Long Beach Dub Allstars
Long Beach Dub Allstarsw/ Iriespect & Soundwave Supply Co.Tuesday, July 9thDoors 7:30pm | 18+ Long Beach Dub Allstars have always taken chances and have never been afraid to chart into unknown musical territory. “Echo Mountain High” sees them experimenting with some heavy psychedelics and finds the band playing some hard classic dub anthems along with some wild experiments, showcasing the band’s free spirit and fearlessness to venture into the unknown. Opie Ortiz describes the sound “I feel with the self-titled album, it was an old-time vibe we were going for, and Cameron Webb has more of a punk-rock approach. This new album has more of a soul feel to it, and we experimented with a bunch of sounds like Roger playing a mellotron on ‘Fly So High’, which gave it a sort of Beatles ‘Strawberry Fields’ vibe. ” Joining the Dub Allstars on this mind-altering musical journey are Chris Dowd (Fishbone), who adds his trombone flavor to one track, some sweet vocals on another and some of his iconic keys on two others. Devin Morrison (Expanders/Man Like Devin) and Jesse Wagner (Aggrolites), lend some singing on a few tracks. Philieano (Doobie Raider) jumps on two tracks to rap and sing some harmonies, and local Long Beach ripper, Travis Goertz, plays a little slide guitar on one track. The album’s first single “Precious Time” was inspired by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that took the lives of nearly 16,000 people and injured thousands of others. Frontman Opie Ortiz was visiting when the earthquake happened and the harrowing experience stuck with him. “I was there when it happened visiting my brother Philieano, but luckily we were on the west side in Nagasaki,” he remembers. “It was a real eye opener being in a different country in a state of emergency. I was speaking with a person in our crew who played guitar with the One Big Family Band, his name is Yuichiro Oku, and he said I should write a song and call it ‘Precious Time’ because time is precious.” Today’s generation of reggae-rock fans may not fully understand how critical this group was to the reggae-rock genre, following Sublime’s conclusion in 1996. They played at a time when social media was non-existent. Live-videos of their early performances are mostly of grainy VHS quality, while most live-photos shot by fans were with throw-away cameras. There was no Youtube, Facebook, and this was before Myspace or even iTunes. They were the torch bearers of a genre that Sublime introduced and the original ‘Dub Allstars lineup included most of the players who were involved in cultivating that Reggae-Rock sound with Brad Nowell. Seeing them reunite and perform new music after a 15-year absence is exciting. Together these musical professors and legends from Long Beach have engineered a new studio album that adds to the legacy of Long Beach Dub Allstars. 25 years later the band has found its resurgence with Opie Ortiz(vocals), Miguel Happoldt (guitar), Tim Wu (horns) joined by Roger Rivas (keys), Ed Kampwirth (bass) and Gil Sharone(drums).
Bumpin Uglies with Dale and the Zdubs & Joint Operation
Bumpin Uglies at Ember Music HallOpening Set by Dale and the Zdubs & Joint OperationDoors Open at 6:30pm | Show Starts at 7pm | Curfew 10:30pm Bumpin Uglies, the Maryland-based reggae-rock band, epitomizes resilience and adaptability. Having thrived on the road for over a decade, they faced the pandemic’s touring halt head-on, refusing to pause their musical journey. Singer and lead guitarist Brandon Hardesty’s relentless drive led the band to pivot, from backyard parties to inventive socially distanced concerts and captivating live streams. Now, they’re bringing their electrifying sound to Ember Music Hall in Richmond, VA, marking their return to the stage and celebrating their unyielding spirit during uncertain times. Join Bumpin Uglies for a night of infectious melodies, rhythmic beats, and a testament to the power of perseverance in music.
Surfer Girl
Surfer Girl w/ Sitting on Stacy and Ryan WrightEmber Music Hall | Doors open at 7:30pm As no stranger to feel good music, Surfer Girl is the latest project led by the former hip-hop/pop duo Aer frontman, Carter Reeves. After sharing the stage with the likes of Dirty Heads, Sublime with Rome, Chance the Rapper and Mac Miller, the three-piece made the long overdue foray back into the modern beach rock feel-good scene. Surfer Girl is a genre bending, pop-leaning beach party, ready to keep you moving. Drawing from psychedelic dub influences such as King Tubby, to more mellow artists like Jack Johnson, Surfer Girl has a little sauce for everyone. It’s meant to share with your friends and family, while sipping mezcal or rolling a little bit of whatever you’ve got left at the bottom of the jar. If you’ve never seen them perform live, prepare yourself for stage shattering energy, and an all around good time. All Ticket Sales are Final | No Refunds