KUCR and ASPB are proud to announce, fresh off tour with 311 and the debut of their new record, “Reggae Hit L.A.”: The Aggrolites, performing live at the UCR Barn with special guests Starpool – this Wednesday, 5th March at 7PM, for free. This is the last blowout show for ASPB’s now-infamous Winter Concert series, so do not miss this one!

Blame it on No Doubt or blame it on Sublime, but by the middle of the 1990s, very little of the pop music that was described as ska had anything to do with Jamaican dance music of the early ’60s. Too many bands whose sole connection to the musical style had been a few singles by the Specials or The English Beat got it all exactly backward, with the punk influences drowning out what little Jamaican influence remained: the result was basically Green Day with horns, and it wasn’t any good for anyone. If The Aggrolites (formed in 2002) have a stated mission, it’s to remind modern audiences what proper ska sounded like, whether in Kingston in 1963 or in London in 1979 [amg].

And, hell, to have some fun.

This concert is the final blowout of the Winter season, and it will fill up, without question. If you consider yourself a punk, reggae, or ska fan – do yourself a favor, and get there early. We can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to fit everyone (remember what happened at the Mistah Fab / Zion I show?) – so don’t say we didn’t warn you. Doors open at 6.

Did we mention that this is free?

Okay, if you really need more convincing, here’s The Aggrolites on Yo Gabba Gabba. Undeniably awesome.

The Show:
Location – at the UC Riverside Barn
Date – Wednesday, 5th March
Time – 7PM, but doors open at 6:00. Get there early, or get locked out. Really.
Price – Free, but you’re on your own for parking.

I’m going to stand up front and demand that they play the banana song. Who’s with me?

I mean, you were there, right?

Daedelus came in and absolutely tore the house down. I think everyone at KUCR is a pretty big Daedelus fan (which is why we decided to bring him through, courtesy of ASPB funding), but I don’t think any of us saw what was coming:

As glad as we are to have any video of this event (hats off to dj geo), the one thing you unfortunately miss is that the crowd by this point was going absolutely bananas.

And really, Daedelus even said himself that he was a little surprised that a university would bring out crazy people like himself and opener Nosaj Thing (UCR at the cutting edge – who’da thunk?). The packed crowd at the Barn took full advantage, though – I never thought I’d be dancing to Daedelus, but there I was. And as iffy as the acoustics may seem at the Barn, there’s something to be said for having a free show on a stage so low and close that the audience can (and often does) reach out to shake the performers’ hands.

Seriously, kids – anything we recommend on this blog, it’s for good reason. Trust us. We know things.

Moral of the story? When we throw a show – come.

As an aside, if you were wondering what that weird glowy thing was that Daedelus was toying about with, it’s called a monome. I’ll let you do your own research on that if you’re interested. Or you can be all 2008 and just watch this video for ten seconds until something else distracts your attention:

Oh, bonus – there are a few more videos in the Daedelus at UCR series – check them out here. And if for some reason you missed this show – if you ever get a chance to see Daedelus, do so.

And now that I think of it, I think we recorded this show. Make sure to stay tuned in to KUCR 88.3 FM (tune in now on your computer!)- you never know when you’ll hear our archive of the concert!

Seriously, I don’t even know why I’m bothering to write about this. If you haven’t heard about this, you have been stone dead sleeping, my friend, and you probably deserve to miss this show.

But hell, I’ve already started writing this, so let’s go: KUCR is geeked to announce Mistah FAB and Zion I in concert at the Barn, free, this Wednesday 20th Feb at 6:00 PM as part of ASPB’s Homecoming lineup. This is for students only – so bring your ID card.

First, Mistah FAB, one of the young guns in the Hyphy Movement – which, by the way, is here to stay. He’s probably best known by non-Baydestrians as the rapper who was infamously banned from MTV for his controversial “Ghost Ride The Whip” video:

Then, we’ve got Zion I, who are absolute underground rap legends, known and respected for their social commentary and conscious lyrics – and a bit of infamy for Zion I member AmpLive’s Radiohead In Rainbows remix album (with Thom’s stamp of approval). Dig the next video:

This, ladies, and gentlemen, is going to go, hard, on citas. Yadididig?. Strap into that cheeseburger*, get down to the Barn, get hella hyphy but keep all other flamboastulatin to a minimum, last thing we need’s the po-pos encroachulatin on the scene, ya play what I’m sprayin?

Speaking of the Barn, it’s only so big. Thus, let me echo a warning issued by ASPB themselves: only about 400 people can fit into the barn. Thus, a lot of people are going to be turned away. If you don’t want to be left out shivering into the cold and pressing your ear up to the outside walls to capture some small fraction of the hyphiness – show up early. Details follow:

The Show:
Location – at the UC Riverside Barn
Date – Wednesday, 20th February
Time – Act at 6:30, but doors open at 5:30. Get there early, or get locked out. Really.
Price – Free, but admittance is offered to students only (due to aforementioned capacity issues).

* Bay-challenged readers interested in deciphering hyphy terminology may be interested in E-40’s Dictionary Book of Slang, Vol. 1.

Attention all true reggae fans – KUCR is proud to announce what is quite possibly the best reggae event to hit Riverside in years – The Expanders feat DJs Red Beef and Juice in concert this Wednesday, 13th February at 6 pm the Barn, for free, in partnership with ASPB and ASP.

I realize that right now any true reggae purist and fan in the area is probably not reading anymore, and is very likely readying their camping supplies to ensure a good spot up front. But for unconverted out there, I’ll break it down.

The Expanders are the most respected reggae group in the Los Angeles scene. As such, when reggae legends come out from the island and need a band to play with for their (sold out) concerts – they ring up The Expanders. Some past collabs: headlining the Sierra Nevada reggae Festival with The Maytones, Michigan and Smiley, Leonard Dillon (The Ethiopians), backing the king of Lovers Rock Alton Ellis, and our good friend Jah Faith:

But don’t get it twisted, the Expanders more than hold their own as a self-contained act.

And dear me, I’m forgetting about Redbeef and Juice. These dudes hold down the reggae angle on More Fire Mondays ($10 entry, but highly recommended) at Sevillas and various other spots in the area. Not that Beef or Juice are limited to reggae (try hip-hop, electro, funk, damn near anything I like come to think of it) – but they certainly excel in it. They’ll be digging in the bins and serving up the jawns from 6 PM onwards and keeping the irie vibes flowing before and after The Expanders smash the Barn.

Sistren, Brethren – If you come away from this event anything less than blown away – then you, my friend, you do not like reggae.

Also you have no soul.

I’ll see you on Wednesday at 6:00 PM sharp.

What, you want more? Okay – bonus video: