I live a privileged life.

I say that for many reasons, but one being that my job allows me to experience a lot of really great music—some that I haven’t ever heard of before and some that could very well replace a limb as it is that much a part of who I am. Someone once said music is love in search of a word. I don’t remember who said that, but the meaning is not lost without attribution. Sometimes music expresses what other communication cannot…or should not for that matter.

So let me take a step back. Ask me what concert in all of the history I would want to travel back in time for, hopefully in a snazzy Willy Wonka-like elevator? I would have to say the 1975 Bob Marley and the Wailers concert at the Lyceum Ballroom in London from which the greatest live version of No Woman No Cry was recorded. If you have ever heard that version (and if you have not, shame on you), you will understand what I’m talking about. I have always dreamed of what that would have been like, to be in the same room of what I consider to be one of the musical geniuses of his time and genre.

Now let me take two steps back. Bob Marley and his music were introduced to me through someone who had an incredible impact on my musical tastes at a time where I was almost a blank slate for really good tunes. Listening to those lyrics was like meditation. I once read some study about babies listening to reggae music and how it was one of the more settling for them. Go figure. But anywho, for many years I have loved reggae, which some may find surprising but only if you don’t talk to me. Some of my most cherished memories are linked to Marley’s songs—Mellow Mood, Waiting in Vain, Could You Be Loved, Small Axe, Babylon System…geeze the list could just go on and on.

Okay let’s take those couple steps back forward. I suppose no one has quite yet made a working time machine, so going back to 1975 doesn’t look like an option. What would be the next best thing? I used to love Sublime and was able to see the remaining members perform, as part of Long Beach Dub Allstars. Killer show. So clearly if I can’t see Bob Marley perform with the Wailers, I just need to see the Wailers.

And that is exactly what I did.

The Original Wailers featuring Junior Marvin and Al Anderson performed on our stage this past Tuesday to a small but lively crowd. Junior Marvin started out the show by saying that Bob Marley once said that even if you play to a crowd of one, you got to play like its crowd of ten thousand…or something like that. At that point I knew I was in for one hell of a show. And as they jammed from one beloved song to another, all those memories came flooding back. It was a love that could only be expressed through this music. What an incredible feeling. And from the looks of the crowd I don’t think I was the only one.

Needless to say, this will go down in my history as one of the greatest concerts. Even my fellow K-girl who is not such an avid fan will saw the same. It was that good. And if you missed it, then shame on you once again.

So as I bring this blog to a close, I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes, this one whose attribution I do know:

“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds.” -Bob Marley, Redemption Song

kat.berry.