Towson, Get Ready To Reggae

For those of you that have read some of my past pieces, it comes as no secret that I am a full-fledged, die-hard supporter of live music. Yes, listening to the record is always a good start, but you cannot experience the true power of music—the raw energy that accompanies it—unless you witness the performer first hand.

Looking back over the last ten or so years, I can safely say that some of my best memories are of me standing in a crowd, eyes closed, listening to a live performance. And, since the majority of those ten years have been spent in Towson, a lot of those special moments have taken place at the

That being said, I've recently grown disheartened with the acts that have been coming to Towson's premier venue. Much of that may be, in part, due to my own musical tastes. However, all the frames in the Recher's entrance proudly display artists that any music hall would be proud to present: The Flaming Lips, Liz Phair, John Scofield, The White Stripes, and Wilco are just a few. I haven't seen any of those acts roll through Towson any time recently.

It seems to me that the real good acts are few and far between, and what comes through is mostly just filler. What we need is a Recher Renaissance of sorts.

Scrolling through the venue's list of upcoming acts, however, does show one gleaming beacon of hope a little over a month from now on Saturday, May 21. The Wailers are coming to Towson.

For those of you that aren't familiar with this name, The Wailers are the remnants of Bob Marley & The Wailers. Following Marley's death in 1981, the surviving members regrouped and kept touring, bringing the soulful sounds of Reggae to new generations of listeners.

Admittedly, I've never gotten too deep into the Reggae scene. I left that to the guys who lived across from me in the dorm—white guys with dreadlocks and red eyes. However, I've always enjoyed the genre, especially the music of Bob Marley & The Wailers.

There's something unexplainable that happens when Marley sings “every little thing is gonna be alright,” in his hit, “Three Little Birds.” Whatever may be going on in your life, for those three minutes at least, he's right.

In the 70s, The Wailers and their charismatic frontman brought infectious melodies and messages of peace, love, and oneness (stemming from their Rastafarian beliefs) to the forefront of popular music. Even though it has faded somewhat as other genres have come and gone, Reggae still holds an appeal and an ability to catch people pleasantly unawares. The strong downbeats and powerful upbeats of The Wailers' music still leave no room for listeners not to dance.

Though bassist, Aston “Family Man” Barrett, is the only member of the group's current lineup that actually played with Marley, fresh talent and younger energy still bring forth the music and the message that have separated them from other acts for so long.

On May 21, The Wailers will be performing Uprising in its entirety, the final studio album released during Marley's lifetime. “Could You Be Loved,” “Redemption Song,” and “Coming In From The Cold” are just a handful of the record's more popular tracks that will surely be done a tremendous amount of justice.

So, Towsonites, mark your calendar! This will be a show that few will want to miss and I believe that with enough support, the Recher will recognize that this humble town needs great acts like this much more often. Thanks be to Jah!