Wherefore Art Thou Reggae Bay???

This is an old article I published some time ago in response to the Gay community single handedly crushing the heart of a Bay Area Reggae scene that used to thrive in Oakland, CA. prior to the protests and bans instituted around 2004...under the tutelage of Europe's "Outrage".

Whatever happened to the Bay Area Reggae scene? It is so broke, busted, and disgusted as to be unrecognizable now from what it once was.

Remember the Caribee? Firehouse 7? The Full Moon Saloon? The Farm? The Omni? The Uptown? Couple of other spots in downtown Oakland and Jack London whose names escape me now, that one spot up in the oakland hills once a very long time ago. Even the Maritime Hall in the City had a cool thing going for a time. Sadly all of these places that once vibrated to the rootical rhythms of the drum and bass line on the regular, are gone, gone, gone. I try keeping the memories, but its hard given what the remnants of the former scene is looking like now. Pure Joke business. Mind Motion, Toks, Tony Moses, and a few other original cats are still around, but the roots scene itself, especially live shows featuring top artists gone, gone, gone.

What happened to the Bay Area Reggae scene that was? From the 1st Caribee up on Webster to the 2nd one downtown Oakland to the Firehouse 7, Gabby's (undeniably the best Jamaican Food to hit this area EVER). These places used to be packed little sweatboxes. I mean they used to be jamm packed to the rafters, even on weekdays! You could barely move through the crowd sideways most nights...It seems it was the closing of an era when Oakland's beloved Caribee closed. That proved to be the beginning of the end. It was around that time that the raggamufffin reggae set at the Caribee started to appeal to the hip hop crowd that used to be up at that other club up the street that things fell apart. The vibe just totally changed. There started to be shootings outside and whatnot....At a Roots DANCE, Come on. I recall reggae in the Bay used to be the equivalent to having a higher consciouness, claiming one's Black history and having pride in Africa and being one of its descendants. It was similar to the early days of hip hop when it used to be conscious, had deeper meaning and was generally about something other than sex, and "murder, death, kill". Back then it was about the Message in the music in a real talk kind of way. It was also standard, with few exceptions, that when one went to the reggae spot they donned their African inspired finest. Not anymore. Today what passes for a Bay Area reggae scene, in terms of what it once was, is the same as what you find at the hip hop/rnb spots: bare as you dare for the ladies and for the men, generally speaking, thugged out, but you know, in a pimped out kinda way.

Aside from the disappearance of the culture focus, the best artists in the genre, for all intents and purposes, appear to avoid the Bay Area these days like the plague and head straight for LA. Many of them are de facto banned from even playing in the Bay Area while we, the fans are the ones that lose out big time. I used to look forward to those annual and sometimes bi-annual Stone Love sets with Rory and them at the Lake Merritt Boathouse. That set used to knock! You don't even hear me! What is left instead is a barrage of local acts, which some are pretty good, but.....well they ain't Stone Love. Nothing against local acts, (I did catch a wicked, once-ina-lifetime, inspired-from-a-higher-power set with the two Trini sounds (TNT's Doogie vs. Ashanti Hi-Fi's Kobe at the Omni Restaurant and Bar in Oakland that was definitely a gold medal winning night). Last year's Mega Banton vs. Dugsy Ranks set at the Omni was way cool too, but not strictly speaking culture, but wicked nevetheless.

In spite of the fact that their does exists in the Bay Area some really potent local telent, I really wouldn't mind checking out Capleton in the Bay again, or Bounty, or Beanie, or I-Wayne, or any of the other high production quality, light and sound enhanced, high powered, stellar Reggae artists. Even a World Chamption Sound outta any one of those Islands to play an all night set right here in the town would be off the charts. I know the Marleys are coming, but that's not exactly what I mean, though it's cool. I'll take what I can get, I mean them brothas coulda skipped over Norcal and gone straight to L.A. too, but they didn't, so it's all love.

Back in the day though, the Bay Area used to be a mandatory stop on the Reggae circuit for ALL the toppa top artists. Even the Filmore used to hum with big name Reggae acts on the regular, as did the Circle Star and Golden Gate Park, and other spots....but not anymore. The Gay movement crew pretty much put the ka-bosh on all a that. And for what? I mean just because I might be found jumping up at a Capleton show, doesn't mean I'll be cruising around S.F. looking for Gays to burn later that night. I generally have better things to do with my time. If a Gay person is Gay, more power to him. Just don't bring none of that vibe around to me in no personal way. I mean basically, you won't find me picketing out in front of any racist skinhead music venue. They just singing a song to feel better or whatever. Half of them will be wearing a suit the next day reminiscing on what wild nights they gotta stop having, anyway irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. I mean we all got bigger problems. To each his own, I always say. Just don't bring no madness and we cool.

