The Bob Marley Roots, Rock, Reggae Festival @ Wolf Trap
Ziggy Marley and band performing on stage at Wolf Trap. Photo by Andrew Propp, courtesy of Wolf Trap |
The afternoon got off to an ominous start with the skies opening and rain pouring down, eerily reminiscent of an earlier concert going debacle. Thankfully, the rain stopped, as if coaxed by the uplifting music of the Bob Marley Roots, Rock, Reggae Festival, held this past Sunday at Wolf Trap. But let's face it, even if the rain had continued, it would have had little effect on those at the show, because no one could feel down while listening to music that exudes such joy and sunshine. Unfortunately, the deluge did prevent us from seeing the festival's opening act, local reggae outfit Soldiers of Jah Army, but the remainder of the concert had everyone singing along to some of the most well-known songs ever written.
Walking through the crowd as veteran performer Barrington Levy took the stage, one could not help but notice the refreshing diversity of the audience. True-to-life rastas and college age wannabe rastas sat alongside suburban baby boomers with kids, and often grandkids, in tow. Wolf Trap deserves credit for recognizing the universal appeal of this music and creating an event where folks of all stripes could dance to the same beat.
Stephen Marley performing at Sunday's festival. Photo by Andrew Propp, courtesy of Wolf Trap |
Levy had his work cut out for him, as the crowd was clearly just waiting for the festival's headliners, but the consummate showman delivered the goods, with his band laying down infectious grooves under his social commentary for songs like "Murderer", "Black Roses", and "Too Experienced". Levy also got the audience involved by spending much of his set in call-and-response, offering us more than a few "ohhhs" and "heys," along with the occasional "shibldeeboppledeeboo."
Ziggy Marley then took the stage without his usual backing band, the Melody Makers, for an intimate acoustic set. With a percussionist, backing vocalist, and rhythm guitarist as accompanists, Ziggy opened his performance with the classic, "Redemption Song". Bob Marley's music unsurprisingly made many appearances throughout the afternoon, given the name of the festival and the fact that three of his sons were performing. Ziggy Marley's set included "Positive Vibration" and "Lively Up Yourself", in addition to his own "Dragonfly" and "We Are One".
The event's headliner was Stephen Marley, who until recently has been contributing to the Marley legacy behind the scenes, first as part of the Melody Makers and then producing albums for his brothers, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley and Julian Marley. He stepped into the spotlight with the release of his debut, Mind Control, and his set included several songs from that album, including the title track. For much of the set, he also shared the stage with the impressively locked Jr. Gong, performing "Welcome to Jamrock", "Pimpa's Paradise", and "All Night" off of Damian Marley's last release. Ziggy Marley joined his brothers on stage for the obvious highlight of the day, which was their father's music.
Stephen Marley, who inherited his father's voice, shined on "No Woman No Cry" and "Buffalo Soldier". "Three Little Birds" brought the crowd to near ecstasy. For the encore, the band played the festival's namesake, Bob Marley's ska classic, "Simmer Down", and closed the proceedings with a fiery rendition of "Exodus". An unexpected treat was the presence of several bandmembers' children on stage throughout the set. Ranging from toddlers to teens, their dancing in the wings not only gave the whole festival a family picnic vibe, but also provided some out-of-control adorableness that would put a smile on the face of even the most stone-hearted curmudgeon.