Sunday night, reggae bands Stick Figure, The Green, Iration and Rebelution played at the Cuthbert Amphitheatre, sharing some kickback island vibrations with Eugenians.
Stick Figure was the opening act for the reggae night. Stick Figure filled the atmosphere with fun, summer loving beats as people started spilling into the amphitheater. Keyboard Player Kevin Bong’s long, brown hair bounced back and forth, feeding off the energy received from the happy-buzzed crowd. At the end of their set, the audience sent good vibes to the band by cheering them on.
Next up: The Green. They opened their set with music from an old Hawai`i Consolidated Movie Theaters trailer that triggered nostalgic feelings for Hawai`i-raised folks like myself. Soon after, the band rocked the crowd with their song “Alone,”where more people congregated to the front to throw up shakas as they started swaying and skanking to the island beat. One of the lead Vocalist JP Kennedy pumped up the audience, “We love the country side/ we love this ocean breeze/ we love the chronic trees,” right before jamming to “Rootsie Roots”.
Next, the backdrop screen rolls up Iration’s edgy, black and white logo. The crowd greets the band with clouds of ganja smoke floating above their heads. They started off their set with their high-energy hit, “Turn Around,” urging people to come to the stage and dance. They transitioned into their next song, “Electricity,” which aroused sexual tension between the couple next to me with lyrics, “When it’s just you and me/ electricity.” At the middle of their set, lead vocalist Micah Pueschel introduced the group, “We are Iration from the 808 state of Hawai`i,” followed by the question, “Are you ready to fucking party with Iration tonight?”
Pueschel made the crowd go wild after stating, “This song is inspired by smoking weed in the summer time,” as he holds up a joint given to him from someone in the front row. They ended their set with “Falling” where the audience bobbed their heads to its slow-paced, beach-vibe tune.
The headliner band Rebelution pierced through filler electronic dance music with brass sounds from saxophonist Khris Royal and trumpet player Zach Meyerowitz. Right away, lead vocalist Eric Rachmany’s boyish, hypnotic voice fills the auditorium with the words “It’s a pleasure to meet ya” from their song “Attention Span”. By this point, I found myself rubbing shoulders against others in the pit as people jam-packed their way towards the stage. For their next song, they slowed it down with, “Fade Away,” their alternative rock inspired sound, which I felt confused the audience after dancing to high-energy reggae music. I felt that the next song, “Good vibes” made up for that as the audience bounced to the chill rhythm while holding peace signs in the air. They ended the night strong with, “So High” where Rachmany shouts to the audience, “I know for sure that Oregon’s got the herbs when I’m dry!”