THE WAILERS are appearing on Thursday July 10 at the Majestic Theatre with opening acts Natty Nation, & Vilas Park Sniper at an 8:30 pm show time for all ages.
Without question, there is no more legendary band in Jamaican music history than The
Wailers, who formed in 1969, and continue their worldwide campaign of promoting
peace, love, and equality, through the message of reggae and Rastafari.
To date, The Wailers have sold over a quarter of a billion albums, including seven Top
10 entries on the British pop charts. Appearances at major festivals include Lollapalooza,
Glastonbury, and Rothbury, along with superstars such as Carlos Santana, Stevie
Wonder, Sting, the Fugees, and Alpha Blondy. More than 24 million fans have seen them
performing live. In 2012 alone they played an impressive 180 concerts.
The Wailers, formed in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1963, was a vocal group consisting of
Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, Bunny Livingston, Bob Marley, Peter McIntosh,
and Cherry Smith. Braithwaite, Kelso, and Smith had departed by 1966, leaving the
trio of Livingston, Marley, and McIntosh. By the early ’70s, they had begun playing
musical instruments and added a rhythm section consisting of brothers Aston “Family
Man” Barrett (bass) and Carlton Barrett (drums). After recording extensively in Jamaica,
this unit was signed to Island Records, which issued its label debut, “Catch a Fire”, in
April 1973, followed by “Burnin’” in November. Each of the three Wailers vocalists was
capable of composing and singing lead, and by the end of 1973, the singers split apart to
pursue successful solo careers. Carlton and Family Man decided to stay with Bob and the
group now became known as Bob Marley and the Wailers.
Their first album with Bob as the sole front man was its breakthrough, “Natty Dread.” A
debut performance in 1975 at London’s Lyceum was captured on the thrilling “Live” LP,
and produced a huge hit with “No Woman No Cry.” It also contained Bob’s own version
of the song he composed, “I Shot the Sheriff,” which was then an enormous international
smash in a cover version by Eric Clapton. By 1976, Marley and the Wailers were in the
Top 10 of the U.S. charts with their “Rastaman Vibration” album. They would continue
on the hit parade throughout the remainder of Marley’s life.
Marley passed away from melanoma cancer at the age of 36 in 1981, instructing the band
to carry on his mission. Family Man, the rock hard foundation of The Wailers’ sound, has
led the band through various incarnations ever since. Because he was the arranger and
co-creator of Marley’s finest works throughout the 1970s, hearing him play the Wailers’
songs today is the closest one can come to experiencing the excitement of those immortal
performances during Bob’s lifetime.
Now well into their fifth decade, The Wailers truly are living legends who embody the
nobility, conviction and progressiveness of Bob Marley and his music. Their journey
is far from over as the world awaits The Wailers’ next move in their “One Love”
revolution. Family Man said it best, “Our music is the magic, the oxygen of the people.
It’s the message of roots, culture and reality, meant to spread peace and love to all.”
The Wailers [photo by Sal Serio]
THE BUDOS BAND will play Friday July 11 at the Majestic Theatre along with Electric Citizen & DJ Phil Money. 9:00 pm is the show time.
A Staten Island-based Afro beat, soul, jazz, and funk instrumental ensemble, The Budos
Band came together at a jam session hosted by Brooklyn’s Afro beat kings, Antibalas.
Specializing in horn-driven world roots funk, the group released the self-titled “The
Budos Band” on Daptone Records in 2005, and followed it with “The Budos Band II”
in 2007. After a tour, and a lengthy break during which individual members contributed
to other artists’ projects, the band reunited to record “The Budos Band III”, which was
released August of 2010.
If there was ever any question whether the brotherhood of The Budos is instrumental
afro-soul royalty, the Chateau de Budos that graces the back cover of “The Budos Band
III” assures all that the group is strong – unstoppable even – and will use all of nature’s
power to ascend to their rightful throne. The cobra is poised to strike if anyone dares
challenge The Budos on their quest.
“Heading into the studio for Budos III, I really thought we were going to make the first
psychedelic, doom-rock record ever recorded at Daptone,” recounts longtime Budos
de facto frontman and baritone saxophonist, Jared Tankel, “but somehow it ended up
sounding like a Budos record.” Recorded at the now infamous Daptone House of Soul
Studios by the world-renowned production team of Bosco Mann and TNT, Budos III
was tracked to analog tape and recorded live over the course of an intensely productive
48 hour period, much like its predecessors. The songs that emerged are unmistakably
the type of tough sonic nuggets that have long earned The Budos Band the title, “the
quintessence of Staten Island soul.” Replete with tight rhythms, blistering break beats,
blaring horns and, yes, perhaps even a tinge of psychedelic doom-rock, Budos III
promises to bring some added heat upon its release this summer from Daptone Records.
The sound of The Budos may be challenging for some to describe, but to the band,
“Staten Island instrumental afro-soul” means internalizing such seemingly disparate
influences as the Cairo Jazz Band, J.C. Davis, Mulatu Astatke, and Black Sabbath, and
coming together to form a mind-bending combination of rhythm and melody. The unique
and signature sound of The Budos has become a favorite for music supervisors to use
in TV, film and video games, as well as producers who have sampled The Budos on
numerous hip-hop tracks.
The strength of the group’s bond and its music has allowed The Budos Band to
accomplish feats rarely attained by instrumental groups. The Budos have developed a
rabid fan base that spans genres and ages. At any given Budos show, one might see b-
boys break dancing to the band’s funk and hip-hop beats; record junkies nodding their
heads to the soul-infused melodies; metal heads thrashing to the dark and ominous guitar
and bass riffs; and general music lovers who eagerly attend Budos shows and smile
approvingly at the melting pot of music that takes place. Simply put, The Budos kill the
live show, and with each record, their ability to put the energy, sweat, and passion of the
live experience to wax increases.