Review by Nico Bonvini and David Manville
John Brown’s Body is a killer Boston and Ithaca NY based reggae group that is taking over the airwaves. As a group the band has been redefining what reggae music is in the world today. This 8-piece band boasts a 3-piece horn section along with all of the main essentials needed to create a night-long groove guaranteed to make you move. A large portion of the live show is controlled by the band’s sound engineer. He keeps the live sound fresh throwing in a variety of dub-style effects. If there is anything certain about John Brown’s Body, they can put on a hell of a show. Their latest album Amplify has been all the rave debuting at #1 on Billboard’s Reggae Chart.
I could have never found a better way to spend my Friday night on January 21st, 2011 than going to see John Brown’s Body at the House of Blues in Boston. The first thing to consider is the venue itself. The House of Blues in Boston, MA is a fantastic venue to see live music in. They really make that room sound awesome for their live performances, and the vibe of the crowd there is always amazing; especially for the John Brown’s Body shows.
The show was kicked off by two opening acts. The first was a heavy dub duo called Zion Train. The second band, Spiritual Rez, was much more remarkable. Normally I don’t mention openers because there usually isn’t much to mention, but Spiritual Rez brought the house down. Their smooth and hard grooving reggae was accessible and exciting, and the musicians all exhibited talent and enthusiasm. Student At Large will definitely be in contact with them to do an independent review of their music in the near future.
John Brown’s Body has the perfect kind of music in order to please the diverse range of people who came out to support them. Playing in a reggae band myself, I can testify to its universal appeal. John Browns Body takes that vibe and keeps it coming all night. Once they hit the stage, the crowd went insane. People of all ages were groovin’ left and right non-stop the entire time that the band was on stage. John Brown’s Body brought the house down with their fat bass lines and tight horn melodies.
I was lucky enough to have squeezed my way into the front row for a good portion of the concert, and the energy level of the players never faltered. Not being one for dancing, I couldn’t help moving along to their funky and smooth reggae beats. This show was comparable to the grooves of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and Jimmy Cliff who I was lucky enough to see at Gathering of the Vibes last summer. The entire crowd was moving, and people were dancing with everyone and anyone next to them, young and old. Even when the band left the stage the crowd refused to leave. They then proceeded to come out and throw a killer 3-song encore, which only left people begging for more. If you ever get the chance to see John Brown’s Body, do not miss your chance. For everyone on the west coast, John Browns Body will be shipping out for a west coast tour from March until June. For everyone out on the east coast, no worries; the band will be back east side in no time. Until then, visit their website at www.johnbrownsbody.com for a free 4 song download, pick up a copy of their new album Amplify, and do what you got to do.
I could have never found a better way to spend my Friday night on January 21st, 2011 than going to see John Brown’s Body at the House of Blues in Boston. The first thing to consider is the venue itself. The House of Blues in Boston, MA is a fantastic venue to see live music in. They really make that room sound awesome for their live performances, and the vibe of the crowd there is always amazing; especially for the John Brown’s Body shows.
The show was kicked off by two opening acts. The first was a heavy dub duo called Zion Train. The second band, Spiritual Rez, was much more remarkable. Normally I don’t mention openers because there usually isn’t much to mention, but Spiritual Rez brought the house down. Their smooth and hard grooving reggae was accessible and exciting, and the musicians all exhibited talent and enthusiasm. Student At Large will definitely be in contact with them to do an independent review of their music in the near future.
John Brown’s Body has the perfect kind of music in order to please the diverse range of people who came out to support them. Playing in a reggae band myself, I can testify to its universal appeal. John Browns Body takes that vibe and keeps it coming all night. Once they hit the stage, the crowd went insane. People of all ages were groovin’ left and right non-stop the entire time that the band was on stage. John Brown’s Body brought the house down with their fat bass lines and tight horn melodies.
I was lucky enough to have squeezed my way into the front row for a good portion of the concert, and the energy level of the players never faltered. Not being one for dancing, I couldn’t help moving along to their funky and smooth reggae beats. This show was comparable to the grooves of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and Jimmy Cliff who I was lucky enough to see at Gathering of the Vibes last summer. The entire crowd was moving, and people were dancing with everyone and anyone next to them, young and old. Even when the band left the stage the crowd refused to leave. They then proceeded to come out and throw a killer 3-song encore, which only left people begging for more. If you ever get the chance to see John Brown’s Body, do not miss your chance. For everyone on the west coast, John Browns Body will be shipping out for a west coast tour from March until June. For everyone out on the east coast, no worries; the band will be back east side in no time. Until then, visit their website at www.johnbrownsbody.com for a free 4 song download, pick up a copy of their new album Amplify, and do what you got to do.
