Closing out their set, Product had a few special guests up to the help them out. Aaron and Don from Stranger joins Jeff and helped thicken out the horn section.
Product will also be playing on Winston’s in Ocean Beach on Tuesday June 18th. Cover is only $5 and then will have Street Urchinz in town from Sacramento opening up for them.
Hope all it good in the new year, hope everyone is enjoying the new year so far, with February fast approaching, here’s what we’ve been up to this year so far.
We started a Music Video project the end of last year with Andrew Bees and his rendition of Delroy Wilson’s Better Must Come. We just wrapped the finishing touches, make sure to check that out.
We have some live music from Project: Out of Bounds including 5 brand new songs slated for the new album they are writing.
Here is 20 minutes of Tommy Dubs from the same show at Boar’s Crossing.
We interviewed Beyond I Sight and their newest member, Ryan Gonzo when they came down to play the Belly Up Tavern.
Big thanks to Erik Wainwright for being so eloquent in his interview skills, Defiantly make sure to check out his Sweet Reggae Music Show on World Tuned Music. Last weeks show: The Sweet Reggae Music Show Jan 27th Tommy Dubs and Mel form Piracy Conspiracy featured interviews with Tommy Dubs and Mel C from Piracy Conspiracy.
PLEASE NOTE THAT AFTER THE INTERVIEW BELOW WAS FILMED, THE VENUE 4TH AND B CLOSED ITS DOORS AND BOWED OUT OF HOSTING THE EVENT. IT HAS SINCE BEEN MOVED TO THE WORLD BEAT CENTER IN BALBOA PARK (BIG UPS TO MAKEDA)
We recently sat down with Tom Searcy, the editor of NUG Magazine to discuss all of the responsibilities that his position holds. In addition, we talk about the content that is provided by NUG Magazine and its Online Publications, and the awareness that they are bringing with regard to cannabis and cannabis related products. Tom puts a huge emphasis on the music, and believes that it is an integral part of the movement, as acceptance towards music, lifestyle and cannabis can only yield a positive result.
We also talk about the upcoming Barrington Levy show, that features Stranger, Piracy, and Tribe of Kings Sound System at The World Beat Center in Balboa Park on Friday, December 14th. For tickets, goto DABCITY.COM. And Now for the interview:
Jonny Tarr
For more inofrmation on Jonny, you can go to his WEBSITE
J Boog Live at the Fall Mixup in Monterey
About 3 months ago, Scott Clayton of ON POINT PROMOTIONS told me there was this guy named Mason Proud that I had to meet. He said (and I quote) that he was one “Gnarly Dude” when it came to sound. Scotty saw what was to be the beginnings of a great team. Since then, Socal Reggae and MASON PROUD PRODUCTIONS have teamed up to film and record several times (Mike Pinto Band, Stranger, Tribal Seeds), and it just gets better and better.
Last weekend, we attempted to push the envelope a little further and take our operation on the road: The Fall Mixup in Monterey. STRANGER had agreed to let us film them along with Josh Heinrichs and Skillin Jah, as they would be backing them. Thanks to the “Sales Saavy” of Chris Warner (talking head and lead guitarist for JET WEST), we were able to negotiate a little extra work on the trip and film J BOOG as well as his supporting Band HOT RAIN. We assembled the team at Socal Reggae HQ in Leucadia. In addition to filming, we decided to bring along photographers AUBREE JEAN and HEATHER VANDERMARK. Others on the team included Thomas Persichilli (also from Socal Reggae), Matt Tolk, Jennifer Webb, Jeff Hodson from Shoreline Rootz and Jacob Stella.
From Left: Jennifer Webb, Aubree Jean, Heather Vandermark
We caught a serious break when Heather offered up her van, because Mason’s Pro Tools rig is pretty huge and quite a challenge to transport on the roof rack of my Honda Accord. So we loaded up everything, and around 10PM Friday night, we headed up to Monterey.
Things started off fairly smoothly, until we passed Burbank, and Heather’s van got a serious flat. This could have been a major snag, but with cool heads, we threw on the donut, and made it to the next exit which just happened to have a 24 hour tire place. The guy sold us a used tire for $40 and all in all we lost about an hour, so “VICTORY”. A few of us even had time to burn one!
