Reels & Riddims
Welcome to Reels & Riddims!
Mikelah and Kerry-Ann, two friends and culture enthusiasts, give their eclectic mix of commentary and reviews in world of TV, Film, and Concerts. From dissecting storylines in TV and film that feature Caribbean characters, to the irresistible 'riddims' of the concerts, Reels and Riddims got you covered.
Reels & Riddims
Riddims: A Night with the Marley Brothers at the Traffic Jam Concert
Tune in for an episode that celebrates not only the sounds of reggae but also the enduring spirit of the Marley family, connecting us all through the power of music.
Video: Jamdown's Finest
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Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of Reels and Rhythms brought to you by Carry On Friends, silent Vibes and, of course, breadfruit Media. Today we are dabbling on the rhythm side of things. So I recently attended the Damien Jr, gang Marley and Steven Raga Marley Traffic Jam Concert. So they are currently on tour with one another. They've been touring, I think, all of February and March promoting this tour as well. Coincidentally happened to be also around the time of the release of the Bob Marley One Love movie, and so I am such a huge fan of them I had to attend. So, as we are bringing you reels and rhythms, I wanted to share my experience with you guys here. So this isn't the first time that we've seen or at least I have seen Damien and Stephen on tour together. The last time that I had saw them it was at the Nokia theater, which I don't even think that exists anymore in Manhattan, and um, damien had really released um, welcome to jam rock previously, and Steven had just released mind control, um. So over the years they've had so many great collaborations together. So over the years they've had so many great collaborations together, and so this, I guess, was an opportunity for them to really put a stamp behind it. I did find a promo video that they did with Live Nation that kind of shares the journey of how they got here and why they wanted to set out to do this tour. We will link that in the show notes. So make sure you guys check that out. That's always fun to see behind the scenes.
Speaker 1:But I attended here in Connecticut at the college music hall in New Haven, so traditionally a lot of reggae bands they stop in Connecticut. It's either usually in New Haven or in Hartford. Connecticut has such a huge Jamaican audience but also a lot of reggae lovers as well. I did notice that Steven is actually coming back to Connecticut, but he's coming back in the summer, so I might try to check that as well. But this one was in a really nice hall. I had never been there. It was my first time. In the space itself and it was on the ground floor was two floors floors, it was the balcony and then the the standing room area. So I got the balcony tickets and Kisma did want to sit on. Plus, I'm short so I also want to make sure that I have a good visual. Um, so I was able to get seats, but I was standing the whole time because, um, one thing, I got there a little late, so I missed all of the opening festivities. I got there right in time.
Speaker 1:The opening DJ was done and Steven and Damien came on stage shortly thereafter. I think I literally grabbed my seat and we had maybe about five minutes before they started. So right from the very beginning I saw how the set was, that they had the band already set up there and then, as soon as you know, the music kind of came on. Everyone started screaming and shouting and they were so excited to see the brothers live. They came on stage together and I think their opening was so immaculate.
Speaker 1:They had the sound, they had the lighting and it just was like you know, when you can't feel it, you can't feel the drums and the bass, but it wasn't overpowering. That's what I really really loved about the entire concert. I didn't expect for their sound to be bad, because they just always have good, but it almost like my videos that I took of it just don't do it justice because, like you, could really feel the music and I thought that that was so like powerful. Not to mention, I think I'm kind of becoming somewhat of a sound snob, like I only want to go and see concerts in particular areas and make sure that they have the sound right, because the sound is horrible. Like the bass is like bouncing off the walls. It just doesn't sound good and it's not the best experience. And I think, even as I've gotten older and more in tune to what good really sounds like, I think I'm becoming a bit of a sound snob, so I'm really glad that they were good. I think I'm becoming a bit of a sound snob, so I'm really glad that they were good.