We all know racism is alive and kickin in tha 2006 just as it was in tha 1806, and even before, but shutting down a music concert is probably the abosolute least effective way of fixing the problem. Racism, Gay agenda, Black agenda, it is all soooo much deeper than a music concert. I think the Gay community is overreacting when it comes to our hardcore Roots Artist's performances. First of all, these are generally poor people, or at least they start out that way. Their fans are generally other poor people too, relatively speaking, and I'm only speaking in terms of finances, though that too is not always the case. Regardless of financial bouyancy or the lack thereof, even if we wanted to burn all gays, is that even realistic? I mean I can barely get to work each week after payin all my bills and trying to keep from drowning financially let alone trying to hunt down some gays. Their somewhat frivilous overaction is denying Bay Area roots fans a chance to check all but the most commercially accepted (read: least political) Reggae acts, and it's the fans who lose.

Despite the unfounded level of fear in the Bay Area gay set, I WILL admit that I WAS ready to burn sumpthin when I geared up to go see the mighty king Capelton at Reggae In The Park a few years back (when the Gay vs. Reggae started to come to a head) only to find that he SOMEHOW had been replaced with Mikey Dread. No disrespect but Mikey Dread had played the Bay so often back then that I don't think there was anyone left who hadn't seen him a FEW times already, whereas Capelton was like a one in a million for us. And then when Morgan Heritage canceled, or GOT canceled last year or so, I was like, WTF? It boggles the mind that in the end there was never even a hoop nor holler from anywhere in the Bay Area concerning this quiet development that resulted in the banning of all our top artists from performing here, basically censoring them. Now I ask you, what happened to freedom of speech? The acts just went quietly away into the night, never to be seen nor heard from again in this Bay Area. Now there maybe more to it, but for sure this is primarily the result of the mighty gay machine steamrolling us by bringing its subtle but obvious influence to bear on the situation. But I have to ask also, in the end, are gays any more empowered now or more protected as a result in any real terms by banning these artists? Just ask Governor Swartzenator. Truly, I would have expected more from the reggae crew that used to run the Bay, though many are gone (lured away by areas that are better able to meet their musical needs I'll bet) and again, the scene here is not the same. I mean here we are high and dry like the Sahara in August and losing out big time to even France and Germany and many, many other cities in the U.S., let alone other countries that are now rigging and jigging while we burn our DVDs and Ipods UP watching shows AFTER they are months or years old. And we are paying mad loot for even those! Even in the UK where some of these same big artists now blackballed in the Bay still play, they are selling out shows every week all over Europe, TODAY. I know because I just got back! And these are countries that are gay friendly. But the fact of the matter is that in the end, the band plays on. Yes the hardcore culture get their flack for their lyrical blaze over there too, and a few Beanie and Buju, and Capelton shows got cancelled as a result, but they just up and rescheduled at a different venue and the shows go on even bigger and better because of the enhanced publicity. And it's not only that, but it's also because of the strength and cohesion of the International music community that is bold enough to openly defy such blatent censorship as a farce, and said, hey, let the artists get PAID. I just say get over it gay Bay. You got bigger worries than any threats from visiting reggae artists and their fairly safe to say non-confrontational Bay Area fan base, many of whom have jobs and are doing cool enough to let you do your thang as long as we can just as boldly do ours. We just want to go out, socialize, and enjoy the music and cultural scene that we love. I can't say the two elements wouldn't EVER mix it up if they came in contact, but in this uber pluralistic Bay Area, it's just not that likely.