Jeff Hodson at the 24 Hour Tire back office – funny that there was a trombone there.
At around 5AM, we arrived in Monterey. Not much to do but try and get a little sleep in our vehicles. No such luck. I personally took pleasure in going for a walk to survey the Fairgrounds. It was cold outside, and we still hadn’t had a cold snap in San Diego. It felt refreshing to say the least. Eventually people started showing up. We met Jeff Monser, one of the organizers of Cali Roots, as well as this event. He gave us some of the info on where and when to load in and what to expect. Nice guy. Later on, we met Dan Sheehan (also an organizer of Cali Roots), and he was very helpful in telling us the agenda for the day, and covered the ground rules. So we methodically took our time to figure out where everyone was parked, and began to formulate our plan to setup.
Mason Proud
Mason Proud has got this incredible Pro Tools recording rig. It’s all portable, and can record up to 32 channels. This is one of the main bonus points to the shows we are recording: SOUND. With great audio, comes a great product. If you have poor audio, they will NEVER forgive you. Mason spent a few hours hooking his rig up to the sound board, and he must have done a good job, because I listened to his mix though the headphones and it sounded better than hearing it out of the main sound system. We were all kind of waking up still, and making sure our process was setup correctly. We had 4 GoPro cameras, a Canon XH-A1 for the wide shot, a Sony A55, 2 Nikon D7000 cameras, and a Nikon D600. All cameras shoot amazingly clear video, but there is a tremendous overhead for video data. For my day job, I am a Data Engineer, and my job is to essentially invent ways to efficiently save data for my company. I devised a “system” so that all of us videographers could come back to our little area and upload the video that we shot. It worked, and by the end of the night, we had all data from all cameras on a hard drive, organized by band and videographer. I can honestly say that our level of professionalism is making these endeavors worth it. Working with people that not only KNOW what they’re doing, but also maintain the proper level of courtesy and respect is an awesome thing.
Matt Tolk – videographer for Mason Proud Productions
Mason Proud is handling all of the editing and has been doing an outstanding job at it. For the most part, we got footage of every band, including Fortunate Youth, Whiskey Avengers, Clear Conscience, and Dewey and the Peoples, but as far as producing a high quality Live Convert video with multiple angles goes, we filmed Hot Rain, Stranger(also with Josh Heinrichs and Skillin Jah) and J Boog(with Hot Rain). Look forward to this footage. We’re not quite sure about the whens and hows of releasing it, but we will keep you informed as we know, and possibly send out a sneak peak or two.
-Leucadia Bob
*PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT CALI ROOTS WILL BE HAVING SOME SPECIALS ON TICKET SALES FOR NEXT YEAR’S 4TH ANNUAL CALIFORNIA ROOTS ART AND MUSIC FESTIVAL:
SUPER EARLY BIRD SPECIAL NOVEMBER 1, 2012 TO NOVEMBER 30, 2012. THIS WILL BE THE OPTIMUM PRICE FOR 2 and 3 DAY PASSES TO THE EVENT SO DON’T MISS OUT. TICKETS WILL BE LIMITED.
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL DECEMBER 1, 2012 TO JANUARY 09, 2013 – TICKETS WILL STILL BE AVAILABLE AT A DISCOUNT. TICKETS WILL ALSO BE LIMITED.
JANUARY 10, 2013 ADVANCE TICKET PRICES WILL APPLY
THEY WILL BE SELLING 2 AND 3 DAY PASSES ONLY UNTIL MARCH 1ST, AND THEN RELEASE A VERY LIMITED AMOUNT OF SINGLE DAY TICKETS. VIP PASSES WILL BE VERY LIMITED AND WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE AS 2-3 DAY PASSES.
GOTO THE CALIFORNIA ROOTS WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
For now – enjoy this quick clip from J Boog’s Sound check during the day, as well as some very choice photos.
We had a blast covering the Summer Splash – Ragge on the Bay Concert at the Broadway Pier, but with entertainment like the Wailers, Barrington Levy, Tristan Palma and Midnite, who wouldn’t? Here are some of our photos that we’d like to share.
