Reggae on the Rocks XXVII
A Night of Headliners
August 23, 2003
Red Rocks Amphitheater
Morrison, Colorado
Reviewed for the Reggae Movement by
Larry Leiber
Read Flute
Man John's Artist Review of Red Rocks
Reggae on
the Rocks XXVII, held Aug 23, 2003 at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison,
Colorado, offered us a stellar lineup of Reggae legends. The great lineup
created great anticipation and a good turnout for this year's annual Reggae
festival in Colorado, held for the 17th consecutive year.
On a cool, clear evening at Red Rocks,
Burning Spear took to the stage at Red Rocks as the main headliner on
a night of headliners. Burning Spear continues to set the bar
for live reggae at such a high level, it is difficult to imagine many
artists being able to match it or come close for a very long time.
Opening up with Hills and Valleys, backed by the remarkably tight
Burning Band and an incredible production staff at Red Rocks, Mr.
Winston Rodney took the crowd through a journey of his music, which has
been burning strong from the 1960’s.
When Burning Spear hits the stage, it
is with apparent solitude and stoic disposition which has defined both his
stage presence and music throughout the years.
From chanting his message through song, giving
talented performances on his congos, and the backing of his Burning
Band, Burning Spear is a true musical legend whose
performance transcends any genre, and gives a deep wonderment to anyone
who has the opportunity to be witness.
Mr. Rodney brought the crowd at Red Rocks joy
with Burning Reggae, Nyah Keith, Jah No Dead, and an
amazing performance of African Postman.
Introducing us to some of the music of his new
album, “Free Man”, Burning Spear showed us, in a genre
where music is generally judged after a period of a few years rather than
on an instant release, some exceptional reggae artists can come out with
‘instant classics’.
Whereas Burning Spear was stoic and
majestic, Jimmy Cliff primed the crowd before him with energy and
zeal.
Jimmy Cliff, with his band dressed
together in red t-shirts, took the stage, opened up with an apropos “Reggae
Nights”. Dressed in a yellow show suit with a matching red shirt of
his own underneath, Mr. Cliff took the crowd on a kaleidoscope ride of his
many hits. From the solemn and dreadful “Many Rivers to Cross” to
the uplifting and spiritual “Wonderful World, Beautiful People,”
and, of course, this writer’s personal favorite, “The Reggae Movement”.
Crying out against war in his song "Vietnam", he related
yesterday’s ills to the state of the world today, and had the crowd
singing along in a cry for the idea of universal love and peace.
Utilizing his backup singers, Jimmy Cliff
mixed a little dancehall in his set, showing a dynamic side and attention
to today interests. The dancehall came up short in quality, however, but
fit right in with the dynamic set.
Jimmy Cliff put on a stellar, dynamic
set, almost stealing the show, as he danced and jumped around stage,
showing the energy of someone you would never have guessed his first hit
was back in 1962.
The Wailers, coming out third, just
before Jimmy Cliff, proved that the belief in Bob Marley is
so strong that it is easy to overlook the fact that he wasn’t there. With
Gary Pine looking to emulate Bob Marley in every way, The
Wailers showed why they backed Reggae’s greatest legend over 20 years
ago. With solid rhythms and a surreal feel, they belted out hit after hit
of Marley music. Lively Up Yourself, Zion Train, Exodus, Punky Reggae
Party, all gave fans who had seen Bob Marley in years past the
reflection of yesteryear, and gave all fans who had not seen him a taste
of what it might have been like.
Israel Vibration, hitting the stage as
daylight began to descend, opened up with “On the Rock” which
seemed apropos being at Red Rocks, but more a cry out to Jamaica and the
state of affairs. Israel Vibration followed their usual set
opening with the Roots Radics playing Rock Fort Rock with their
appearance. Each and every time Skelly and Wiss make their appearance on
any stage, it is a revealing experience. At Red Rocks, where the entrance
is that much longer, they received a large standing ovation as they took
to their spots on the front of the stage before the Roots Radics.
Going through their standard of hits, Skelly
and Wiss went through Mr. Consular Man, Jammin, Hard Road to Travel,
Soldiers of Jah Army, and kept the crowd both entertained and standing
throughout the inspired set. It seemed the Roots Radics were battling a
hollow sound at times, yet they easily proved their professionalism in
overcoming and performing soundly for the I-Vibes, and representing
themselves as one of Jamaica's top bands.
Judge Roughneck,
a local Colorado ska band, opened before the I-Vibes with their original
brand style of ska, offering energy and movement throughout their set.
Byron Shaw, the lead singer, kept the crowd entertained through his stage
presence, and it was refreshing to see their talented bass player,
Brian Handlos, get the opportunity to sing a little bit.
Judge Roughneck, whom one might have seen a couple years ago at Red Rocks,
has shown some good growth and have proven themselves as polished
entertainers in the Colorado area.
Lion Soul JAHs opened up the day.
For those who haven’t been to Red Rocks, it is
truly a surreal experience. An outside venue Nestled in Red Rocks along
the Front Range foothills of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, it is an
amazingly beautiful place to see a show. With vendors located upstairs,
it offers a virtual mall of reggae and rasta wear at Reggae on the Rocks.
Although the weather didn’t seem to cooperate up top (very high winds) the
weather threatened but did not follow through throughout the day and night
for the fans and artists performing.
With a great stage, and a production of superb
performance, it appears that the critics of Reggae on the Rocks the past
few years may have been silenced, and the level of expectations may be
back on the rise for this annual reggae festival. The lighting throughout
the evening was beautiful, offering red gold and green images on the rocks
behind the stages, as well as perfectly complementing the bands
performances throughout their sets.
Musical selection between sets were also well
done. The Skatalites in in the middle of one set, and Lee Scratch
Perry among other set breaks, provided great backdrop and atmosphere,
preparing and relaxing the crowd at the same time.
If one were to give a two word description of
Reggae on the Rocks XXVII, it would be “Top Notch”.
Comments or suggestions can be sent to Larry@reggaemovement.com
