Listen & Be Heard Weekly Archives

Ozcat Radio 104.9FM brought Reggae music, via the Massagana Tour, to Vallejo last night (Halloween 2006). The crowd was sparse in the beginning, but the band didn?t lack enthusiasm. The party-goers were apparently all on Rasta time because the Elks Lodge on Alabama Street really started rockin? around 11 o?clock. The Massagana band, the heart and soul of the show, is from Arcata California. The band includes Lenny on keyboards, Natty on guitar, Sarge on bass, RJ on percussion, Alex on drums and the Ladies of Vidagua on Harmonies. They played from 9pm until after 1am supporting 5 front men and one female singer that took the stage for 2 beautifully lyrical songs.

David Martin, Vallejo?s own, started the evening with a selection of songs from his CD, King David?s Throne. He shared the mic with Shannon Lacy who sang vocals with David and sat in with the band all evening, adding her own brand of sizzle to the percussion section. Serious Dewitness followed with a short set. After that the crowd and the band?s energy multiplied exponentially as Jah Sun took the stage and the party really got under way.

Ishi Dube was my favorite performance of the evening, but other attendees said Ras Attitude was the ?one? to see. (Ras played last and this reporter turned into a pumpkin at midnight-thirty.) The costume contest was ill-organized but a whole lot of fun, netting the winner, who wore a giant beer can, a 6 hour tour in the Ozcat limousine.

Ozcat offered jerk chicken dinners for sale that included hot rolls, Caribbean slaw and black beans with rice prepared by Ozcat DJ Chef Mark. The food can only be described as yummy. Katie Martinelli, who organized the Ozcat benefit, told me that they pre sold about one hundred tickets. She hopes that the benefit will bring the public?s attention to the local station that supports local artists and depends on volunteer efforts to operate. To learn more about [tag]Ozcat [/tag]104.9FM, call 707-554-4097 or check their website at http://www.ozcatradio.com.

If you missed this performance, you can still catch the Massagana Tour in Sebastopol this Friday at the Oddfellows Hall.