Left to Right: Rex Costales, Chase Cavitt, Steven Brager, Will Boyce, Jeff Hodson, Wiley Miranda
There is no book titled smoking weed for dummies. Whatever habits we have formed getting baked were developed through experience or word of mouth. Tobacco cigarettes are filled with a ground up or shredded version of the dried tobacco leaf. This creates an even burn and easy way to measure. The same concept has to be applied to smoking marijuana, but it isn’t common knowledge if you aren’t a smoker. For those who don’t know, when you purchase marijuana, from a dispensary or a guy you know, it comes in a flower bud form. This bud must be ground up to extract the maximum surface area to create the most ideal smoke. Thus, the smoker’s inevitable need for a “grinder”. Grinders come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and are made of many different materials. Grinders are basically two discs that have interlocking teeth on the inside. When turned, the material placed in between the discs is shredded into small, even pieces. Magnets usually hold a grinder’s discs together. This ensures that nothing will be lost in case of a spill. Space Case’s magnets are strong enough to survive even my clumsy girlfriend, who happened to drop the grinder multiple times while it was still full. Once the material is ground, it creates an even burn. Rolling a joint with ground material is infinitely easier and more effective.
To this day, I have yet to find a grind that doesn’t jam or get stuck. That is- until I came across the Space case. These grinders are infinitely more effective. The teeth in the grinder are razor-sharp, and there are 3 times as many teeth than leading brands. Space Case makes grinders in all different sizes, finishes, and styles. They have a great 4-piece grinder with a pollen catcher at the bottom. The grinder even came with a small tool to scoop pollen with. Space Case also carries a smaller 2-piece grinder that is a perfect fit in a pocket and can be taken anywhere. The Space Case aluminum 4 piece grinder should be a standard for anyone who medicates. This grinder’s precision teeth, along with its sleek design and secure magnet, make this a top quality grinder. As the grinder shreds the mix, the material falls through holes inside to a reservoir. Many grinders have holes that are too big, allowing paper-piercing stems through. Another issue for grinders that concerns some people are the metal shavings that rub off the grinder into your herbal mix. This is not an issue with Space Case. Also- other grinders can cut the sides of your hand because of mediocre quality. Cheap grinders are often not smooth all the way around, and have hazardous, jagged metal pieces from not being manufactured properly. Space Case’s rounded edges and perfectly smooth exterior prevent any such occurrence. These grinders are light in weight and hold more in the reservoir compartment than any other grinder I’ve seen on the market. Another issue I’ve come across with grinders in the past is having a wobbly, loose lid that easily spills. When a magnet comes loose, it can cause the lid to sit funny and wobble. Space Case magnets are well recessed into the grinder and aren’t going anywhere.
The bottom line: If you want a well put together grinder that won’t fail, that can hold more than others, that feels good in your hand, that won’t leave metal shavings in your mix, and that is pretty damn shiny, then Space Case is for you. We recently took our grinder to the San Diego Summersplash Reggae on the Bay Festival. It did its job all day for us! When we interviewed the Wailers, they all wanted one. If that’s not a testament to a great grinder, then I don’t know what is. This grinder’s quality is apparent, and never lacking. I know I will only be purchasing Space Case in the future when it comes to my grinder needs. For more information, or to buy CLICK HERE
-Tom Searcy
The Band, as seen in the Army Video
On far left and right, Socal Reggae Co-Founders Leucadia Bob and Thomas Persichilli. Tom Searcy and Paloma Isabel in the center.
Kris had a very rough idea of the content that he wanted in the video, plus a few sketches with story boards, but in the beginning we were all just getting a feel for what was to come. There were a lot of test shots and reshoots, and there was a bit of a learning curve. It seemed like we would be doing this forever. Indeed, one of the most challenging aspects of filming a video on a low budget is getting the band to show up. Let’s face it, POB is a great band, but everyone has a life and work schedules to keep up with.
