Category Archives: Live Show
What’s up 2013?
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.
Tom Searcy and NUG MAGAZINE present: Barrington Levy at The World Beat Center.
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:
The Fall Mixup in Monterey – an Epic Weekend
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.
-
- JBoog at the Fall Mixup in Monterey
-
- Clint from the Whiskey Avengers
-
- David Stranger
-
- Josh Heinrichs
-
- Skillin Jah
-
- Matt Tolk – videographer for Mason Proud Productions
-
- Jeff Hodson at the 24 Hour Tire back office – funny that there was a trombone there.
-
- Mason Proud
-
- From Left: Jennifer Webb, Aubree Jean, Heather Vandermark
-
- J Boog Live at the Fall Mixup in Monterey
Summer Splash Reggae on the Bay – 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.
Ziggy Marley, Wild and Free at the Race Track
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
Socal Reggae Spotlight:
Piracy Conspiracy
Piracy Mel C and Scooter Maier with Scott Clayton of On Point Promotions
Piracy Conspiracy came to be in 2009/2010, down in Chula Vista, when Mel C teamed up with Scooter Maier to produce the album Lost at Sea. Shortly after that, they decided to form the band, and found them in the South Bay Wailers with Mikey on Bass, Jeremy on Guitar, and Sammy Dread on the Drums. Eventually, they improved their sound by adding the Brassholes: Jeff and Carlos on Trombone and Trumpet respectively.
Mel C has a very unique DJ Raggamuffin Style where she delivers some hardcore spoken word with a flavor of “Sister Carol”. The band will be playing at the Summer Splash Reggae on the Bay this Sunday, September 2nd at the Pier Port Pavillion in Downtown San Diego, where they plan to Debut their 2012 EP “Alpha and Omega”. For more information and TICKETS CLICK HERE
Summer Splash – Reggae by the Bay 2012 – Sunday September 2, 2012
Tickets available HERE
Hazmatt CD Release Party-Belly Up
Wednesday, August 8th at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach was jamming with local San Diego sounds from Boom Snap, Oceanside Sound System and Hazmatt. Between sets Clint Westwood from the Whiskey Avengers kept the vibes and dance floor alive as DJ. Letting the music inspire him, Al Scholl was on hand producing live art that set the stage for a fun-filled night of blended artistic and musical talent.
The night kicked off with Boom Snap and this high-energy, 3 piece band from Pacific Beach stole the stage. They brought a funkadelic sound reminescent of a Chili Peppers style groove that got everyone off their seats to dance.
The middle act featured an unusual combination of Ska, Punk Rock, and Reggae that meshed seamlessly for a unique sound straight out of O’ side. Oceanside Sound System lit the house up with lead singer Skillet and his 8 piece band who merged from other North County bands Irieside and Wanted Dead. O.S.S. delivered a ton of rambunctious fun as people were mashing it up on the floor, spilling drinks and getting down to the eclectic sounds.
The end of the night sealed the deal as Hazmatt took the stage to promote their latest CD. An electrifying performance. Thanks once again to On Point Promotions
Mike Pinto, Cisco Adler and Tribal Theory Deliver at the Belly Up
Saturday Night at the Belly Up was off the hook, as On Point Promotions once again brought together 3 bands of magnificient talent. The night started off with Tribal Theory putting out some sweet harmonizing vocals.
I think it’s a safe bet to say that we will be seeing more of this band in the future as they were quite impressive. The middle act was indeed interesting as Cisco Adler (from the Hip Hop band Shwayze) performed with a DJ and a hard hitting drummer.
Ciso Adler
The main attraction, of course was the Mike Pinto Band. Mike had some special guests as Donny (from Stranger) and Carlos and Jonny (from Shoreline Rootz) sat in on several songs to provide horns. We at Socal Reggae were very pleased to have the opportunity to film this show with Mike’s film and sound crew.
Mike Pinto at the Belly Up
Mason Proud (from Boom Culture/Sunny Rude) set up Pro Tools and recorded the show on 16 channels, and we filmed from 6 (possibly 7) camera angles so stay tuned because I think that a DVD will be coming out soon.