The Original Wailers bring Bob Marley to Florida’s Jannus Live

On February 21^st, Florida fans packed in for a great night of reggae music. As a cold front pushed down on St. Petersburg, making it a freezing Florida night for the locals with temperatures in the low 50s, nothing was going to stop these fans and amazing musicians from having an absolutely awesome night at Jannus Live!

First up to heat the crowd was Guerrilla Panic, a local band from St. Petersburg. They had a special guest: T.J. Collins, lead guitarist of Summer Survivors, another local band from Sarasota. They pumped and warmed up the crowd with their ska-punk-rock-reggae sound and wild attitudes, led by Matt Cole (lead singer/rhythm guitar) Frank Meza (drums/backing vocals) Mikey Fu (bass guitar) and Bryan Smith (lead guitar). They had the fans jumping and dancing along to their always entertaining and excellent show; if you’re in the area, make sure to find them. 

The show was so amazing, it literally had people cheering, dancing, singing and even shedding tears of joy…

Next up, The Badda Skat Band, straight out of St. Petersburg and one of our favorite Rastafarians. With his Rasta style and roots reggae band, he always put on an awesome show. With Mike Honcho on the drums, Jeffrey Rubinstein on bass, Simpson on the guitar and their special guest Cody Moore (from The Hip Abduction) on the keyboard — another great band from St. Petersburg, FL. The Badda Skat Band’s music is conscious, with a message to uplift listeners and always be aware to send positive vibes out to everyone. Anytime you’re in the area of St. Petersburg, check them out alongside all the rest of our amazing local bands!

Last to hit the stage were The Original Wailers. As they grabbed their instruments, the fans started screaming before they could even start the first song. Lead guitarist, the one and only Al Anderson, was joined by amazing lead vocalist and guitarist Chet Samuel, juicy bass lines from Omar Lopez, the heartbeat from Paapa Nyarkoh on the drums and Adrian “AK” Cisneros on keys. Together, they made the beautiful reggae music made popular by Bob Marley that we’ve all loved for so many years. The show was so amazing, it literally had people cheering, dancing, singing and even shedding tears of joy as they played some of the greatest hits, like “Is This Love” rolling into “No Women No Cry” and many more. They also took turns with some killer solos by Al Anderson, Omar Lopez and Paapa Nyarkoh. The band members awed the crowd, as they always do, putting on an amazing show. We can’t wait to see them again soon, as should you!

Photography by Brian ‘Porkchop’ Nicholson

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