What’s not to love about enjoying two days alongside some of the best-of-the-best artists within the reggae community in addition to soaking up the Florida sun? 2017 is shaping up to be a year to remember from a music festival perspective, as ‘Reggae Rise Up’ will be returning to St. Petersburg, FL – and its bringing another incredible lineup.
Entering its seventh year, Reggae Rise Up will be returning to Vinoy Park in St. Petersburg March 4-5 and will once again feature a stacked lineup for festival-goers to enjoy. Reggae Rise Up has gained notoriety and quite the following over the past several years for those who are local and those who are able to make the trip to the east coast. Reggae Rise Up 2017 at Vinoy Park will be headlined by Slightly Stoopid and Dirty Heads, and they will be joined by an outstanding supporting cast.
The full lineup for Reggae Rise Up 2017 (FL) will include:
Slightly Stoopid
Dirty Heads
Iration
Steel Pulse
The Green
The Hip Abduction
Protoje
Z&G&E (Zion I, The Grouch, Eligh)
Fortunate Youth
HIRIE
Passafire
The Movement
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad
The Expanders
Through The Roots
Leilani Wolfgramm
LAW
Tatanka
Bumpin Uglies
The Late Ones
Jungle Man Sam
Sidereal
Oceanstone
Summer Survivors
Live Sets to Catch:
While some of the festivals that have been announced for 2017 feature a top-heavy lineup, the St. Petersburg, FL edition of Reggae Rise Up has a well-rounded group of performers that goes pretty deep. In addition to featuring powerhouse groups Slightly Stoopid, Dirty Heads, Iration, Steel Pulse and The Green at the top of the lineup, Reggae Rise Up also provides a strong collection of additional bands to round out the lineup who are sure to astound, including and not limited to:
Artist: The Hip Abduction
Origin: St. Petersburg, FL
Official Website
Why You Should Catch Them: Local to the area with Vinoy Park essentially in their backyard, The Hip Abduction are no strangers to energizing a live audience with their music. Fresh off their third full-length album release in March 2016 with Gold Under The Glow, momentum remains high for the The Hip Abduction as they continue to demonstrate their ability to stretch the reggae genre into a craft of their own. The Hip Abduction features seven members mixing reggae, rock, and African traditions to create their own unique sound. With heavy emphasis placed on African stringed instruments (kora, ngoni), dub-reggae-inspired bass lines, and funky afro-beat percussion, the band’s high-energy performances have won them a loyal statewide following. Veterans to shows of large capacity, The Hip Abduction have already shared the stage with 311, Ziggy Marley, Umphrey’s McGee, Thievery Corporation, Dawes and many more. Be sure to not to miss their set of authentically original music.
Listen: The Hip Abduction – “Come Alive”
Artist: Tatanka
Origin: Denver, CO
Official Website
Why You Should Catch Them: Offering a truly unique sound like none other, Tatanka have been touring steadily over the past couple of years mastering their craft for live audiences. Having collaborated with a wide variety of notable artists over the years, the Colorado-based quartet incorporate an emphasis on dub and electronic synths on top of their reggae-driven sound with lyrics of positivity to get the crowds moving wherever they play. Vinoy Park is one of only four dates that Tatanka has confirmed thus far for 2017, so fans will want to work Tatanka’s Reggae Rise Up set into their schedule as a good counter-balance to the music already being played for the weekend.
Listen: Tatanka – “Easy”
Artist: Oceanstone
Origin: Indian Rocks Beach, FL
Official Website
Why You Should Catch Them: A hidden gem portraying beach-reggae vibes with their EP released in 2016, Oceanstone is a Reggae Rise Up veteran having played the Vinoy Park location last year as well. With a self-proclaimed “deep rooted love of the ocean and enjoyment of music,” the band emphasizes a party-centric, danceable atmosphere for their audience while commanding the stage. Reggae-rock fans should also take a moment and familiarize themselves with their Easy Livin’ EP, even if they are unable to attend the festival. The gulf coast group will surely be playing several of their songs from the release for attendees to enjoy in a live setting.
Watch: Oceanstone – “Easy Livin'” [Live — Sugarshack Sessions]
Artist: LAW
Origin: Long Beach, CA
Official Website
Why You Should Catch Them: If you haven’t heard of LAW yet, you probably need to take a moment and listen to their music immediately. Jakob Nowell, son of Sublime‘s late front-man Brad Nowell, formed the quartet from Long Beach in 2013 and the band has been gaining traction quickly. Listeners will hear the Sublime influences right away with rock-driven distorted guitar riffs on top of the classic reggae vibes Sublime incorporated in their music for so many years. But don’t get too caught up in the “second coming of Sublime,” –- Jakob Nowell and company are out to make their own name and they are well on their way. The band released their Toxic EP in 2016 and the tracks received high acclaim from many. Attendees can’t afford to miss Law’s Florida visit!
Listen: LAW – “You Know”
Reggae Rise Up Details:
Vinoy Park will offer plenty of merchandise booths to check out, games, relaxing stations, crafts and more. Beer wagons and a full bar will be available in addition to plenty of good eats offered by a plethora of different food vendors. Gates will open each day at 12:00pm (Noon) and will close up at 10:00pm.
General Admission Prices for the St. Petersburg dates are $45 for each day, with VIP options available for $75 per day or a weekend pass at $150. Early Bird passes are sold out; attendees are encouraged to purchase tickets sooner than later for the rain or shine two-day festival. Due to city codes, camping is not allowed at Vinoy Park, but there are plenty of hotel options available which can be found via the website below.
In addition to the St. Petersburg event, Reggae Rise Up will also include a weekend in Salt Lake City, UT at the Utah State Fairpark, in which Dirty Heads, Sublime with Rome, Tribal Seeds and The Movement performed at last year –- lineup and details for that location is yet to be announced — Stay tuned!
Related Links:
Reggae Rise Up Website
Reggae Rise Up Facebook
Reggae Rise Up Twitter
Article By: Brian Glaser
Watch: Reggae Rise Up Florida 2016 – Official Recap