Saturday, June 27, 2009

311, Ziggy Marley – Live @ White River State Park (Stereo Subversion)

Love was in the air. Literally. A banner hanging above the stage reading “LOVE” set the feeling for the Unity tour’s stop at The Lawn at White River State Park in Indianapolis June 21. The Expendables, Ziggy Marley and 311 provided a sonic buffet, as each group played a plethora of styles, giving fans a heaping helping of peace, love and music.

The Expendables, from sunny Santa Cruz, Calif., played a half hour set of rock fleshed out with punk, reggae and 80s music. The band begged the audience to stand and rock, but the sweltering heat of the day was weighing too heavily on the crowd. “Sacrifice (Reprise),” “Down, Down, Down” and “Ganja Smugglin’” succeeded in getting fans near the stage hopping on their feet. The Expendables played tight instrumental compositions laced with hazy vocals. The guitar work was the sweet part of the show as Geoff Weirs and Paul Bianchi played their singing distorted guitars in tandem throughout the set. Their style carried a heavy reggae influence as the band’s grooves drifted through the clamoring throng of people pushing to get a good seat for Ziggy Marley.

Ziggy Marley’s performance proved to be a refreshing musical change of pace in the middle of two other louder acts, giving the audience a break from rock and a chance to savor the silky smooth and carefree sounds of reggae. Marley, with his charcoal dreadlocks hanging from his head like a well-groomed willow tree, played his beat-up green, red and yellow Telecaster for most of the show. He opened with “Dragonfly,” fleshed out with various island percussion and chilled guitar work, aptly setting the tone for the rest of the set. Classics like “Got to Be True to Myself” and songs from his newest album Family Time, dotted the set list, showing that Ziggy can innovate, while still staying in the realm of reggae.

Like his father Bob Marley, Ziggy uses his music to convey a message. Before playing “Love is My Religion,” Ziggy spoke with the audience about his views on religion and that no matter the audience’s religious views, love was something everyone could embrace. His “LOVE” banner draped across the top of the stage emphasized his statement. At the conclusion of his set, Ziggy left the stage as threatening grey clouds dissipated while the sun sank into the White River – almost as if his music calmed an impending storm.

As night drew nearer, the stage began to transform. A metal arch that supported at least 25 lights surrounded a large screen at the back of the stage that projected flashes of colors and images. A six person light crew sat high above the stage ready to control the light show that would ensue.

When 311 took the stage, they performed hit songs right away to get the crowd jumping, saving their newer material later in the show. “Come Original,” “Flowing,” “Applied Science” and “Creatures” were some of the most noteworthy classics of the evening. The variation in the band’s music was refreshing from the reggae infused “Amber” to the rap/rock tune “Jackpot,” giving the audience a change in style nearly every song. Singers Nick Hexum and SA Martinez displayed a plethora of vocal styles, sometimes singing tight harmonies while other times spouting off aggressive rhymes. Hexum, wearing a white jump suit, even played some crushing guitar riffs on “Beautiful Disaster.” His lofty vocals echoed through the venue as Martinez supplied a bit of scratching on a turntable.

What was most pleasing about the show was that the band’s songs were tight and well-rehearsed. Songs from the band’s newest album, Uplifter fell a little flat, especially after the audience’s head banging subsided when they played unfamiliar tunes. The band still was still unfazed, playing more well-known tunes after newer songs to get everyone moving again. During their performance, 311 didn’t solely rely on showmanship but musicianship as well.

Guitarist Tim Mahoney isn’t a shredder or virtuoso by any means but does have a style that relies heavily on silky phrasing wrapped in a sea of effects controlled by a huge pedal board at his feet. The band broke up the set further by performing a five piece percussion number where all members beat drums in a tribal style and threw drumsticks to each other on stage. The exhibition concluded with drummer Chad Sexton pounding out an impressive display of intricate rhythms that were teaming with a plethora of percussive textures. The hidden treat in the show was bassist P-Nut’s solo where he showcased his virtuosic slap technique. Easily the most technically impressive musical solo of the night, the bassist received roaring approval from fans at the end of his demonstration.

Although 311 are still testing the waters with their newer material, they are still a band that puts on a heck of a live show. Even an audience member who threw two shoes on stage couldn’t throw the band off as they blazed through their extensive back catalog of music. The band still relies on their old musical tricks from the ’90s but demonstrated that they can still forge new ground and can indeed play their instruments. Fans will be pleased to hear a mixture of new and old 311 material, while non fans will enjoy the light show and great musicianship from a band that’s proving they can still rock.

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