Boomshaka 2018

March 08, 2018

Boomshaka 2018

Boomshaka 2018

Valley View Casino Center

February 19, 2018

2pm-10:30pm

Article and photographs by Steven Anderson

This new music festival started off under less than desirable weather conditions…A strong, cold wind was blowing into the Pt. Loma area and it was heavy jacket weather when the event started. But at 2pm the Tailgate Party, hosted by Grizzly Peak Farms, kicked off in the parking lot near the North Entrance to the VVCC. Attracted by $2 beers, some free swag give ways and a live band, a crowd began to develop. Many people who had arrived early to the venue decided that the Tailgate Party was a good place to hang. As the crowd meandered from the Grizzly Peak booth to check out the Honey Vapes swag, the band Sandollar treated them to some very good reggae music.This musical warm-up was just what the day needed to get the crowd into the mood to hear some legendary reggae music to honor the birth month of the legend himself, Bob Marley.

At 3pm the doors opened and the crowd quickly funneled into the warmth of the Valley View Casino Center…Here is the schedule of the performers for the evening:

Aloha Radio: 3:35pm-4:05pm (30 min set)

The Expanders: 4:20pm - 4:55pm (35 min set)

HIRIE: 5:10pm - 5:50pm (40 min set)

The Original Wailers: 6:05pm - 6:50pm (45 min set)

Don Carlos: 7:05pm - 7:50pm (45 min set)

Tribal Seeds: 8:10pm - 9:10pm (60 min set)

Stick Figure: 9:30pm - 10:30pm (60 min set)

At 3:35 on the dot Aloha Radio took the stage and kicked off the inaugural Boomshaka Music Festival. An OC band known for their surf-punk-reggae sound, Aloha Radio was a good choice to start the concert. Lead singer Lauren Mulderigg has an awesome range of vocals that she can belt out but now she has added a new tool to her arsenal: Electric Guitar. Lauren has always played the Ukulele in the surf-punk portion of their show but with the addition of her guitar, the band now has added more depth and layers to their music. The power they generated in the opening portion of their set left me wanting more and I can’t wait to see what is on the horizon for this band…

After a change of personnel and equipment, The Expanders took over the stage and the style and pace of the music immediately changed from that of the previous band. This Los Angeles based band has been building up a fan base by playing the traditional reggae style that came out of the 70’s and 80’s. The Expanders are all about the vocals. John Butcher on Lead Guitar, Chiquis Lozoya on Bass and Devin Morrison on Lead Guitar created a very cool three-part harmony to go along with their roots reggae music. This band was a fan favorite as they created the easy-going good vibe that led the way for the other bands to follow…

At 5:10 Hirie took the stage and the energy level changed. Unlike the previous band that played the easy going traditional roots reggae music, there was a sense of urgency to Hirie’s music. They played a more up-tempo style that incorporated a Horn section and an occasional Didgeridoo to compliment the root reggae style of music. Add to that psychedelic guitar riffs and Hirie's soaring vocals and you start to get the picture. I can now see why they won “Best World Music Album” for “Wandering Soul” at the San Diego Music Awards in 2017. The lead singer Hirie is the fire that makes this band burn brightly. She displays her Hawaiian roots by the way she gracefully moves around the stage in a form of hula dance that compliments her awesome vocal range of expression.

After a short break in the action, The Original Wailers came on stage at 6:05pm and the large crowd was treated to the original reggae music as it came out in the 70’s. Al Anderson was there with Bob Marley and The Wailers when the seminal music came out. He was chosen by Bob Marley to play Lead Guitar for the band and it was his incredible guitar work that made the song “No Woman No Cry” a huge hit. He went on to help create the platinum albums “Live at the Lyceum”, “Babylon by Bus” and the ten times platinum “Legend”. So, on this night it was Al Anderson and his band that carried the torch for the original music and passed it on to the appreciative crowd. Sensing that they were hearing some historic music goes down, the crowd got into the music and swayed and sang along with the band.

So, how does one follow the legendary music of The Original Wailers? If you are Don Carlos you come out on stage and embody the reggae music. After all, he was one of the original members of the roots vocal group Black Uhuru in 1973. So, the presence of Don Carlos on stage dancing and singing with dreadlocks flying is a visual reminder of the spirit of Reggae. He provided the link between the original reggae music that preceded his performance and the newer roots-reggae-dub music that was to follow him. Backed by a nine-person band, including two horns, two keyboards, three guitars, drums and backup singer, Don Carlos brought the audience to a new level of participation. Singing one of his popular songs “Young Girl” he danced all over the stage like a Shaman of the spirit of Reggae calling everyone to come join in the celebration. The crowd responded and moved as one as they got into the music of Don Carlos. The stage was now set for the two co-headlining bands to follow.

8: 30: Tribal Seeds was next up and the nine-person band took the stage in front of a large raucous crowd and turned the energy dial-up. Way up! The two main players who provide the spark are Lead Guitarist/Vocalist Steven Jacobo and Ryan Gonzo on Guitar/Vocals. Their form of reggae music picked up where Don Carlos left off by using a three-piece horn section and two keyboards to accompany the band. They also speeded up the tempo and added layered sounds of synthesized echo and delay, massive subwoofers, and strobe lights to accentuate the traditional reggae music. The effect was mesmerizing and the crowd went wild as they got caught up in the roots reggae dub vibe. No wonder Tribal Seeds was named “Artist of the Year” at the San Diego Music Awards in 2017!!!

Stick Figure closed the night out with an awesome performance for the enthusiastic crowd. The genius of Scott Woodruff shined through each song they played. He is the creative force that breathes life into every composition. A self-taught musician Woodruff started out as a one-man band in the studio crafting songs through a looping process and selling them through word of mouth and social media. In 2012 he was putting up his own posters at Reggae Festivals and now he has a live band that is a headliner at major music festivals. Stick Figure has now joined Tribal Seeds, Rebelution, Slightly Stoopid and Soja as one of the major contributors to the growing reggae scene in California. On this night, Stick Figure made up of Scott Woodruff on Lead Guitar/Vocals, Tommy Sulliman on Bass, Kevin Bong on keyboards, Kevin Offitzer on drums and Cocoa The Concert Dog, played a flawless set of their best songs that amplified the energy that the other bands had created. The large crowd that filled the VIP Section in front of the stage went wild and danced and sang along with their songs like they were hoping that the concert would never end. But it did end on and everyone seemed very happy and satisfied with the quality of music at Boomshaka 2018. And what about next year, will there be a Boomshaka 2019? According to Co-Promoter Chris Goldsmith at the Belly Up, “Boomshaka 2018 exceeded all of our expectations. It’s always hard work getting a first-time event like this off the ground, but everyone, including us, had such a great time and we look forward to having it again next year. While we are really happy with the way it all went, we are getting great feedback and plan to make it even better next year.” So, see you next year!!!

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS ARE COPYRIGHTED IMAGES BY STEVE ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY