HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION 2019 TOUR
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Slightly Stoopid
Illustrating the perfect underground success story, Slightly Stoopid's dual front-men Miles Doughty (Guitar, Bass, Vocals) and Kyle McDonald (Guitar, Bass, Vocals), created their own label, Stoopid Records, in the early 2000's to avoid signing a record deal and keep their DIY work ethic and freedom. West coast DUB/Rock pioneers later added musicians Ryan 'RyMo' Moran (Drums) and Oguer 'OG' Ocon (Congas, Percussion, Harp, Vocals) from the B Side Players, as well as C-Money (Trumpet, Keyboard) and Dela (Saxophone) from John Browns Body; solidifying their on stage line up. Slightly Stoopid has built a large n' loyal fan base, and has soared to one of the most successful independent artists of this decade. The buzz surrounding the group continues to increase with each successive release; their album catalog sales have topped the 700,000 mark and the group continues to fill the most prestigious concert venues around the world.
The Slightly Stoopid story can be traced to Ocean Beach, California, when childhood chums Miles and Kyle formed the group in 1995, mixing reggae and punk sounds into one smooth stylistic cocktail. Soon after, late/great Sublime frontman Brad Nowell caught wind of the group, and signed them to his Skunk Records label – while the band members were still in high school. A pair of releases soon followed for Skunk - 1996's punk-tinged SLIGHTLY STOOPID (featuring a guest appearance by Nowell on the song "Prophet" – later covered by Sublime and released on their box set, EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN) and 1998's surf-inspired cult classic THE LONGEST BARREL RIDE.
The group self-released 2001's ACOUSTIC ROOTS: LIVE AND DIRECT (a 40-minute acoustic set, captured live at San Diego 's Rock 105.3 radio station) – the first for their own label, Stoopid Records, before issuing 2003's EVERYTHING YOU NEED on Surfdog (a musical departure for the band, that sold more than 130,000 copies). The band's talent for mixing styles was never more apparent than on 2005's CLOSER TO THE SUN (on Stoopid Records / Caliplates / Reincarnate), which featured collaborations with such renowned reggae names as Barrington Levy and Scientist. A year later, Slightly Stoopid issued their first-ever electric live album, WINTER TOUR '05-'06, as well as their first-ever DVD, 'Live in San Diego,' while 2007 saw the release of the group's fifth studio effort, CHRONCHITIS, which debuted at #55 on the Billboard 200, and #2 on the indie charts.
And through it all, Slightly Stoopid has logged some serious road miles – in addition to their incessant criss-crossing of the U.S., which includes appearances at prestigious festivals such as Coachella, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and New Orleans Jazz Fest, among others, the group has played sold-out shows in Australia, Japan, Guam, Amsterdam, Portugal and Denmark, the U.K., Germany, Holland, and the Dominican Republic. "Without [the fans], we'd just be playing at the bar," admits Kyle. "They make it worth our while – when we go out and people are having that good of a time, the energy goes back and forth. Just a good time – we rely on each other's energy." And all you have to do is look at the list of artists that Slightly Stoopid has played with, to get a feel for how much of a large and diverse audience they appeal to - the Dave Matthews Band, Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley and the Marley Brothers, Sublime, the Roots, G. Love & Special Sauce, Ozomatli, Toots and the Maytals, and Pennywise, among others, as well as their first-ever sole headlining tour of amphitheatres in 2008, joined by their friends Pepper and Sly & Robbie.
"I think consistently touring is important," explains Miles. "Most people take the route of trying to be successful without even getting out there for people to hear what your band is about. The most important thing is you can be playing in front of zero people or 20,000 people, and you've still got to rock the show. When we were first starting out, literally, we played in front of nobody. We'd show up at the club, and it would be bartenders and security guards, and 'Yo, play your hour set – here you go!' But after you play that show, they tell some of their friends and their friends tell some friends. I think the Internet has helped us a lot too, because people were able to spread the word about the music easier. The most important part is being out there 200 days a year. You're going back to towns twice a year, so people get to come out, and that gave us a real loyal following. Wherever we go, you have these Stoopidheads going crazy. For us, it's pretty much the greatest job in the world."
2008 saw the band issuing their first-ever 'odds and ends' collection, SLIGHTLY NOT STONED ENOUGH TO EAT BREAKFAST YET STOOPID – the group's newest release for their growing label, Stoopid Records (which will also feature releases by other groups, including the label's first signees, Santa Cruz's The Expendables). Included on SLIGHTLY NOT STONED ENOUGH are outtakes from both the CLOSER TO THE SUN (including tracks that were previously issued as a limited edition bonus CD) and CHRONCHITIS sessions, as well as bevy of new material recorded at Miami's famed Circle House Studios, and such cover tunes as UB40's "I Would Do For You" and the traditional "I Know You Rider" (most notably covered by the Grateful Dead). Also making their first appearance on a Slightly Stoopid studio album are newly recorded renditions of such long-time live standards "False Rhythms" and "Sensimilla."
Seemingly always on the move, there appears to be no slowing down in sight for Slightly Stoopid, and according to Miles, that's precisely what fuels the group's creativity. "For us, the most important thing in the future, we just want to stay busy and always playing music – whether creating, touring, or just sitting on your couch and jamming. I think we'll always be recording. And just have fun – without the fun part, it ain't worth it."
