*** A tired but happy crowd turned out in droves to what was definitely the second biggest conscious party this week.

In an Island as small as Bermuda, politics infuses every aspect of our lives -- and in the wake of what was the most remarkable election in our history to date, it is impossible to separate the vibe at the concert (which essentially turned into a victory party) from the PLP's win.

Local act Legacy started off the night with a very good performance -- especially by the lead vocalist -- with songs such as `Ghetto People's Song', `Jammin', `Pump Me Up' and `Let's Chill'.

Each song they performed seemed to take on new meaning with lyrics tailor-made for the occasion -- and the audience belted out tunes such as `Ain't No Stoppin Us Now', `If Jah' and most importantly `Redemption Song' with a fervour seldom, if ever, witnessed on this Island. The concert, originally scheduled for the Saturday prior to the election, was billed as a `Unity Concert for the People' -- and both PLP leader Jennifer Smith and UBP leader Pam Gordon were expected to give some sort of show of unity.

However, in light of Monday's election results, it was victorious leader Ms Smith alone who made a brief but graciously powerful onstage appearance amidst wild cheers from the audience.

Ms Smith's appearance was followed by a performance by local dub poet Ras Mykkal.

He performed selections off his recently released CD `Bermuda's First Governor' such as `Mr. Compromise' and `Shuffle De Deck'.

Although Ras gave a lip-synced version of `Mr. Compromise' that was not particularly effective, his recent presence on the local performance scene is an important one that has been generally understated.

True to the art of his genre, Ras Mykkal performed on Tuesday in a style rap artist KRS-One coined as `Edutainment' -- education through entertainment.

And by mixing his own satiric critique of local politics with driving basslines, excerpts from H.I.M. Emperor Haile Selassie's speeches and an excellent stage presence, a little fine-tuning will establish Ras Mykkal as a force to contend with.

DJ Younguls played a few beautiful old-school culture tracks such as `Police and Thieves' and `Living on the Front Line' that got the crowd vibing before Third World made their onstage appearance.

Third World gave a great performance, opening their show with `Reggae Ambassador' and `Dem Man Deh' and continuing with `I'm Changed' and `Feel a Little Better'.

The broad cross-section of fans in the audience seemed to reflect the range and crossover success of the artists.

In addition to playing R&B hits such as `I'm Committed' and `Now That We Found Love', the artists played instruments not usually associated with a reggae band such as a cello, flute and harmonica.

And all members of the band -- most notably lead singer, guitarist, and cello player Cat as well as the percussionist -- were excellent musicians.

The well-received group topped off their performance singing their most popular hit, `1865 (96 Degrees in the Shade)'.

It was a very good concert all around; my only slight complaint was about the sound distortion that occurred because of the structure of Number One Shed.

I find it interesting that there seemed to be widespread concerns about riots or serious disturbances if the PLP were elected into Government.

But ironically, quite the opposite seems to have occurred -- there was almost a complete absence of alcohol or other substances at this event and most concert-goers seemed to be on a natural high that did not require boosting from artificial substances.

So I guess it's looking like Bermudians have finally begun to heed Bob Marley's call to `Wake Up and Live'.

KIM DISMONT ROBINSON CLASS ACT -- The lead guitarist for Third World, `Cat' Coore, gets the large crowd dancing.