeze International taking the same basic idea and building on it.
In 2013, patrons boarded at 7 AM for Awake 2.0, with Julian C. Hackett behind the camera.
In 2014, the start moved even earlier, with boarding at 6 AM and sailing at 7 AM sharp. Chandy joined as host while Julian again handled the filming and editing.
Different year.
Different edition.
Same philosophy.
While most of the city was still waking up, Awake was already underway.
For Freeze International, sunrise did not end the fete. It started it.
