Date: Saturday, Sept 3rd, 2011
Line up: Pepper, SOJA, Iration, Tomorrows Bad Seeds, Suburban Legends
Location: Harry Bridges Memorial Park. Long Beach, CA
It was Labor Day Weekend in Southern California where a great outdoor event called the Shoreline Jam in Long Beach, California took place. Bands included Pepper, Iration, SOJA, Tomorrows Bad Seeds, and Suburban Legends (among others). A great crowd fueled the reggae-rock scene on a beautiful, sunny Saturday.
The Pier arrived at 3:00PM at Harry Bridges Memorial Park, where the event took place next to the notorious Queen Mary ship docked in Queensway Bay. The opening lineup included West Swell, King Solomon, Syndicated Noise, Sono Vero, and Beyond I Sight. The Pier was there to catch Suburban Legends hit one of two stages, with each stage located right next to one another. Suburban Legends brought a pop-rock with ska and punk tones to their whimsical stage performance. The guys bent up and down at times while playing their instruments, and even sang “Under The Sea” (yeah, the one from The Little Mermaid.) What was most enjoyable about them was their youth, sense of humor, and diversity.
This was one of the best line-ups for an event in the reggae rock scene. The fact that stages were set up next to one another allowed ease of access for the crowd to witness all performances, and for time to run smoothly. Also, well-known companies, Selah International and Sector 9 were in attendance. It was a great reggae event with great bands in a great location.
Next up was Tomorrows Bad Seeds, a rising California band from Hermosa Beach, CA. I ran into a lot of their fans who were very passionate about the band’s rock music. I could see why, by the great music and show performance. Songs which stood out were “Reflect,” “Nice and Slow,” and “Ready Fe Rock.” Singer, Moi Ses, did a good job addressing the audience and running all over the stage, while the drummer was most noticeable for the way he hit his drums. At one point, the band fueled the center of the crowd guiding a mosh pit through their instruments.
SOJA took to the stage, and most of the crowd appeared to tune into this reggae band from Virginia. Known for their roots style, SOJA hit 
the crowd hard with their music, particularly with percussions and horns. Songs included, “Rest Of My Life,” “Losing My Mind,” “Summer Breeze,” “Revolution,” “I Don’t Wanna Wait,” and “Here I Am,” among others. Frontman Jacob Hemphill addresses the crowd with conscientious lyrics, and conscientious statements. Bassman, Bobby Lee, sang a couple of songs, and one even included Marley D. Williams from Rebelution in a guest appearance. Williams added a hip-hop type of sound to “Be Aware.” Even the horn players added to backing vocals at times. Overall, SOJA’s reggae music is really popular, and it is easy to hear why as it was well received by the crowd.
Iration is hot right now. I happened to notice the enormous support shown to Iration through fans sporting shirts, hats, and even a flag. With their sweet island-style reggae music, Iration hits their dedicated fans with such songs as, “Time Bomb,” “Turn Around,” “Wait And See,” and “Cookie Jar.” Their switch between singers Micah and Kai adds nice variation to their easy-going yet rockin’ reggae. Iration ended their set covering the Billy Idol song, “Dancing With Myself.” It’s also been reported online that the boys have been spending some time in the studio. Although no new songs were reported, we’re keeping our ears peeled at each show for the debut of a new song!
Pepper amazed the crowd by presenting “Stormtrooper” as soon as Iration ended their set. Then, they went into many of their classic songs, including, “No Control,” “Davey Jones Locker,” “Stone Love,” “Point & Shoot,” and “Ho’s.” Pepper still has that same hot energy that attracts their fans like magnets. How they address the crowd fuels a great reaction, and they still have a great sense of humor that entertains the crowd. Songs which got the greatest feedback, besides the ones already listed were “Give It Up” and “Things That You Love.” Lastly and any huge Pepper fan knows, that the guys can’t send the crowd home without playing, “Ashes.”
An after-party took place around 11:00PM at The Gaslamp Restaurant in the Downtown, Long Beach area, where the band Through The Roots performed. They are a rising band from San Diego, and carry a pure California-type reggae-rock sound. The band gets down on classic reggae keys and skanking guitar, but vocalist Evan Hawkins brings an edge and can turn the music into alternative rock. Needless to say, their music added greatly to the ongoing reggae-rock vibe. Guests at the party included members of SOJA, Iration, Tomorrow Bad Seeds, and others.
– Article by: Liz “sandieganliz” Pimentel
– Photo by: Jenni Anspach
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Here are a couple more photos from the event! Check out our entire PhotoGallery on FACEBOOK
