Rebelution in Avila Beach, CA – August 14^th 2016
By Sandy Krietzberg – Photos by Gia Krietzberg

Earlier this summer Rebelution released their fifth studio album, Falling Into Place, that rocked iTunes by debuting in the Top 10 overall charts and ranked #32 in the Billboard Top 200. The boys just finished up their Falling Into Place Summer Tour, which was just as successful as their new album. The tour package included performances by Through The Roots, Stick Figure, The Green alongside J Boog, and live painting by the talented Chris Morphis and Ania Amador. We were able to catch a night of the tour as they passed through the beaches of Avila in San Luis Obispo.

The stage was set up right in front of the water for a perfect ocean backdrop. Through The Roots started out the show with a high energy set that created a great tone for the rest of the night. Evan Hawkins’ smooth vocals makes for easy listening and adds a nice dynamic to their reggae rock sounds. Rebelution lead vocalist, Eric Rachmany, even came out to join the band for their song, “Bear With Me”.

Soon after Through The Roots, Cocoa the tour dog took the stage which always means Stick Figure is not far behind. The band rocked the house by playing many songs off their newest album, Set In Stone, and other hits such as “Weight of Sound” and “Shelter”. Friend of the band, TJ O’Neill also joined them on stage for a couple songs. Stick Figure’s contagious good vibes always leave the crowd smiling ear to ear.

Just as the sun was setting behind the ocean, The Green and J Boog took the stage. The two Hawaiian artists collaborated to create a set that combined both their feel-good Hawaiian reggae music yet still complimenting each other so well one wouldn’t even know they were two different artists. These musicians effortlessly got the crowd hyped as they finished their set with J Boog’s hit song, “Let’s Do It Again”.

And finally, after much anticipation, the powerhouse band that is Rebelution came out with a strong intro that led into their song and fan favorite, “Attention Span”. Rebelution is a band that continuously comes out strong and keeps the vibes high until the very last song. Their energy could be felt from all corners of the large venue, and even into the parking lot. The enormous waves of people in the crowd singing along to every word could be heard almost as well as the band. Rebelution is a band that sounds tight every single time and their stage presence is a force to be reckoned with. Even though this tour is over, the band already has dates out for the second leg of their Falling Into Place Tour. Check out their website for new music and tour dates near you: http://www.rebelutionmusic.com

Stick Figure at The Discovery Ventura , CA – March 11^th 2016
By Sandy Krietzberg – Photos by Gia Krietzberg

The second leg of Stick Figure’s Set In Stone tour took off in San Diego on March 10^th with supporting acts Fortunate Youth and Raging Fyah. We were able to catch them for the third time on this tour the following night at The Discovery in Ventura, CA. This unique venue doubles as a bowling alley but is still a great place for an intimate show with an amazing sound system.

Joining the tour from Kingston, Jamaica is the roots reggae band Raging Fyah. Lead singer, Conroy Willis’ dynamic vocals as well as the rest of the talented members in the band created a sound that was easily comparable to that of the actual album, if not better. Even though the band is mostly roots rock reggae, they are extremely versatile and are influenced by many different genres from Bob Marley and Peter Tosh to Maroon 5. Their main goal is they want to influence people with positive music and it definitely felt like they accomplished that by starting off the night right with easy listening and good vibes. Their performance was fresh and memorable.

Fortunate Youth came out shortly after starting their set with the song, “Pass The Herb”, which never fails to bring high energy and of course never fails to get the audience passing around the herb which usually ends up making it’s way around the band too. They even had some of the guys from    We Should Smoke join them on stage for a song to light up a joint that seemed to be about as big as their faces. One thing that makes Fortunate Youth unique from most bands is how they often have the members switch instruments during their set. Travi Bongo who, needless to say, is usually is on bongos, had a killer guitar solo during the song, “One Love” and members Cory and Jered can also be seen jamming on guitar, keys, or bass at different times in the set.

Promoting their newest album, Set In Stone, Stick Figure named their first headlining tour accordingly. As each year passes since lead singer, Scott, decided to start taking his music on tour, the band seems to be continuously growing, getting more talented, and getting more recognition while still playing shows that make you feel like you’re watching them jam in their living room with their tour dog, Cocoa, always close around. This show in particular they had special guest TJ O’Neil join them on stage for the song, “Weight of Sound”, that he’s featured on. Also, before closing out the night they had lead singer from Fortunate Youth, Dan Kelly, join them back on stage to add a verse to one of their songs. Stick Figure always does an amazing job of making the crowds feel like a part of the music during their sets and they are never shy to chat after a show.

