Soft White Sixties – Spinning Platters

Local reggae band Pion 2 Zion jams just inside the gate.

Day 2 of BottleRock Napa Valley 2014 got off on the right foot for me with Napa Point Brewing‘s BottleRock IPA and a special, very acoustic treat: local reggae band Pion 2 Zion were playing with absolutely no electricity (unless you count a battery-powered megaphone that died partway through). I’ve known members of this band for years: I was first introduced to them by their former drummer, a then-coworker of mine. In the years since, there have been a few lineup changes, but the current drummer, Gary Paddock, is another former coworker of mine. Moreover, I’ve known the current lead vocalist and saxophonist, Chad Schuler, since elementary school. It’s a small town, it’s bound to happen, right? Anyway, as I said yesterday, I’m admittedly not big into reggae, but these guys have always been an exception. They’re a really great band, they have local fans who truly love them, and I’ve never seen someone not enjoy hearing the band play live. Continue reading “BottleRock Napa Valley 2014 Festival Journal, Day 2”

stonefox 5 — The headliners playing with passion. (Stone Foxes photos on this post by David Price. All others by Jen Robie.)

The well matched line up at The Independent on Thursday night was a reinvestment in soulful swagger of rock n’ roll. Even from the street, I could hear the wailing from the stage. As I stood impatiently in the rain, chomping at the bit to get inside, I realized that I was not the only one. My lovely neighbor in queue Erica, with her beautiful rainproof parasol, had just walked 13 blocks after looking for parking for an hour to see them. Continue reading “Noise Pop Show Review: The Stone Foxes, The Soft White Sixties, The Ferocious Few and Voxhaul Broadcast at The Indepdendent, 2/24/11”