Speaker 1:On top of that, not only was the band really good and you can hear them really clearly, but you could hear Damien and Steven very crisply, like they were not being overpowered by the band. You could hear their voice, the tonality of their voice, every single word, and I was in the balcony and you could really hear it. So big up to the sound system. People Got them to do a good job, which I love that I think. The other thing that I really enjoyed is watching the two of them on stage. Even when I saw them the first time, this was years ago and they seemed to have a really great creative energy then, but you can tell that they have grown in their creative energy with each other. They seem very comfortable going in and out of each other's catalogs. So speaking of catalog, like you start to kind of understand how many songs they have really done together. So the title of the tour is called Traffic Jam, so they have that one together.
Speaker 1:But they did Medication all night. It was written. And of course, my favorite, my personal favorite, is Tight Ship. I love that song, I play it all the time. But what I love about their performances, they did not cut them short. They didn't cut the song short, they performed the songs in its full, entire entity. They were able to kind of make it their own, which it kept the essence of the song. But then they had like one drop rhythm here and they had a little bit of dance in it and then kind of mix it in between, and so it was such a good bridge of the two genres being presented on stage and then, with Steven and Damian their energy together, it just really came together really well. So I enjoyed all of the different songs and they did do a few songs where they were solo, but they primarily focused on the songs where they were solo, but they primarily focused on the songs that they had together, and I think that this tour really gives you the breadth of perspective of the catalog that they do have together as brothers, which I think is unique to this specific tour.
Speaker 1:Not only that, they were having fun, they were enjoying each other. They were laughing, joking, like you can tell. They had jokes, you know, behind the stage and it wasn't. It wasn't the case where they were kind of trading off and one was going off stage and one was coming back. If Damien was singing, stephen was right there next to the band dancing, singing along, not into the microphone but just like having a good time, and when Stephen was singing, damien was dancing. So vice versa, they really supported each other in that sense. So I was happy to see that, because it kind of could be like I wasn't sure what to expect they were going to perform all at the same time, or if they were just going to kind of do almost like a round robin of their hits, or if they were going to do one first and then the other and then come together. I wasn't sure how that was going to go. So I liked that they kind of intertwined the entire show rather than doing some of the other setups I just talked about.
Speaker 1:I always think it's fun to think about what songs that they are going to pick to do of their fathers. I think every Marley. Wherever you see them perform, they do at least five of Bob Marley's songs and it's always interesting which ones they pick to do, depending on the crowd or where they are. So and I'm sure they probably don't pick the same set all the time. So it's always pleasantly surprised because it kind of gives an introspective of you know what they love about their dad's catalog, some of their favorite songs that they gravitate to. At least that's my inclination. I don't know if that's accurate or not, but they did Jammin'. They did so Much Trouble in the World, which is one of my absolute favorite songs. I was excited to see that. I don't think I've ever seen any of them perform that song, so I thought that that was good.
Speaker 1:Um, they also did is this love? They did exodus, which I kind of expected because they they have a song where they sampled um, exodus, so I knew that that one was coming and they ended with could you be loved? That's the end coming, and they ended with Could you Be Loved? That's what they ended with. They ended with Could you Be Loved? So it's interesting. I thought they were going to end with One Love, just because of the timing and the movie, but they didn't. So I like that they did it and made it a surprise.
Speaker 1:It's always, again, always interesting to see like which songs that they are going to pick to do, see like which songs that they are going to pick to do, um, what I also love is how they sample um a lot of the songs and they intertwine them into their sets. So there's a familiarity of, of, of understanding bob's catalog. But then you have his two sons and they have put their own spin on some of those songs and really integrated it into it. They also had the screen with performances from Bob's time of showing some of his performances to the songs that they actually performed, and I thought it was really nice to kind of see they have that connection and collaboration and really incorporate it in a big way. As I mentioned, every time I see a Marley I've seen Kimani Marley, joe Mercer Marley, rest in peace. I've also seen Johan Marley perform. They all perform parts of the catalog and so I always find it really interesting to see which ones they pick, and I think that that is a kind of a testament to Bob's legacy. He has children and grandchildren who one can sample his music and two can perform his music. A lot of artists don't have that. So the legacy of being part of every generation. So he's now three generations in and younger people are coming into his catalog through his kids and grandkids and then they can kind of go back and explore. I think that as a musical legacy family, they're one of the few that do that really, really well. And I'm talking about in all music.
