Reggae Nation – South Bay Station
This week is a big stop for the veritable reggae nation at Saint Rocke.
Pato Baton kicks off a reggae weekend with a show at Saint Rocke Thursday night
Thursday, Resin Music presents Pato Banton. If you can start your weekend early, you do not want to miss this show. Pato Banton performances are renowned for engaging audiences with positive vibrations and uncontrollably moving feet, and expanding minds; a possible spiritual experience to be had by all. Pato has been an extremely active proponent of youth programs and music workshops. He has founded various schools and community projects, worldwide. He has toured with Ziggy Marley, Steel Pulse, Burning Spear, Dennis Brown, Yellow Man, Melody Makers, and countless others. He is currently undertaking a tour all 50 states with his new band The Now Generation. The spiritual reggae guru has attained legendary status and we’re being blessed by his grace here.
Iration follows up Friday May 14, with support from Redondo Beach’s live dub reggae outfit Dubbington. Iration hails from Hawaii with their rock-pop brand of reggae. This reporter wistfully recalls catching Iration, “the reggae band from Hawaii” as we called them, at house parties during Isla Vista, Santa Barbara college days. They’ve since gone on to show us how worthless our education was in comparison to knowing how to compose sick music (thanks guys). Their music has been heard on MTV and Fuel TV, they’ve topped Hawaiian radio charts, participated in prominent music festivals, headlined the San Luis Obispo Beer Fest, played the Great American Music Hall, toured in support of the band Pepper, and performed with Ziggy Marley, Stephen Marley, Don Carlos, George Clinton and P Funk, Kings of Leon, Umphrey’s McGee, Shwayze, Rebelution, Fishbone, and The Expendables. Yeah, they’ve been doing pretty well.
Iration.
Finally, Saturday May 15 promises to be an historical day for the South Bay. For the first time in SB and Reggae history, Toots and the Maytals will be sharing their wisdom with us. Up there with Jimmy Cliff, Toots Hibbert could be considered the Godfather of Reggae. He was around in the Jamaican gospel and ska scene during the early ‘60s, prior to being at the forefront of reggae’s inception — a long while before Bob Marley became the icon of reggae. His influence on reggae music and reggae cannot be underestimated. In fact, he is credited with having invented the term Reggae. The man is a massive legend, a wise sage by now, and you’d be on crack to not be at this show. Reggae!
Are You Feeling Strung Out?
An interesting aspect of the South Bay’s music populace is its equal appetite for reggae and punk. In their pure forms, the dichotomy between the two genres is apparent by contrast of: mellow versus intense. Perhaps the positive reggae vibes rock and sway people to an overwhelmingly placid state, necessitating a pick me up (or vise versa). Well, if you’re one of those and find yourself needing to balance out all the reggae this week, you’re in luck: Strung Out will be shredding the stage at Brixton Friday night, May 14.
Several generations of the South Bay’s youth grew up listening to Pennywise, Descendants, Bad Religion, NOFX, Unwritten Law, Lag Wagon, No Fun At All, Face To Face, Blink (pre-182); and Strung Out. Strung Out definitely holds a spot in the annals of punk legend and will be sure to pack a good show. Opening for the legends is the South Bay’s own Murder On The 405.
I asked Mike Bouchard, drummer of 405, “Are you stoked to be opening for Strung Out?”
“Fu-k yeah man, this is our biggest show, so that’s f–king rad!” was his only reply. Then we took a shot.
Murder On The 405 pumps out thick and heavy rock ‘n roll. As for those who want to reconnect with their rebellious adolescence and taste the angst, Strung Out has reportedly reverted to their earlier, faster and heavier sound. If in the end you wind up too strung out from this show, Toots is there for you with The Maytalls Saturday night to ease you back down before you start cutting people off on PCH with a raised fist.
To get Strung Out tickets in advance, go to tickets.brixtonsouthbay.com. For Iration, Toots, and Pato, see saintrocke.com. Facebook it to learn more about Murder On The 405.
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