There are few weekends I look ahead to greater than a pageant weekend. Whether or not or not it’s reconnecting with buddies and making new, discovering a hidden gem in a brand new band, or jamming to a few of my favorites, or taking 1000s of images to get that one particular shot – these are a number of the weekends that make the 12 months. Whereas there was some on-line negativity going into this pageant and lots of questioning whether or not this could be the final 12 months for Reggae Rise Up in Maryland it didn’t matter, I knew from earlier years that Maryland is aware of get down, and this 12 months could be no completely different.
As we exited the automobile on Friday to choose up our picture passes, we have been instantly hit within the chest with an intense warmth. Earlier than we even received to the media tent, I used to be soaked, and I knew it could be a scorcher of a weekend. We grabbed our picture passes, met some smiling acquainted faces of photographers from previous years, and welcomed some photographers new to this pageant. With our picture stickers affixed to our clothes we enter the pageant, replenish our water bottles, head to the shaded tent, and take within the vibrant and soulful ambiance that may devour us for the subsequent 3 days.
Just a few hundred folks made their method to greet the primary band of the weekend to the stage. Increased Training made the journey to open the pageant from about an hour down the highway. Hailing from Prince George’s County, Maryland this native band not solely introduced their buddies, however they introduced the power to get this celebration began! Combining rock, reggae, ska, and psychedelia their set was a variety of enjoyable and so they thanked the small however vigorous crowd for popping out early and dancing within the 95-degree warmth.
The Extensive Eyed Children introduced us a clean mix of reggae, and soul that they fashioned in Honolulu, Hawaii. Whereas this was the primary time listening to the trio play dwell, I believed they introduced an enormous sound that had the group swaying to their rhythms.
The climate is creeping nearer to 100 levels whereas the group is beginning to fill in a bit extra. The safety guards are attempting to offer some reduction to the warmth by handing out bottles of water to these in want and spraying down the group up entrance with cool water. Whereas safety is doing its finest to chill the group down, Via the Roots is about so as to add extra fireplace to this blistering day. The San Diego band has a standard reggae spine, however layers in thick electrical guitar work and their use of echo made their modern-day reggae sound my favourite of the day thus far. The group was on level singing Tequila X Hashish again to Evan Hawkins and the remainder of the band nearly phrase for phrase. It’s been a couple of years since I final noticed Via the Roots carry out dwell, and after the set they delivered, I don’t need to wait as lengthy to see them dwell once more!
Have you ever ever been unsuitable? Prefer it or not, all of us have. It’s exhausting to confess generally. I used to be unsuitable, however now I see the sunshine. “I would like a hat to cover beneath.” I’m embarrassed to say that I by no means gave Mike Love an opportunity, and for that, I’ve wasted days, months, and years with out his constructive musical messages, his stunning roots soul, and simply uplifting spirit. Watching him carry out dwell was like watching and listening to a masterpiece unfold earlier than your eyes and ears. As a solo artist, Mike painted the bassline in a single loop, sculped the percussion in one other, after which laid down his guitar and vocals to complete off his musical journey. A lot expertise.
A band that has been enjoyable to look at and develop over time is Tropidelic. This six-piece band out of Ohio likes to have enjoyable mixing in an occasional cowl with their originals throughout their set. They will carry an enormous sound and for the pageant introduced a few backup singers that helped fill out their sound and add some extra power to a stage that was jamming, The group was dancing and swaying to some favorites like Individuals Speak, and Film Star whereas which was spectacular because the gates had been open for over 5 crispy hours by this time.
Celebrating their tenth 12 months as a band out of Boston, The Elovaters take the stage and instantly hit the group with considered one of my favorites – Castaway, from their 2023 Infinite Summer time album. The group, now about three-fourths full, has waves of individuals dancing collectively, some smiling, some with eyes closed as they let The Elovaters sound wash over them taking part in favorites like Gimme Love, Photographs Fired, and ending their set with a summer season traditional, Margaritas.
The Elovaters had a terrific set and sounded so good, so zero disrespect to them in any respect… however when their set ended, the group stuffed in, absolutely. You see, The Elovaters had the consideration to play in entrance of reggae legends Metal Pulse; and whereas The Elovaters are celebrating their tenth 12 months of music,
Metal Pulse is developing on their fiftieth anniversary.
Metal Pulse, initially from England, opened for two of my all-time favourite artists again within the day – The Conflict, and naturally, Bob Marley (who famously claimed that Metal Pulse was considered one of his favourite reggae bands). So, yeah – the group stuffed in to see the legends. David Hinds and the band didn’t disappoint. Each previous and youthful reggae followers have been jamming as Metal Pulse performed classics like Your Home, and Curler Skates. Their stage presence was electrical – everybody on that stage was smiling and having a good time prefer it was their first 12 months as a band, not nearly their fiftieth (for some).
Switching gears from the legends to our subsequent artist, I wasn’t positive the way it was going to go down. Coming to us from Australia, Xavier Rudd introduced his many abilities to the stage. His sound has a clean folks and indie sound to it, taking part in every thing from drums, acoustic guitar, harmonica, and didgeridoo and looping all of them collectively is past spectacular. Xavier sat behind his drum package and even knocked out just a little Get Up Stand Up, Bob Marley Cowl. As if Xavier Rudd’s music wasn’t stunning sufficient, in the event you have been fortunate sufficient to be in the suitable place on the proper time you might need caught the view of a full moon spotlighting Xavier’s magical efficiency.
Closing out evening one was Iration, a staple to reggae festivals and a band that by no means disappoints. The band from Hawaii at all times brings the power and this set didn’t disappoint as they began with Day Trippin, adopted by Time Bomb to get the group dancing and singing alongside. The solar was down, it was just a little cooler, and everybody was giving all of it singing again to Iration and having a superb time. The band added to the enjoyable and power by dropping in just a little of Nirvana’s Teen Spirit (jogged my memory of Wu-Tang at CaliVibes a couple of years in the past for a second IYNYN). Iration ended their set and the night with one other sing-along anthem and considered one of their classics, Falling.
On that day one was within the books. A scorching day the place the music simply appeared to get higher and higher sounding. A day the place we began with a neighborhood band from an hour down the highway in Maryland, and ended up celebrating the sound of reggae by touring the globe together with Hawaii, England, and Australia.
Matt Grube & Todd Judd
Reggae Rise Up Maryland 2024