Speaker 1:Speaking of you know the amount of people and the different generations, I have to say, like I mean, I was expecting a lot of diversity in terms of everyone who loves the Marlies as a collective, but I was pleasantly surprised at the age range. It was super diverse in terms of who was there. I was probably sitting next to someone who looked like he could, he and his partner could be like in their seventies and there were like really young people. I saw, you know, a guy. He took his son there, um, and he was maybe about 10. Um, and then lots of like 20 year olds and 30, like I'm, I'm I'm being presumptuous and telling you their age, cause I really don't know, um, but there was such a wide range of everyone who attended and they knew all the songs and they were singing along. And it was such a proud range of everyone who attended and they knew all the songs and they were singing along and it was such a proud moment. It was the first time my husband had seen them perform and I think for him it was just as exciting. And that was one of the things that we kind of talked about in the car is like you know, the audience was super diverse and it's expected, but when you see it and feel it up close, it's a little different. And then, as a Jamaican, when you hear and see those moments, it really puts in perspective how big the music is, how vast the genre is in terms of being cross-generational, spanning the test of time, and it makes you really proud.
Speaker 1:The last point that I want to make and I don't know why I never really thought about this and I don't know if anyone has even really touched on it, but as I was watching Damian Marley, I'm like yo, he's a dance hall artist, he kind of goes in between DJing and singing, but I feel like he DJs a lot more. But the way that he performed was like the bravado of like 90s dance, early 2000 dance artists, like he's definitely rooted in dancehall culture. In terms of his um delivery and how he kind of connects with his audience. He did take it low, take it low and and and the rhythm drop back and then do him thing and then him come back and then him jump up and him up the crow like he's such a great um performer when it comes to delivery. It reminded me a lot of watching, like some of the dancehall greats and I. It clicked for me and I've seen again, I've seen them perform multiple times, but it was yesterday was the first time that it really clicked for me. That I'm like yo, it was still because. But the positive messages that he has is also proof that you know dancehall can have positive messages and be really good and connect with massive people. So we don't have to be in one space or the other. I think the variety and more positive, hard-hitting dancehall lyrics and performance delivery is what's going to cut it.
Speaker 1:The one thing again their musicality. As a team of brothers going in between, you could tell that they were well-rehearsed, great energy. I just love seeing reggae live and experiencing it live. So it's always a great experience for me. But I really enjoyed the concert. If you don't get a chance because by the time this release I think the tour will be over However, if you do get a chance, maybe they'll extend it, you know, maybe they'll do it again, but if you ever get a chance to see any of the brothers, definitely go and do that, because they all have their own performance. So if you are expecting one thing, you're going to get something else, and I really enjoy it. I enjoy their catalog. So I think it's a great experience to see it live. It's a great experience to see it live. So that is it in terms of my review of I don't even know if it's a review, it's just kind of like five points that I took away from the Traffic Jam tour featuring Damian Jr Gangmarly and Steven Ragamarly. I enjoyed the experience and I'm looking forward to doing more.
Speaker 1:On the rhythm side of things, as I was leaving the venue, the employees were handing out Barris promotion flyers. So they were like yeah, barris Hammond is coming back. Make sure you guys come back. Get your tickets from now. I'm like yo, the promo people never work Because inside of the music hall they had the workers handing out the flyers Not outside but inside, and they're promoting a while ahead. So I really enjoyed that as well. So until next time my next rhythm review Later, as I usually say, on Style and Vibes podcast but make sure you guys are following us on Reels and rhythms on instagram and share with us your thoughts, please. And thanks later.
