EASY STAR PACIFIC JAMDOWN TOUR
SHOWCASES TWO TOP REGGAE BANDS, TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME

Co-Headliners Easy Star All-Stars and John Brown’s Body bring Reggae’s Next Wave to the West Coast

Monday, August 29, 2005—For the first time ever, the top two bands on trendsetting indie label Easy Star Records will join forces on the road. The Easy Star Pacific Jamdown Tour will bring The Easy Star All-Stars (performing Dub Side of the Moon) and John Brown’s Body to cities on the West Coast, from Seattle to San Diego, between October 3 and October 16.

The two bands, though on the same label, have never shared a stage before; separately, they have each been one of the more successful and consistent touring reggae acts in the last few years. Between them, the bands have played more than 150 shows since 2003, including appearances at major festivals as disparate as Wakarusa, All Good, Reggae On The River, Reggae On The Rocks, Gathering of the Vibes, England’s Big Chill and Glade Festival, and the Ragga Muffin Bob Marley Day Celebrations in California. Both bands are looking forward to working together and exploring interaction between the combined 17 musicians who will be on the road together for two weeks. “We’re sharing equipment and backline,” says John Brown’s Body’s trombonist and percussionist Alex “Ace” Beram, “so I’m betting we’ll end up sitting in on each other’s sets, experimenting, bringing different things each night to the show. It’s been a long time coming, to bring us together on the same stage, so there’s great excitement all around.”

Each band will perform a long set during the show and the two co-headliners will take turns throughout the tour playing first or closing the night. “The last thing we want is for the tour to be formulaic,” says Easy Star Vice President Lem Oppenheimer. “So we decided to switch up the order and keep things loose. This is the kind of tour where if you see three different shows over the two weeks, you’re going to have a different experience each time and enjoy every minute of it.”

ABOUT THE BANDS

The Easy Star All-Stars’ Dub Side of the Moon, a complete reggae reinterpretation of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, has been an unparalleled success in both independent music and reggae since its release in 2003. After spending over 100 weeks on Billboard’s Reggae Chart, the record has spent numerous weeks on the Reggae Catalog Chart, where it is the only current release to share chart space with Bob Marley, Sean Paul and UB40. The record has sold over 70,000 copies world wide and has become a buzz phenomenon in college dorm rooms, music festival parking lots and hip, urban clubs from Los Angeles to London. The Easy Star All-Stars, which is in fact an ever evolving collective of top notch reggae musicians, have shown that they are much more than a one trick pony, with a constantly developing live set that features unique original material alongside a complete playing of Dub Side of the Moon. This has brought the band a diverse following stretching from hardcore reggae fanatics to Pink Floyd fans who happily discover they can dance to one of their favorite records for the first time. The Beat Magazine called the band “a very tough act to follow.”

John Brown’s Body is in the midst of its tenth year of performing, supporting its latest studio album, Pressure Points (the group’s first on Easy Star). Pressure Points has been called JBB’s “strongest, most consistent effort to date” [Popmatters] and has spent 13 weeks on Billboard’s Reggae Chart since being released the last week of April. The record enjoyed over 10 weeks on College Music Journal’s New World Radio Chart, also logging time on the Triple AAA chart and the Top 200. The Beat wrote: “Confident and humble, edgy and easygoing, Pressure Points is a brilliantly realized step forward for John Brown’s Body, for American reggae and for reggae in general.” The eight member group (from Ithaca, NY and Boston) has developed a strong reputation for originality, hard work, and a superb, energetic live show during its long career. The trademark JBB sound evolved out of the early 90’s rock and reggae outfit Tribulations, and developed into a 21st century band founded on torque heavy drum and bass, four part vocal harmony, and a three piece horn section. The band has drawn respect and admiration across the music world, sharing the stage with the likes of Jurassic 5, The Dave Matthews Band, and The Flaming Lips as evidence of their universal appeal. The Village Voice called them “the most authentic purveyors of ‘Truth and Rights’ music around” earlier this year.

To set up interviews with either band or to get press materials for review, please contact Eric Smith at Easy Star Records (212-736-2160, erics@easystar.com)

October 3 Seattle, WA Chop Suey
October 4 Portland, OR Berbatti’s
October 5 TBA
October 6 Eugene, OR The Jungle
October 7 Redway, CA Mateel Community Center
October 8 Sacramento, CA Harlow’s
October 9 San Francisco, CA Slim’s
October 11 Santa Cruz, CA The Catalyst
October 14 Santa Barbara, CA Soho
October 15 San Luis Obispo, CA The Graduate
October 16 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern