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.
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:
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.
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 TICKETSCLICK HERE
Sidney Mills is one of the busiest names in reggae music. Grammy award winning band, Steel Pulse has been lucky enough to have him on the keyboards since 1988. He is founder of the New York based record company Living Room Records producing artists like Dennis Brown. And has even performed with the Smashing Pumpkins. Sidney has also produced for many artist’s albums including Ziggy Marley, Toots Hibbert, and Shabba Ranks to name a few. The Steel Pulse bass player Amlak once told me ” Everyone wants to work with him!” Sidney is not only heavily involved in music production but takes time to participate in charities he believes in.
SoCalReggae.com’s Tom Searcy was lucky enough to catch up with Sidney in one of the back offices of the Belly Up. He spoke with us a little bit about his work in Steel Pulse, other projects, and charity work he is doing with Sister Carol.
Socal Reggae’s Tom Searcy sat down with Sister Nancy after her performance at the SoCal World Music Festival in San Diego. She talked about her views on Rastafrianism, The 50th Anniversary of Jamaica, and the overall direction that Reggae is moving towards.
*Filmed by Roy Pinedo Jimenez
Socal Reggae sat down with Scott Clayton to get a preview of up and coming “booked” entertainment in August.
By the way-Happy August everyone : Here’s what’s on tap:
Of Special Note, The Mike PintoBand will be headlining a show this Saturday, August 4th at the Belly Up in Solana Beach. Additional performances by Cisco Adler and Tribal Theory. A full camera crew will be in attendance to film an upcoming Mike Pinto BandLive DVD.
The Belly up will also feature the Hazmatt CD Release Party on Wednesday, August 8th, along with Oceanside Sound System and Boom Snap.
Left to Right: Rex Costales, Chase Cavitt, Steven Barger, Will Boyce, Jeff Hodson, Wiley Miranda
While Products’ roots are in Hawaii, they are making a name for themselves right here in Southern California. The foundation of the band was laid down back in 2005 by singer/songwriter Chase Cavitt, who wrote many of the songs that the band still plays today. Later on in college he met drummer Steve Barger and original bassist Kiki Dread. When Chase and Steve moved to the mainland they hooked up with bassist Rex Costales.
2010 was a good year for the guys. They played a sold out show with Groundation at the Pipeline Cafe. In 2011, Product played the Seattle Hemp Fest, with over 100,000 people in attendance, playing on the same ticket as Kotton Mouth Kings.
While Product has remained true to their Hawaiian roots musically, they have added some members. Will Boyce fills a supporting lead/rythm guitar role, and occasionally they will play with a horn section, that includes Jeff Hodson on trombone, and either Carlos Liera or Wiley Miranda on the trumpet. Regardless of who’s on stage you’re guaranteed a good time.
This summer has brought Product many new opportunities, including their debut performance at The Belly Up Tavern, in Solana Beach, where they shared the stage with DnT and Reason to Rebel. Riding the ever present wave, Product is set to hit the recoding studio with Lewis Richards, of 17th Street Records. Richards is well known in the music scene, having worked with bands like The Dirty Heads, Sublime with Rome and locals like Seedless. Products’ Ep will have 3 original songs, and should be completed by summer’s end.
These guys are all about a positive message and positive vibes! Be ready to dance the night away at any of their upcoming shows. One of my favorite songs, “Good feeling” says it all. Product will be playing this Saturday, September 29th with another amazing Hawaiian band HI Roots, at the Boar’s Crossing in Carlsbad!
For more information check them out at www.producttheband.com or on Facebook! Make sure to say what’s up if you see them out and a show!
It was a tremendous show that featured 3 original and upcoming reggae acts. The show opened with Piracy Conspiracy, featuring a female vocalist, Mel C, and a very solid horn section with Carlos Liera and Jeff Hodson. Based out of Chula Vista, this band brought a distinct socal feeling.
The night got better and better when San Marcos’ Reeform hit the stage, building amazing chemistry with the audience. At one point, Phil Simpkin of the Simpkin Project joined them on stage. Later when the Simpkin Project got their turn, they proved to the audience why they deserved to be headlining a show at the Belly Up. Harmonizing vocals is all need be said. Everyone singing was in sync, and the Rhodes Piano/Hammond Organ sounds by Shawn Taylor really tied the room together. Simply an incredible show.
We caught up with Phil Simpkin after the show for this impromptu interview:
