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| Ferranti and King. Photo @ duppyconquerors.com. |
The Reggae Solstice
Yellow And Green Suns Rise Above Union Square
"I feel so good in my neighborhood." -- Bob Marley in his song, "Kaya."
The ghost of Bob Marley soars above Somerville, raining drops of positivity on Union Square below. Most assuredly, the Jamaican-born, reggae legend wasn't thinking of this neighborhood when he sang the above quote, but if his ghost truly lingers here it ought to feel pretty good.
Down on Somerville Avenue, The Duppy Conquerors channel his spirit for their weekly Marley Monday night sets at Sally O'Brien's (335 Somerville Ave.). For Curtis King, the dreadlocked lead singer of the tribute band, performing Marley's music is an honor. "His music is not just feel-good and pure," King said, "but it's also positive lyrics." The band, titled after a song from Marley's huge discography meaning to vanquish the evil spirits, lives up to the name. "It feels good to be able to share that positivity and feel it back with the dancing and people getting into the vibe," King said. "There's a good meditation."
The Duppy Conquerors have been a mainstay at Sally's for two years since January, but they are only one part of a reggae scene that has since steadily grown in Somerville. Across the street at the Irish pub Bull McCabe's (366 Somerville Ave.) the rest of one's Rasta cravings can be sought out with three weekly residencies in full rotation: Dub Apocalypse on Sunday, Skiffy & The Ghetto People Band on Tuesdays and The Dub Down featuring The Scotch Bonnet Band on Thursdays. The influences of each act range widely but the music comes from an honest place. Reggae is the sole source of expression. But, even more than a creative outlet, it's a form by which to live by and get lost in.
Last September approximately 300 people rocked and swayed in the parking lot of Bull McCabe's for their second Roots to Reggae Fest. The crowd swelled over the course of the sunny day that featured six bands, with Dub Apocalypse closing it out with their more modern, psychedelic pounding strand of reggae. The concert was a success and a marker of how far this music community has come in Union Square. "It's a word-of-mouth scene," said Boston Globe rock critic Steve Morse, who's covered music for over 30 years. "You gotta know it's there." The scene is ascending, but it's ben a long time coming.
Jimmy T, who sings and plays bass with The Dub Down, has been playing Union Square since the early 2000s. He, along with Dub Apocalypse members Tommy Benedetti and Johnny Trama, moved in and out of each other's groups. Before finding Union Square they coveted residencies in a parallel universe at Matt Murphy's, an Irish pub that hosted reggae in Brookline. After the club shut down they tried gigs out at Boston's House of Blues and a few places in Jamaica Plain, but none of them lasted. "There has to be a certain vibe in place to do what we do for people to really get it and enjoy it," Benedetti said.
With Dub Apocalypse being nominated last year for International Artist of the Year and Best Live Ongoing Residency at Bull McCabe's for the Boston Music Awards, it seems they've found the right place. "Now I call it Reggae McCabe's," Jimmy T said. "Somerville is where it happens now," Benedetti added. "This is where the support is. This is where the vibe is."
King reflected, "Since I came on with The Duppy Conquerors I've seen, in this area, a large uprising." Before finding Sally's, The Precinct (70 Union Sq.) hosted The Duppys for a year and the audiences then were meandering and sparse. "We were really raw," drummer Sarah Mendelsohn admitted. They've since grown more cohesive and have made an imprint as the go-to Marley cover band of the Boston area.
"Sally O'Brien's has been their springboard," The Globe's Morse said. As he talked, he grew increasingly enthusiastic about the brewing scene and had much respect for The Duppys who opened with the rare "Small Axe." "I've never heard them play the same set twice," Morse said. "Not a lot of bands can do that in any genre." By their second song most everybody not nursing a bottle was up and dancing. A college couple swung and waltzed all over and new patrons kept leaking in.
Weeknight sets see a variety of people all in flux. "A lot of late-shifters stop in on their way home from work," Mark Ferranti, The Duppys' bassist, said. Indeed, one eager-to-speak friend with sleepy eyes mentioned, grinning, "This is my stop between work and home."
The lack of any significant financial benefit--shows at Bull's cost only $5, Marley Mondays are free--keeps the performers free of any pressure. "It's more community than business," said Morse. Their residencies serve as rehearsal time, allowing each act to stretch their limitations and experiment. For The Duppys, it's a chance to dig deep into the Marley songbook and not rely on the standard bong hits. They have a minimum of 80 songs in their cannon ready to go.
Each band represents a different slice of the reggae pie. Each has their own style and every player a different background, but all know where their roots are planted. The Duppys are the quintessential reggae act, rejuvenating the back catalogue of Marley and giving each song new life. Skiffy & The Ghetto People Band play a more gritty, from-the-dirt reggae sound. The Dub Down splashes heavy beats into the rhythm with raps from MC Kabir laced throughout. They hold the longest residency of the four, since May 2010. Dub Apocalypse, meanwhile, pries open another vein with their fringe-reggae.
"The platform," said drummer Benedetti, whose arms are covered in tattoos and who grew up on metal, "is 70s and 80s Jamaican dub...Depending on who's on the gig, the gig can take any shape." With an alternating sax section and fluctuating band members, Dub Apocalypse represents reggae's trippier side. "They have a dark dub style," Jimmy T said. "I call it gangster future dub reggae."
Jimmy T's own Dub Down has five alternating vocalists, including Skiffy. They showcase harmonies ranging from rock-steady ska to dancehall. "We're a song band," he said. They play a half-and-half mix of bootleg bin covers and originals.
While The Dub Down, Dub Apocalypse and The Duppy Conquerors have been constants the last two years, the addition of Skiffy & The Ghetto People Band has strengthened the scene. They snuck in last June replacing David Johnston Band who held a nine-year tenure at Bull's. "Skiffy's been a real surprise," Morse said.
Formed from the previous band, Dub Station, The Ghetto People Band pulled together a legion of reggae soldiers. "What we really try to do is have an authentic sound," drummer Glen "The General" Grant explained with thick accent. "I try to give more of a spiritual, authentic sound because I'm from the Caribbean." Dub Station toured the U.S. throughout the 90s featuring different vocalists. Skiffy sat in for a period and formed a relationship with Grant that eventually evolved into their Tuesday night residency.
Grant is a seasoned reggae drummer who protested nuclear power on the White House lawn the same year The Duppys' Ferranti discovered Marley in a dark room developing prints. To have come from the music's birthplace, it's been satisfying for Grant to see the scene in full swing. "If I take you to Jamaica and we turn on the radio station, we won't hear reggae. You'll hear R&B, you'll hear hip-hop, you'll hear classical music Sunday mornings," he said. "Mostly you hear music for the tourists." The foundations of the home base have risen to America to create a flavorful reggae stew--something veterans like Grant appreciate. The newer artists "came from different genres," he said. "They bring it together. It's all connected to reggae."
Collaboration breeds creativity and when the backdrop is the looseness of reggae, the results can blossom into new forms, new sounds. "We're not just trying to be a traditional roots reggae band by any means," Benedetti defended. "You keep it pure and it's a sincere thing--it's not contrived. It's just us up there playing the music that comes naturally to us."
Last October, Bull McCabe's celebrated its fourth anniversary in business. "These bands have done so much work to guild the nights into what they are," owner Brian Manning said. "They're a [big] reason for our success. The biggest part of what we do is music. It's a pleasure to bring people in for that."
The respect is mutual. "Brian's super supportive of the music we all play," Benedetti said. "You can't have a successful residency if the venue isn't behind you." "No man is an island. It takes many people together" to build a scene, Grant said.
Everyone talks of the vibe and there is no doubting its pervasiveness. The shows lack the stiff-necked pretension usually found in rock and roll rooms. "It's not competitive," Morse said. "Rock bands, a lot of times, can get competitive. Reggae bands put the vibe first." Nobody is there to prove anything because the only thing to prove is a slick and shuffled groove. "It's the tradition of Bob Marley," said Morse.
from Somerville Scout (No. 18--November/December 2012)The Duppy Conquerors have been a mainstay at Sally's for two years since January, but they are only one part of a reggae scene that has since steadily grown in Somerville. Across the street at the Irish pub Bull McCabe's (366 Somerville Ave.) the rest of one's Rasta cravings can be sought out with three weekly residencies in full rotation: Dub Apocalypse on Sunday, Skiffy & The Ghetto People Band on Tuesdays and The Dub Down featuring The Scotch Bonnet Band on Thursdays. The influences of each act range widely but the music comes from an honest place. Reggae is the sole source of expression. But, even more than a creative outlet, it's a form by which to live by and get lost in.
Last September approximately 300 people rocked and swayed in the parking lot of Bull McCabe's for their second Roots to Reggae Fest. The crowd swelled over the course of the sunny day that featured six bands, with Dub Apocalypse closing it out with their more modern, psychedelic pounding strand of reggae. The concert was a success and a marker of how far this music community has come in Union Square. "It's a word-of-mouth scene," said Boston Globe rock critic Steve Morse, who's covered music for over 30 years. "You gotta know it's there." The scene is ascending, but it's ben a long time coming.
Jimmy T, who sings and plays bass with The Dub Down, has been playing Union Square since the early 2000s. He, along with Dub Apocalypse members Tommy Benedetti and Johnny Trama, moved in and out of each other's groups. Before finding Union Square they coveted residencies in a parallel universe at Matt Murphy's, an Irish pub that hosted reggae in Brookline. After the club shut down they tried gigs out at Boston's House of Blues and a few places in Jamaica Plain, but none of them lasted. "There has to be a certain vibe in place to do what we do for people to really get it and enjoy it," Benedetti said.
With Dub Apocalypse being nominated last year for International Artist of the Year and Best Live Ongoing Residency at Bull McCabe's for the Boston Music Awards, it seems they've found the right place. "Now I call it Reggae McCabe's," Jimmy T said. "Somerville is where it happens now," Benedetti added. "This is where the support is. This is where the vibe is."