It is a great thing that’s happening when big Cali reggae bands, like Stick Figure and Fortunate Youth, bring Jamaican reggae bands, like Raging Fyah, on tour with them. They are introducing a new legion of reggae fans to music they otherwise might not have ever seen or heard of before and it’s spreading only love. All three of these bands share the common intention of trying to make this world a better place and spreading positive messages with their music. Each band will also be performing at the 7^th annual California Roots Festival this year. For more information, tickets, and music, visit each of their websites:

http://ragingfyah.com

http://www.fortunatemusic.com

http://www.stickfiguremusic.com

One Love Cali Reggae Festival- February 13th 2016, Santa Ana, CA
By Sandy Krietzberg – Photos by Gia Krietzberg

On February 13th, the Santa Ana Observatory put on the first ever One Love Cali Reggae Festival. This festival included over 27 bands and artists on three different stages, two inside The Observatory, and one main stage outside where the parking lot usually would be. This was one of the first festivals The Observatory has hosted and it was sold out weeks before the day of the event. The overwhelming masses of people and    cars as well as unorganized directions made parking more difficult than usual and getting from stage to stage to see the bands playing closely after one another was almost impossible. The impressive lineup made for a hectic but beautiful day of conscious music.

We started off the day by catching part of Perro Bravo’s set on The Constellation stage. This band was a co-founder of Skunk Records and often played side-by-side with the original Sublime. Their music definitely had a Sublime vibe that filled the room as they jammed: a great way to set the tone for the rest of the day.

After making our way to the main stage, the next band we caught was Fortunate Youth. Every time I see this band, they have the crowd singing and dancing to every song, leaving them anticipating which hit they will play next by the end of each song. Speaking of hits, Fortunate Youth is never shy when it comes to lighting up a joint on stage and at this particular show, they had one lit almost the whole time. Fortunate also showed love to Seedless, the band who performed just before them, by having their lead singer, Mathew Liufau, join them on stage for the song “Jah Music”, a track he is featured on.

Next on the main stage was a personal favorite, Stick Figure. Considering the vibe at the entire festival felt quite chaotic, Stick Figure did a perfect job of easing some tension and setting a mellow mood within the crowd. They also surprised the crowd by having TJ O’Neil accompany them on stage for their hit song, “Weight of Sound”. Stick Figure definitely never fails at putting “smiles on faces”.

Unfortunately, because many of the bands were playing on different stages at the same time, some tough decisions had to be made. I passed up seeing Tribal Seeds and Pepper on the main stage, two bands that never disappoint, to see Ital Vibes and Iya Terra in The Constellation room. This was a decision well-made. These two bands go hand-in-hand; both bands involved with Rude Entertainment Productions and both working hard to spread positive messages to the masses. This was my first time seeing Ital Vibes and I was impressed how they had the crowd dancing on their feet the whole time and engaged in the performance. I will definitely be looking forward to catching them again soon. This was about my 10^th time seeing Iya Terra and it was easily the best performance I have seen by them yet. The energy was high the entire time and their collaborations with Kennedy from Ital Vibes on their song “Bless Up”, and with New Kingston on their song “Real Sensi”, had the crowd going insane. Also, look out for their new single, “Loving Design”, set to be released on March 2^nd.

Finally, it was time for the festival headliner and most awaited performance of the day, Rebelution. It felt like Rebelution really stepped up their game for this festival. They opened their set with the soundtrack from Star Wars that needless to say, had the audience even more eager for their performance. Khris Royal on the sax and Zach Meyerowitz on the trumpet were the first ones on stage creating a dramatic entrance with the sounds of their horns. The other members joined shortly after and the rest of the performance was just as on point. Rebelution has become one of the most mainstream reggae bands and is continuously contributing to bringing more fans into this growing genre of music.

Yellowman and Barrington Levy hosted the after party on the Observatory stage and both kept the energy going until 1:30AM, props to anyone who made it that late. It was difficult to see even half of the bands on the packed line-up considering it was not easy to get around the venue due to tickets being oversold and the venue didn’t quite seem prepared for such a turn out. However, it was a blessing to be surrounded by so many talented bands and I hope they plan another One Love Cali Reggae Festival for next year, but this time just at a different venue.

NAMM 2016 – January 21-24, Anaheim California
By Sandy Krietzberg – Photos by Gia Krietzberg

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is one of the largest and most successful music product trade-shows ever to exist. This convention is easily one of the most anticipated events by all musicians and music enthusiasts alike. People from all over the globe gather at the Anaheim Convention Center every year to promote their product or check out the endless venues with just about every piece of music technology one can imagine.

This was my first year attending The NAMM Show and to say the least it was quite overwhelming. Crowds of people filled the massive convention center, each person in a hurry to get to their next performance or exhibit.   We were fortunate enough to find some friendly faces at the Dixon exhibit. Journey’s drummer, Steve Smith stopped by for a bit. Also stopping by was Tony Pia, drummer for The Doobie Brothers. He attends NAMM every year to support his signature model of drums made by Dixon. He shared that coming to NAMM year after year benefits him because “when the company that makes his product is doing well, that it’s always good for him too”. At the same exhibit, we caught a short performance by Gregg Bissonette on drums. Bissonette has played side-by-side with a variety of well-known musicians like David Lee Roth, but he is most currently known for playing drums for Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. Gregg is an incredibly genuine person and was also gracious enough to chat for a while after his set, sign autographs, and take a selfie.

While walking through NAMM, just about everywhere you turn there are unique music products made to look like pieces of artwork, and even more unique people. People-watching was almost the most interesting part of the whole experience. There were little kids jamming on drums and shredding guitars, some people painted their whole bodies, and it was not uncommon to see numerous famous musicians walking around. While checking out the Ernie Ball exhibit, I briefly ran into Micah Brown of Iration and Shay of Seedless, both hugely influential bands on the reggae scene. Before ending the day, we caught a performance from Pedro Da Silva, a composer and guitarist from Portugal, who was playing on a Godin guitar to support their brand. On of the most inspirational performances I have ever witnessed.

Every year exhibitors at NAMM are coming out with new technologies and musicians from all genres come to support and play, making each year completely different from the last. This incredible trade show displays the best of the best products in the music industry. If you couldn’t make it to Anaheim for this year’s convention, there is also a Summer NAMM held in Nashville, Tennessee every year.

California Roots Event at Avila Beach Resort- September 27th 2015
By Sandy Krietzberg – Photos by Gia Krietzberg

The line-up for this show could not have been more perfect. All four acts complimented each other so nicely, each having the common theme of making this world a better place. Mike Love started off the day, then J Boog, followed by Nahko & Medicine For The People, and the event’s headliner Rebelution closed out the night.

This was my first time seeing Mike Love and I hope it wasn’t the last. He lives in Oahu, Hawaii and makes reggae music that is revolutionary and of the highest consciousness. He played his whole set sitting on a stool, barefoot, with an acoustic guitar. During his performance, he shared a story about a song that came to him right after his son was born while he was unfortunately on his way to play at a funeral for a 17-year old girl who had overdosed. He followed this by playing “No Regrets”, which really made it come to life. His message of giving thanks for life and spreading love was strong throughout the entire festival: a truly inspiring moment. The obvious depth and passion in Mike Love’s music along with his incredible vocals is something that resonated with the entire audience for the rest of the day.

Next up was J Boog who is always a crowd favorite.  J Boog is also based in Hawaii and definitely brings the Hawaiian vibes with his music. Although he is predominantly island reggae, he also has influences of rock, R&B, and hip-hop in his music. His diverse style was apparent in his set when he gave tribute to many different artists by covering songs like “Santeria” by Sublime, “I got 5 on it” by Luniz, “California Love” by Tupac Shakur, and a few more. J Boog closed out his set with his hit song, which he considers to be his breakthrough song, “Let’s do it again”.

One of the most inspiring groups I have had the opportunity to see is Nahko & Medicine For The People. Nahko is an individual who when it comes to life, just gets it. One of the first songs he played was “Vultures of Culture”, a song about his indigenous blood and the oppression the Native Americans faced because of “the western man”. His enlightening lyrics along with bringing out the sax player from Rebelution to join their trumpet player added to their powerful performance. Coming from a background most couldn’t imagine, the fact Nahko can accept these misfortunes and write songs about how thankful he is, makes him that much more of an inspiring human.