So what is a starving reggae fan to do? Maybe wait for the Reggae on the River to roll through, which at $400 a ticket and held waaaaaaaay up in east bubblef***k, uhhh...no.. that won't do either. Not to mention it always sells out months before anyone I know even starts thinking about checking for the lineup, thus pushing the ticket prices straight through the exostratosphere. When I started looking this year tickets were going for $600. I for one would like to see an AFFORDABLE yet bomb a** Raggamuffin Roots Reggae set right here in Oaktown and not wayyyy up in Garberville, though it has become one of the ONLY places in Northern CA where top reggae artists perform on the regular these days, sad but true. Though I don't mind camping outside once in awhile, maybe I prefer a modern venue, of which the Bay Area in general and Oakland in particular has many, with seats and modern amenities available. Maybe I don't want to drive several hundred miles and have to sleep in my car or in a tent to see all the top name acts I want to see, nor do I necessarily want to hang out in hippieville, though I've heard it's more diverse since the days when it was like a Reggae woodstock complete with random nude sunbathing and a whole heap more...not really my scene. I would much prefer a Raggamuffin, Conscious Roots type blowout Explosion deal featuring somebody like I-Wayne, Capleton, Sizzla, (I would say Jah Cure, but you know...), Jr. Gong (though he is generally accepted even in the Bay today because of his royal staus as Bob Marley's son, even though he CAN spit the lyrical fire on occasion), Gyption, Ritchie Spice, Chuck Fenda, Mr. Perfect, Jah Cure when he gets out etc., etc. I want the big gigantic towering speakers thumping nothing but crazy BASSZZZ. I want a Heavy, Heavy culture rotation with a West Indian selecta (or the closest wicked D.J. to that real deal) who is known globally as a master of their art form, a DJ who refuses to play ONLY the oldest tunes he can find the entire night long (a real problem in the Bay) but knows how to mix in well enough brand spanking new songs or dubplates in swift and commanding ways to keep the crowd from ever wanting to leave. I want to walk around smelling the scent of jerk chicken, curry goat, and oxtail in the air, while Guiness and Red Stripe pour from all angles, (or sorrel or something if you don't drink). I want all the back-in-the-day posse in the house too. I know yall still out there somewhere. Take off that suit for a weekend and let's do it like it should be done, school these youngsters, do it the way we used to do it, the way we STILL be doin it in the privacy of our own homes since there is really nowhere else cool to go do it outside anymore, like we will be doin it always.

I might be only imagining at this point, but I see it all happening one day, and soon. One indication is that the Caribee is back! Well, sort of anyway. It reopened in the same location under the name Karibbean City. They sell food in the back and everything just like they did when the same spot was known and loved as the Caribee. Maybe Margret might even pop in for old times sake and do a wicked wine for us like she used to. And just like the closing of the old Caribee began the decline of the once booming Roots Reggae scene in the Bay maybe, just maybe the new Karibbean City might bring back a spark of life to the barely recognizeable culture scene in the Reggae Bay. The brother Johnny Mack is doing a few things too. I caught an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G Spragga Benz set that was so wicked and rough as words can not even begin to describe at a Johnny Mack event a little while back at Berkeley's Shattuck Downlow, though he does a fair amount of bare as you dare oriented stuff too. But, if I have anything to say about it, the show must go on here in the Bay, with culture, with natural vibes, and bigger and even better than before. And folks won't have to spring for $600 a ticket to enjoy it either. They won't have to drive nearly 300 miles to get to a show in LA, or in the foothills as I often do, or fly to Europe to catch a top act (I'm hardcore like that if I want it bad enough), and the gays will not be shutting anything down! What right do they have anyway? I mean I know they running Oaktown in a big way nowadays, but if they just do like the rest of the crowd and just either stay home if they have a problem with the artists or, if they want to, come to the show and just look natural and be cool and steady, (We ARE talking a bunch of righteous West Indians and African and African American men here, so just tone it down a notch please). We got to try to keep the peace. Regardless, we all have to live here. In any case, the heart of Reggae culture is all about the natural, so just try to be part of the crowd if you're so inclined, or just don't go to the dang show if it offends you so much. But if you do go, just level the vibes and be cool, and no one might not even trip about you, and you might even have a good time....cause "when the music hits, you feel no pain." As for trouble...don't start none, won't be none. So what say you Bay, let's put our heads together and get our beloved artists comin' back to the Bay like we did back in the day. I know I could use a conscious Reggae set every now and again to help get through my weekly grind, and if I can elevate my consciousness and overstanding while I'm at it, then it's all the more crucial given our current climate in this country with so many wars and rumors of wars and the like. As I always say, ain't nothin to it but to do it! So let's get it started. We do that, and we can deal with the rest later like our folks across the Atlantic, who are STILL getting the benefit of seeing the top artists in great shows. I think we can pull it off if we come together and make it happen. What say you?