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Matisyahu
In April of 2005 a fresh voice announced his arrival on the international stage with a stunningly inventive document titled Live at Stubb’s. Six years later, Matisyahu returns to the renowned Austin venue that helped to launch his career with Live at Stubb’s, Vol. II, a new CD-DVD package that demonstrates the continued originality and increasing depth of this longtime New Yorker’s craft.
Inspired by the runaway success of the original record, which spawned the hit single “King Without a Crown” and has to date sold over 700,000 copies in the United States, Matisyahu says he always knew he wanted to make another live album. “Performing is such a big part of what I do,” he says, “and there’s a lot about that live energy that you just can’t catch in the studio. So for me it was simply a matter of figuring out the right time to do it.”
He chose well: Last year Matisyahu released Light, a David Kahne-produced studio disc on which he jumped boldly from hard-edged dancehall and ska-inflected New Wave to laidback pop-rock and acoustic folk-soul. The album took Matisyahu well beyond his stylistic comfort zone and charted the growth of his vocals from traditional reggae toasting to a more dynamic, emotional place. But it didn’t necessarily show off his onstage evolution.
“I’ve played so many shows and gone through so many metamorphoses as a performer,” he says. Especially valuable was the opportunity to showcase that evolution at the very club where his career really took off. “It was kind of a return-to-roots occasion,” he says—albeit one where we see how far he’s come, as well.
Part of that transformation has been fueled by Matisyahu’s new band: Brooklyn’s acclaimed Dub Trio, which includes guitarist D.P. Holmes, bassist Stu Brooks and drummer Joe Tomino. The singer first came across the group—as fate would have it—while in Austin recording the first Stubb’s record. “I remember seeing their name at a record signing and being intrigued,” he says. “So I got one of their records while I was on tour, and there was this one song I couldn’t stop playing.”
Shortly thereafter, Matisyahu spent an entire day walking around Boston writing lyrics to the tune. “I love the way they bounce back and forth between really beautiful music and heavier, harder-edged stuff,” he says. “I knew right then that I wanted to work with them.” Last year he booked a show with Dub Trio at a small club in Brooklyn. “We just did an improv set after maybe one rehearsal,” he recalls. “It felt so right.”
That improvisational spirit looms large throughout Live at Stubb’s, Vol. II, which pulls primarily from Light and Youth, Matisyahu’s 2006 full-length. “Dub Trio understand the concept of space,” he says, “which for a vocalist is great, because that leaves a lot of room for me to really get into my lyrics in new ways.” Here Matisyahu uses that room to dig deeper into his sound than ever before, shedding new light on its hip-hop, rock and reggae dimensions to the vocal delight of the enthusiastic (and demographically varied) Stubb’s crowd.
That audience was central to what Matisyahu set out to accomplish with Live at Stubb’s, Vol. II. After all, the fans were the ones who enabled his return to the venue in the first place, affording Matisyahu the opportunity to extend the legacy Stubb’s represents. In fact, one crowd member made a lasting contribution.
“The night before the show I took a picture of my tour bus in the hotel parking lot and posted it on Twitter,” Matisyahu remembers. “Someone sent back a tweet saying they’d figured out which hotel it was and asked if they could come say hi. I said sure and a couple of kids showed up; we hung out for a few minutes on the bus. Then the next night at the show I’m pulling people up onstage during ‘King Without a Crown’ and one of them is the kid from Twitter!” The singer laughs. “So the last clip on the DVD is actually me giving him a high-five.”
The appreciation, no doubt, was mutual.
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Tribal Seeds
From San Diego, California, award-winning reggae group Tribal Seeds have become known for their spiritually driven, refreshing rock vibe they have infused with the roots style of reggae music. Originally started by two brothers, Steven Rene Jacobo [lyrics, lead vocals, rhythm guitar] and Tony-Ray Jacobo [producer, keyboard player], Tribal Seeds now boats six members, including: Tony Navarro [lead guitar], Carlos Verdugo [drums], Jose Rodriguez [keys, percussion], and Victor Navarro [bass].
Tribal Seeds’ unmatched musical talent and authentic sound has brought them to the forefront of the reggae rock genre, as their art form has reached people of all ages across the United States, and worldwide. The band’s self titled debut album, “Tribal Seeds” was released in 2008, and their second album “The Harvest” was released in June of 2009. iTunes named both albums the “Best Of” in the Reggae genre, for their respected years. Their debut album helped garner them the “Best World Music” title at the San Diego Music Awards in 2008, and “The Harvest,” which contained fourteen new and original songs, debuted at the number 5 spot on the Billboard Reggae Charts. The tracks, written and produced by Tribal Seeds, were recorded and mixed by Alan Sanderson at Signature Sound Studios in San Diego, and mastered by Erik Lobson at Universal Mastering.
On July 19, 2011, Tribal Seeds gave listeners a brand new EP entitled “Soundwaves,” which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Reggae Charts. The band notes that the album was inspired by their life experiences, being on tour, and their desire to inspire youth to raise their voices and seek a higher consciousness. Tribal Seeds have toured throughout the United States including Hawaii & Guam, and have also performed in Mexico & Aruba. They have shared the stage with artists such as Dave Mathews Band, Jack White, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction, Skrillex, MGMT, Cee Lo Green, Jason Mraz, Matisyahu, Sublime with Rome, Taking Back Sunday, O.A.R., Pretty Lights, Pepper, Collie Buddz, The Wailers, Julian Marley, Stephen Marley, Gregory Issacs, SOJA, Rebelution, and many more
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Hirie
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