Finally, Rebelution came on to close out the night. They immediately had the crowd dancing and singing along with their feel-good music. Rebelution is one of those bands where it is almost impossible to not be on your feet and dancing because of their high energy. With Zach Meyerwitz on trumpet and Khris Royal on saxophone adding the perfect amount of soulfulness on top of it all. Rebelution is another group who spreads knowledge about the injustices of the world and attempts to stop hatred and start a movement of peace.

Their most recent release “Count Me In” has been receiving continual play on Flying Eye.  he acoustic version of Count Me In is one the most moving and endearing efforts.

All four of these artists are really contributing to a movement that is much bigger than themselves. Reggae is continuously growing and positively affecting more and more people as the years pass. California Roots always does an incredible job of helping make this movement move by hosting amazing events such as this one.

Shoreline Jam at The Queen Mary- September 5th & 6th 2015
By Sandy Krietzberg Photos by Gia Krietzberg

Day 1

This was my 3^rd year attending the Shoreline Jam and it never ceases to amaze me. Everything from the music to the location to the people who attend this event. All coming together to make it a very special weekend. This two-day festival is held right next to the Queen Mary in Long Beach, so close to the water that boats pull up next to the shore to listen in.  There were two main stages set up with various reggae and hip-hop artists performing from the early afternoon until almost midnight.

The band Iya Terra started off the show the first day with a really cool vibe. This was the first time I had seen this band and not only did they have an awesome and fun set to dance to and the band members were gracious enough hang out throughout the weekend discussing their modest beginnings and what playing a festival like this means to them. They are the most genuine people and they really love what they do. Definitely one of the highlights of the weekend.

Later in the day the band Seedless performed.  I like to think I knew this band before they were big so its always fun to watch this reggae band (with an obvious influence of rock) jam on stage.  Next was The Grouch & Eligh who are originally from a rap group from in the late 90’s called “The Living Legends” and enjoyed modest success.  They brought a great change of energy with their fast lyrics and booming base. After seeing them multiple times and I am continually amazed at how talented these guys are.

Matisyahu was the main attraction for just about everyone.  The best word to describe him is poetic.  He plays straight through with little to no breaks between his songs making you lose yourself in his powerful music.  There is no comparison to listening to his CD and then seeing him live.  It is very trance-like and intense, but in the best way.  It seemed like some people were a little disappointed because they wanted to dance more, but after a long day of dancing and running around Matisyahu closed out the first day of the Shoreline Jam perfectly.

Day 2

The 2^nd day I was able to find a nice spot in the shade to watch the first couple of bands because the heat got to be a bit much.  True Press and Bad Apples were the first two bands, both very high energy and great music to dance to.  For Fortunate Youth it was time to get up front.  They did not disappoint, their set was impressive. I had always heard good things about them, but after seeing them live I was sold.  They make you feel like they’re just jammin’ at their buddy’s house party and you’re right there partying too.  They got the crowd involved and on their feet.

Next up was Shwayze.  This was incredibly nostalgic for me because Shwayze was one of my favorite artists way back when I was 13-years-old, and this was the first time I had the opportunity to see him live.  Another super high-energy performer so it was time to go dance with everyone else.  Thank you Shwayze, for taking me back to middle school with your classics, and introducing us to your new stuff.

Next was Stick Figure, who I think many people would agree with me was the favorite of the weekend. I saw these guys for the first time at last years Shoreline Jam and have been a huge fan ever since. I’ve even run into them at other festivals with their tour dog, Cocoa, who is always close by. This band is so nice, always willing to take the time and chat with you. Their music brings a huge positive vibe bringing everyone to their feet and dancing. I feel like this band just gets bigger and bigger and before long they will be headlining a festival.

One of the performers I was looking forward to most was Barrington Levy. He is a reggae legend and a riot on stage. He had me cracking up at his humorous mannerisms and I was definitely not disappointed at his performance. He had the whole audience smiling ear-to-ear. The band The Green was the festival headliner. They are a reggae band from Oahu and this was the first time seeing them live. With everyone exhausted from the previous two days, they still had everyone dancing their entire set. They brought a really great energy sending everyone home happy and wanting more.

This festival is rapidly becoming a tradition. It will hopefully continue to become a destination for this type of music to reach a great audience cross section of the community. People coming from all over the state and country to see who will be at this festival.

To view a full compliment of photos click here.