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 […]

Reliving the 5th Annual Lake Tahoe Reggae Fest

‘Chill figuratively, not literally’ was the name of the game at the fifth annual Lake Tahoe Reggae Festival at Harvey’s Outdoor Amphitheater located in Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on July 29th. Ample grass for picnic blankets, shade structures to boot, one stage (!) and long, vibey set change interludes hosted by local reggae DJ […]

Dirty Heads & friends fill up Paso Robles venue

On August 6th, Vina Robles was blessed to host reggae hip hop group Dirty Heads with special guests The Elovaters, Tribal Seeds and SOJA. The Elovaters started off the evening with their authentic and upbeat beachy-style rock reggae music. They were great at making the audience sing and dance along! Next up was Tribal Seeds, […]

SOJA sells out Ineffable’s new Ventura Music Hall

Ventura Music Hall spoiled me on July 23rd. The bowling alley-turned-music venue (recently opened in March 2022) welcomed Kyle Smith, The Elovaters and SOJA to the stage for an unforgettable night of reggae rock music (with a splash of punk rock thrown in). It has been about 14 years since SOJA graced a stage smaller […]

California Roots 2022: Day Four

The fourth and final day of Cali Roots 2022 was one for the books. We laughed, we cried, we danced, we loved, we sang, we vibed and we all connected on a level that no one can describe quantitatively without sounding a little ‘woo-woo’. Simply put — it was magic. We were magic. Day Four […]

California Roots 2022: Day Three

Cali Roots Day Three arrived with a bang Saturday. Despite Rebelution’s blow-out 90-minute light show spectacular of a set the previous night, over 14,000 reggae lovers of all genres and walks of life lined up on Fairground Road and entered with newfound energy, fresh outfits and all the love in the world. The sun was […]

A chat with international reggae sensation, Dub Inc.

French reggae band Dub Inc. stole the show in Solana Beach Sunday night at the Belly Up Tavern, opening for Mike Love and his backing band, The Full Circle. This was the last night in California for the seven-piece, after a full tour of California beginning in Monterey at Cali Roots on Memorial Day Weekend. […]

Stephen Marley brings Babylon by Bus Tour to Saratoga

On Thursday June 9th, Stephen Marley — son of the legendary Bob Marley — brought his Babylon by Bus Tour to Saratoga’s Mountain Winery. The tour had just kicked off at Cali Roots Festival and continues on, featuring different reggae acts depending on location. Tonight’s show featured Skip Marley, grandson of Bob Marley, as well […]

Dry Diggings drops second reveal for 2022

“One of my favorites, ever!” That’s what I tell anyone that asks me about Dry Diggings, an easygoing backyard vibe of a festival held in the tree-shaded grass of the aptly named Grass Valley Fairgrounds in Nevada County, CA. The lineup blends classic roots and culture with a healthy dose of west coast reggae and […]

California Roots 2022: Day One

Cali Roots 2022 came and went, and we are all the better for it. All the waiting, wishing, praying was worth it — just like we had faith it would be. Patience was a small price to pay for what we experienced Memorial Day Weekend and those hugs, smiles, laughs were the currency. Most of […]

Sweet roots music with Stephen Marley & Skip Marley in Paso Robles

On June 4th, Paso Robles County was blessed with a legendary performance by GRAMMY Award-winning reggae artist Stephen Marley and his nephew, Skip Marley. Stephen Marley and Skip paid tribute to father/grandfather, Bob, playing hits like “One Love”, “Jammin’” and more to remember his great contribution to reggae music. Skip started off the night making […]

Treehouse! releases “Grave Situation”, feat. Mellodose

What’s a good phrase to describe the current state of the world? TreeHouse! and Mellodose would say “Grave Situation” — the namesake of their new collaborative single. An anti-war anthem with a timely message, delivered in familiar dub stylee, “Grave Situation” highlights the existential plight of humanity and the ever-churning war machine that rules the […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Solrise “Donde”

Spanish artist Solrise is back in action with their rootsy summer single “Donde”. Based out of Barcelona, this European reggae sensation is quickly becoming a global reggae heavy-hitter, evident in this world premiere of “Donde” — a dubby, jazzy track with Latin flair. In case you have yet to start some summertime vibes, Solrise has […]

Cali Roots presents 5th Annual Lake Tahoe Reggae Festival

Summer is heating up in South Lake! California Roots has partnered with Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Lake Tahoe to bring you a reggae lineup of straight fire to the famed venue on the water. Pan-reggae heavy-hitters Slightly Stoopid, Dirty Heads, SOJA, Tribal Seeds and Common Kings join forces with hometown-and-beyond favorites Fortunate Youth, Artikal […]

Mighty Mystic makes colossal waves with ‘Giant’ album

Do you take your roots with a side of riffs? Paired with a soulful piano ballad? Dished up with 90s R&B basslines? The Massachusetts-bred, Jamaican-born Mighty Mystic delivers his “Hard Roots” version of reggae: a musical cornucopia in which he seamlessly joins roots reggae and timeless themes with more modern, mainstream sounds and lyrics.  Songs […]