Rebelution, Steel Pulse sell out the Orange County Fair

There is no better way to cap off a day at the annual Orange County summertime fair than with Rebelution. On August 3rd, that’s exactly what myself and many others did. The Pacific Amphitheatre was sold out, with attendees eagerly awaiting the arrival of Reb’s headlining run — the Good Vibes Summer Tour. Spanning from June to October, DJ Mackle, DENM, Steel Pulse and Rebelution is bringing the nation to their feet in respect for reggae music, one city at a time. 

Hailing from just up the 405, SoCal native DENM started off the evening, with hit songs from his LP, Slum Beach Denny. Audience members rocked along to his authentic genre-bridging sound.

The party continued between sets thanks to DJ Mackle. 

Steel Pulse was up next. Bassist Amlak Tafari stole the show, with his louder than life personality. Turning to me and my camera, Tafari struck poses reminiscent of a young Arnold Schwarzenegger. The GRAMMY Award-winning group eloquently personified the rastafari lifestyle in sound and vision as red, gold and green decorated each member. Steel Pulse was the only band on the bill that I had not yet seen live. The energy they shared with us in attendance was uplifting, yet the poetic lyrics were grounding, resulting in a beautifully unique experience.

Last up was Rebelution. Anticipation was quelled slightly, thanks to DENM and Steel Pulse, but reached an all-time high as soon as Rebelution’s notorious light show lit up the venue. Laser beams scanned the sold-out crowd while screams of excitement drained out the first few notes of each song. An unforgettable time was had by all on an unforgettable night.

Photography by Jenna Shaw

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