NYS Music 20​17

Tag: Thunder Body

  • Rochester’s Anthology to Host a Three Night New Years Marathon

    It should come at no surprise that there is a staggering amount of music roaring into New York the weekend of New Years Eve. One noteworthy music venue illustrating this trend is Anthology in Rochester, bringing concertgoers a three-night music marathon over New Years. On Friday, Dec. 29, Rubblebucket soars into Rochester with special guest, Cuddle Magic. Following that, Forever Party, a two night reggae-infused New Year’s celebration will thunder into the humble city on Dec. 30 and 31. Night one of Forever Party will showcase Ithaca’s reggae juggernaut John Brown’s Body and co-headliner, Rochester’s Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad. Thunder Body, another Rochester reggae powerhouse will open up the night. On night two, G.P.G.D.S. will perform again with the legendary Easy Star All-Stars headlining and the Saplings opening up the night. It’s safe to say harmonious melodies will echo through the streets New Year’s weekend.

    Indie-dance sensations Rubblebucket of Brooklyn, have developed a cult-like following in Rochester, stopping by the city annually ever since they began creating music extensively over ten years ago. Rubblebucket is set to entertain its audience with the harmonious bliss of howling vocals, a horn section, and a crunchy synth. Rubblebucket’s eccentric take on funk and pop music fuses into a genre better left undefined. Dec.29 is just the beginning of NYE at Anthology in Rochester.

    Dec. 30, night one of Forever Party, marks John Brown’s Body’s second to last show before taking an indefinite hiatus. This hiatus will hold a place in New York history as it may mark the end of John Brown Body’s nearly 25 year journey. Since their formation in the mid 1990s, J.B.B. has spearheaded the resurgence of roots and dub throughout the region, modernizing the genre, and keeping it relevant with their “Future Roots” style. This bittersweet evening will be their last headlining show for the foreseeable future. Dec. 31 will be their final show indefinitely as they open for Stick Figure at the House Of Blues in Boston.

    On Dec.31, New York City’s Easy Star All-Stars will play their internationally recognized album, Dub Side Of The Moon in its entirety. For those who missed the pun, the album is a Reggae/Dub interpretation of Pink Floyd’s historic Dark Side Of The Moon. Easy Star All-Stars masterfully echoes Pink Floyd’s mysterious psychedelia through the lens of a Jamaican rude-boy.

    Following the Easy Star All-Stars on night two of Forever Party, the proverbial reggae torch will passed to Rochester’s Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad for their second night in a row. G.P.G.D.S started rocking roots reggae in the mid 2000’s, creating a buzz by regularly touring and opening for John Brown’s Body. Rightfully earned, the young band grew into one of the most respected reggae acts in the U. S. Their seamless ability to cross between the genres of reggae, jam, and country has earned them the reign of Rochester’s top music festival band. On Dec. 31, G.P.G.D.S will hold the torch as they return to set the city of Rochester aflame on New Years day.

  • Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad Links Kingston to Buffalo

    With the bustling, vibrant music scene which Buffalo has remarkably fostered, there are often many places a music lover can find solace on an active Saturday night. Despite the many options, it seems many WNY music lovers knew the place to be on Saturday, September 30 was in Buffalo at The Tralf Music Hall to catch a nearly sold out performance by Rochester’s own reggae powerhouse Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad (GPGDS).

    Attendants were in great spirits as they frolicked through the doors and found a place to put their recently located jackets and sweatshirts on Buffalo’s first truly chilly Autumn night. The festivities began right on time with Hip-Hop Duo Level 7 Experience acting as the night’s MC and performing on the floor in front of the stage to better engage with the audience while the bands set up.

    The crowd was loose and ready to dance once Level 7 Experience finished their first set and the opening band, Thunder Body, took the stage. The multi-instrumental, Rochester-local Dub group took no time to get started as they performed a bouncing set, spanning multiple genres. Jumping from reggae to ska to outward psychedelia, the well-rehearsed band did an excellent job using their horn section, percussionists, and theremin to create a very distinct sound of their own. It seemed as though they could play all night and everyone would have been okay with it, but unfortunately time was not on their side and they had to leave room for the main course.

    After a well-earned standing ovation, Level 7 Experience took to the floor once again to entertain the crowd while the stage was set for GPGDS. Now that people were a bit more liquored up and frisky, the duo played to the room and performed more call and response songs than their first set. By the time they finished their last number and thanked the crowd, GPGDS took the stage leaving almost no time between performances.

    As the band took the stage, the screen behind them featured a homage to the city by displaying the Bill’s logo with the buffalo replaced by a panda. It quickly became clear that this was a reoccurring symbol as many people in the crowd wore shirts with the logo, indicating how invested and committed the reggae band’s fanbase was in the area.

    A long, slow drum segment started out the set, leading to an explosion of funk and reggae with bass player James Searl and drummer Chris O’Brian holding down the low end while guitarist Dylan Savage played a scratchy rhythm to get the crowd grooving. After the long intro, O’Brian mixed things up by playing a Latino-inspired beat prompting Searl to holler a Marley-inspired rap with quick, impressive alliteration. Following a breakdown and nailed composed ending, the band slowed things down and segued perfectly into a slower reggae number.

    The light, minimalist reggae tune transformed the Tralf from a dark, oddly shaped room to a refreshing summer day just relaxing by the pond. Reggae fans experienced exactly what they came for as keyboardist Tony Gallicchio sprinkled light-hearted fills throughout the tune while the rest of the band kept things easy. From there they shifted the tempo once again to a faster reggae number which allowed guitarist Dan Keller to showcase his musical expertise by taking the quick reggae tune to space, infusing his love of reggae with that of psychedelia.

    One of the most impressive aspects of GPGDS is their ability to jump from song to song without any stopping and constructing their setlist to feel seamless. They controlled the energy in the room throughout the night with few breaks in the music and making the show feel like a sound wave; going up and down as they played songs with varying tempos one after another.

    Each member of the band was proficient at what they played and took turns on lead vocals. Throughout the night the band excelled at giving the crowd a genuine reggae performance while at the same time incorporating different genres to establish a sound of their own. By welcoming guest spots from the previous acts, there was never a dull moment throughout the show as you could not predict what was coming next.

    Had you told me I would be walking out of this show and entering the humid streets of Kingston, I might have believed you after that performance. It is clear why GPGDS has such a strong following among reggae fans, and they can truly do justice to a genre of music that so many bands tend to butcher.

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