King reflected, "Since I came on with The Duppy Conquerors I've seen, in this area, a large uprising." Before finding Sally's, The Precinct (70 Union Sq.) hosted The Duppys for a year and the audiences then were meandering and sparse. "We were really raw," drummer Sarah Mendelsohn admitted. They've since grown more cohesive and have made an imprint as the go-to Marley cover band of the Boston area.
"Sally O'Brien's has been their springboard," The Globe's Morse said. As he talked, he grew increasingly enthusiastic about the brewing scene and had much respect for The Duppys who opened with the rare "Small Axe." "I've never heard them play the same set twice," Morse said. "Not a lot of bands can do that in any genre." By their second song most everybody not nursing a bottle was up and dancing. A college couple swung and waltzed all over and new patrons kept leaking in.
Weeknight sets see a variety of people all in flux. "A lot of late-shifters stop in on their way home from work," Mark Ferranti, The Duppys' bassist, said. Indeed, one eager-to-speak friend with sleepy eyes mentioned, grinning, "This is my stop between work and home."
The lack of any significant financial benefit--shows at Bull's cost only $5, Marley Mondays are free--keeps the performers free of any pressure. "It's more community than business," said Morse. Their residencies serve as rehearsal time, allowing each act to stretch their limitations and experiment. For The Duppys, it's a chance to dig deep into the Marley songbook and not rely on the standard bong hits. They have a minimum of 80 songs in their cannon ready to go.
Each band represents a different slice of the reggae pie. Each has their own style and every player a different background, but all know where their roots are planted. The Duppys are the quintessential reggae act, rejuvenating the back catalogue of Marley and giving each song new life. Skiffy & The Ghetto People Band play a more gritty, from-the-dirt reggae sound. The Dub Down splashes heavy beats into the rhythm with raps from MC Kabir laced throughout. They hold the longest residency of the four, since May 2010. Dub Apocalypse, meanwhile, pries open another vein with their fringe-reggae.
"The platform," said drummer Benedetti, whose arms are covered in tattoos and who grew up on metal, "is 70s and 80s Jamaican dub...Depending on who's on the gig, the gig can take any shape." With an alternating sax section and fluctuating band members, Dub Apocalypse represents reggae's trippier side. "They have a dark dub style," Jimmy T said. "I call it gangster future dub reggae."
Jimmy T's own Dub Down has five alternating vocalists, including Skiffy. They showcase harmonies ranging from rock-steady ska to dancehall. "We're a song band," he said. They play a half-and-half mix of bootleg bin covers and originals.
While The Dub Down, Dub Apocalypse and The Duppy Conquerors have been constants the last two years, the addition of Skiffy & The Ghetto People Band has strengthened the scene. They snuck in last June replacing David Johnston Band who held a nine-year tenure at Bull's. "Skiffy's been a real surprise," Morse said.
Formed from the previous band, Dub Station, The Ghetto People Band pulled together a legion of reggae soldiers. "What we really try to do is have an authentic sound," drummer Glen "The General" Grant explained with thick accent. "I try to give more of a spiritual, authentic sound because I'm from the Caribbean." Dub Station toured the U.S. throughout the 90s featuring different vocalists. Skiffy sat in for a period and formed a relationship with Grant that eventually evolved into their Tuesday night residency.
Grant is a seasoned reggae drummer who protested nuclear power on the White House lawn the same year The Duppys' Ferranti discovered Marley in a dark room developing prints. To have come from the music's birthplace, it's been satisfying for Grant to see the scene in full swing. "If I take you to Jamaica and we turn on the radio station, we won't hear reggae. You'll hear R&B, you'll hear hip-hop, you'll hear classical music Sunday mornings," he said. "Mostly you hear music for the tourists." The foundations of the home base have risen to America to create a flavorful reggae stew--something veterans like Grant appreciate. The newer artists "came from different genres," he said. "They bring it together. It's all connected to reggae."
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| Bull McCabe's where reggae can be heard three nights a week. |
Last October, Bull McCabe's celebrated its fourth anniversary in business. "These bands have done so much work to guild the nights into what they are," owner Brian Manning said. "They're a [big] reason for our success. The biggest part of what we do is music. It's a pleasure to bring people in for that."
The respect is mutual. "Brian's super supportive of the music we all play," Benedetti said. "You can't have a successful residency if the venue isn't behind you." "No man is an island. It takes many people together" to build a scene, Grant said.
Everyone talks of the vibe and there is no doubting its pervasiveness. The shows lack the stiff-necked pretension usually found in rock and roll rooms. "It's not competitive," Morse said. "Rock bands, a lot of times, can get competitive. Reggae bands put the vibe first." Nobody is there to prove anything because the only thing to prove is a slick and shuffled groove. "It's the tradition of Bob Marley," said Morse.
Duppy Conquerors
Bull McCabe's
Sally O'Brien's
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