Date: Sept 16th, 2011
Line up: Slightly Stoopid, Rebelution, and Shwayze & Cisco Adler
Location: Mesa Amphitheatre. Mesa, AZ
What: Seedless Summer 2011 Tour
Slightly Stoopid’s Seedless Summer Tour was winding down as Cisco, Shwayze, Rebelution, and special guests Don Carlos and Karl Denson graced the Mesa, Arizona nightlife.
Arriving at Mesa Amphitheatre in the late afternoon, the party was already in full swing. Waiting in anticipation for doors to open, fans gathered around their cars and trucks, with doors ajar, reggae music in the air, and more than one or two ice chests cracked open.
Once sunset strip favorites Cisco Adler and Shwayze hit the stage fans rushed to the front of the amphitheatre, and 
kept the nightclub vibe rolling. With DJ Unite scratching records on stage, the L.A. duo of Cisco and Shwayze set the tone for the entire evening with their hip-hop/funk/rock melting pot. If you didn’t bring your dancing feet intact from the parking lot, they made sure your shoes were laced up nice and tight for the remainder of the show.
The crowd was buzzing for the remaining acts, but Shwayze busted his highly acclaimed hit, “Buzzin” just to make certain. Miles of Slightly Stoopid joined Shwayze on stage for a colorful rendition of “Butterflies” to take the crowd to another level before Santa Barbara’s own Rebelution took hold of their instruments.
The bright orange Arizona sun began to drop into the distance, painting a picturesque sunset. However, as Rebelution’s lead singer and guitarist Eric Rachmany grabbed a pick from his microphone stand, the crowd heard the tunes of two colors that were not yet present in the sky. “Green to Black” was Rebelution’s opening track as the crowd went wild.
It was barely 7:00 pm, but the track of choice for Rebelution was “Lazy Afternoon”. For the first time, the crowd was in full voice. From the front barricade against the stage, all the way to the grassy knoll at the back of the venue, the crowd sang, “I could spend the rest of this lazy afternoon with you!” It was the ideal coming together movement that concerts across the globe embody.
If that wasn’t enough, Rebelution continued their support of their latest studio release “Bright Side of Life” performing such hits as “Outta Control,” “More Than Ever,” and the self-titled hit “Bright Side of Life”.
Marley Williams, the bass player for Rebelution, sported a throwback Boston Celtics Larry Bird jersey, while swinging his bass back and forth encouraging fans to throw up their hands side-to-side. “Feeling Alright” and “Other Side” brought the crowd’s arms straight to the sky. However, the scene for Rebelution was never more uplifting than when Slightly Stoopid’s Miles joined the Rebelution boys following their unreleased track “Sky’s the Limit” to free-style the song “So High”.
The crowd chanted for more as Rebelution left the stage. More than an hour of music from the boys from Santa Barbara was not enough for the Mesa crowd. Yet that was all but forgotten once Slightly Stoopid raced to their instruments to begin their set.
No matter what type of music you enjoy, Slightly Stoopid has it in their repertoire. Miles began with the electric guitar as Kyle dropped the bass on the ears of the city of Mesa. “Baby I like It” was the first song of the night after Stoopid’s instrumental opening titled “Glocks”.
If you came to hear punk rock music, “Ain’t No Reason to Go” fueled your soul and drive to mosh! After Miles and Kyle switched between the bass and guitar, “Anywhere I Go” was the first song with Kyle picking out the six-string.
Once both frontmen had a chance at each guitar with “Somebody,” “Til It Gets Wet,” and a new instrumental I never heard before, “Ska Diddy,” the jam band from Ocean Beach brought out a reggae legend in Don Carlos.
It is not everyday that one gets to witness a living legend standing within earshot, but Friday night in the sundrenched desert of Arizona was a special night. Dressed in a full suit and two-tone shoes, Don Carlos joined Slightly Stoopid on “Hog and Goat” and crowd favorite, “Pass Me the Lazerbeam”.
Everyone inside the venue was in a dancing mood. The music was ideal. The lyrics were lovely, and yet Slightly Stoopid was just getting started.
Slightly Stoopid even performed a cover of Nirvana’s “Territorial Pissings,” before belting out “Fat Spliffs,” “Closer to the Sun,” and “Serious Man”. Slightly Stoopid literally brought out all the tricks in their bag with an extended version of “Officer” jumping right into the three-headed-monster of “Digital,” “2 A.M.,” and their Gladiators tribute, “Otherside of the Mountain”.
The night could have concluded right then and there, but that is not Slightly Stoopid’s style. Although the City of Mesa has a noise ordinance that kicks into effect at 10:00pm sharp, Miles brought out his guitar after the lights turned down –in proper rebel form– to play “I’m On Fire,” a Bruce Springsteen cover that brought the crowd back to life.
To end the unforgettable night at the Seedless Summer Tour, Slightly Stoopid was rejoined by Cisco & Shwayze, Don Carlos, and Eric Rachmany from Rebelution, to close the night with “Speedometers” and “Wiseman”.
To be honest, the five-plus hours of music could have never ended. Slightly Stoopid played nearly 30 songs non-stop with more than a few wise words to chuckle the crowd.
The music on stage might have stopped, but all the bands and their crew-members that put together the Seedless Summer Tour gathered backstage for a good old-fashioned summertime BBQ. And of course the soundtrack was reggae!
Much respect to AZ Rasta and Minus1 Clothing for assisting with equipment and adding to the entire Slightly Stoopid experience on the Seedless Summer Tour.
– Article & Photos by: Kris Siuta
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A picture of Slightly Stoopid’s Set-List. Keep in mind, they always deviate from the Set-List…