Story board for “The Army”
The Army is essentially taking a stab at the music business in general. We all love music, but there are a lot of factors that go into putting on a show: the club, the employees, security, promotion, overhead costs, and most important: the band that entertains you. At the end of a show, everyone needs to get paid, otherwise there is no motivation to be in this business. This song and video illustrates the sleazy side of it all. Contrary to what you may be thinking, there are a lot of bands that do not get paid. A variety of reasons can serve to support this, such as “not enough of a crowd draw” or “liquor sales were low”, but in the end, stiffing the band is generally not a good practice. Ultimately, the only people the band can rely on are the fans: they are your ARMY in a sense, and they will support you in any way that they can, including a boycott of ANY Club that does not properly compensate.
So this coming Wednesday, September 12th, POB will be celebrating and premiering this new video at Winston’s in Ocean Beach, when they play DJ Carlos Culture’s CLUB KINGSTON show (Around 9PM). Please join us, as it is a video that has been anticipated for awhile. We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.
A few looks at some video screen caps:
Teaser Trailer:
Ziggy Marley at the Del Mar Racetrack
Ziggy Marley’s annual visit to Del Mar was an unforgettable event. Del Mar’s summer concert series this year booked huge names like Steel Pulse, Jimmy Cliff, Ozomatli, and the Offspring. Of course, they saved the best for last: Ziggy Marley. Ziggy’s shows are always a guaranteed success at the track, bringing thousands of San Diegan’s together for a night of conscious music. This year’s show upheld this tradition.
San Diego’s own Stranger took the stage in the beer garden while people began placing their final bets at the races. DJ Carlos Culture followed Stranger’s act, spinning for the diverse crowd until it was time for Ziggy’s opener. The month of August delivered a huge blue moon for the show. The police presence was undeniable. More officers patrolled the grounds than any other concert I’ve seen this summer. However, this did not even begin to put a damper on the last big blow out of summer. San Diego had come to ‘Mash up the place’. The track’s main attraction for the weekend was the beer garden and reggae festival.
An energized crowd at the Del Mar Racetrack
An anxious crowd patiently waited through the opening set. Nikka Costa’s music was soulful and fun, but the masses had undeniably gathered for Ziggy. When Ziggy took the stage around 8:30, the entire grounds shook from the hyped up crowd. San Diego wanted to come out, hear good music, and hang with chill people. Mission accomplished. Ziggy’s positive energy and message of love set the mood for a friendly gathering of San Diego’s music enthusiasts. This was not your average San Diego reggae show. Ziggy Marley’s success has put him in a place where he is not only one of the greatest reggae superstars ever- he is one of the greatest musicians ever. His appeal is evident in his honesty. Ziggy’s performance bares his soul to the audience. His own children made an appearance, dancing along to their talented father’s music on one side of the stage. As Ziggy put it, “This is not just entertaining; this is a mission.” This made me realize that when he comes to play a show, he is also here trying to create unity in San Diego.
Paloma with Ziggy
Ziggy’s set included some old favorites like “Justice,” “Tomorrow People,” and “Look Who’s Dancing.” He also played some of his newer material like “Wild and Free,” and “Love is my Religion”. His skanking tune “Black Cat” was a big hit, stirring up the crowd. Marley classics like “Could you be Loved” were sprinkled in between Ziggy’s songs. Ziggy’s band was on point, and backed him well. The immense energy built up in the crowd was obvious. Overall, it was just a fun vibe. The massive collection of people gathered for Ziggy’s mission of love made this show work. I feel like I’ve been to many festivals with a comparable amount of people, and things can get out of hand pretty quick. Fortunately, this show did not have that problem. This show marked the last show of Del Mar’s summer series and was definitely the right way to end the summer with a bang.
After the show, Ziggy Marley invited SoCal Reggae onto his tour bus to speak with him. Ascending the stairs of the Marley bus was a surreal experience. For starters, the bus was huge! When we finally got to the top of the stairs, Ziggy’s manager and his daughter greeted us. My team’s anxiety contrasted with Ziggy’s calm aura. However, I felt surprisingly at home. He calmly waited at the table for his interview. I eased myself on the couch next to him. And here is what Ziggy Marley had to say.
Interview By: Tom Searcy
Camera: Leucadia Bob, Edit: Thomas Persichilli
Pictures By: RollinSD.com