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John Brown's Body and The Black Seeds at Bowery Ballroom
Friday night, John Brown’s Body landed at Bowery Ballroom as part of their national summer tour. The Black Seeds, all the way from Wellington, New Zealand, joined them. As a bill, it could have been labeled The Personality and Power tour, because each band displayed their individual strengths.
The Black Seeds are the Personality. The seasoned NZ natives are a solid modern reggae band, with a pinch of ska and pop to taste. They are so comfortable in their skin as a band it is reassuring and exciting for a Friday night crowd. Co-lead vocalists Barnaby Weir and Daniel Weetman have fine tones that fit the music well. Guitarist Mike Fabulous had the audience eating out of his hand, connecting and showing cool confidence as some of the ladies in the crowd made plans to move to Wellington.
John Brown’s Body was the Power, with a seeming group of giants taking the stage and full command. The sixteen-song set and encore was a nonstop reggae, rock, drum & bass jam. Elliot Martin held the audience from the first lines of “Bread”, bounding with dirty, and rootsy energy. Standouts include “Struggling”, “Push Some Air”, “The Grass” (new song), and “What We Gonna Do?” When they returned for an encore the audience was on the verge of collapse. As the last notes of “33 RPM” played out, fans and friends were exhausted. Imagine how the band felt.
What a fine compliment to both bands, knowing that the audience was worn out because they delivered the goods.
Experiencing this contemporary reggae from the U.S. and New Zealand in one night shows the global appreciation of this style of Caribbean-inspired music. While the interpretations are similar, distinct cultural seasonings have enriched each band. The Black Seeds’ laid back, slick and somewhat romantic blend complements John Brown’s Body’s assertive pound the ground take. As the two continue to tour together throughout the fall, it should be interesting to see how they may influence each other’s future sound.
09/15/09 >> go there
