Jammin' to the beat

Music of Marley sends powerful message

Chris Labzda / senior photographer Musician Ziggy Marley performs Monday night in Wilson Hall Auditorium to a sold-out crowd. Blues and rock singer Beth Hart opened for the show, and energetic and easy-to-dance-to Michael Franti & Spearhead played prior to Marley.

People gathered in the name of peace, love and music Monday night at a sold-out show co-headlined by Ziggy Marley and Michael Franti & Spearhead. The University Program Board sponsored the event at Wilson Hall. The two groups both exhibited obvious influence from reggae legend Bob Marley, but each in their own unique way.

Singer and songwriter Beth Hart opened the show with accompanying guitarist Johnny Nichols. Famed for her "L.A. Song," Hart's songs about heartbreak and drug addictions, paired with her passionate, soulful delivery, conjured up memories of Janis Joplin and other gutsy blues and rock artists of the '60s and '70s.

The crowd of 1,300 rose to its feet to welcome Michael Franti & Spearhead and dashed toward the stage for a good spot to enjoy the show. Franti's energetic stage presence was hard to ignore, and within the first few songs, he had the crowd bouncing and responding fervently to his signature, "How you feelin'?," causing the crowd to go wild.

Michael Franti & Spearhead picked and chose different elements from a large palette of musical styles. The group's style covered genres from reggae to hip-hop and, at times, it even resembled a jam band.

"I make music my friends, family and children would be proud of," Franti said in an interview before the show. Franti's approach toward music digests lots of styles, but result in one very much his own.

Bob Marley's influence is especially clear in the lyrics of Michael Franti & Spearhead. Bob Marley's idea of "one love" showed through clearly in Michael Franti & Spearhead songs such as "Power to the Peaceful," "Stay Human (All the Freaky People)" and a song invented with universal appeal, "Taxi Radio."

Senior Brianna Bellanti said, "It's a shame Ziggy went on last because Spearhead blew [him] out of the water."

As everybody's collective buzz wore off and the freaky dancing subsided, Ziggy's set toned down a notch. The flow of Ziggy's set was much like Michael Franti & Spearhead's in that it flip-flopped between styles. Traditional reggae songs such as Bob Marley's "War" and "Concrete Jungle" were followed by very poppy numbers that Ziggy refused to categorize as reggae, but said that they were unique to his personality.

"It's 'Ziggy music'," Marley said with a huge smile before the show. He explained that although reggae is his foundation, he now "plays music whichever way it comes out. I'm not able to keep repeating history. Let's make history."

However, it was the mellow "Ziggy music" that caused the crowd's energy level to wane. Songs like "Jah Will Be Done" and "Got to Be True to Myself" were examples of Ziggy's message of positivity, individuality and spiritualism. Ziggy's uncanny resemblance to his father's physical and vocal styles helped make each of his father's classics a major highlight for the set. "If you squinted your eyes a little, it was almost like you were at a Bob (Marley) show," junior Charles Huffman said.

During the encore, Ziggy unveiled his newest threads — a JMU T-shirt drenched in perspiration, which received a huge response. He left the stage with a smile even bigger than that response. The concert was put together by two different factions of UPB, the musical events committee and the issues and cultural awareness committee, in an effort to bring people together, according to senior Matt Stuart, director of label promotions.

Seeing the crowd of JMU students, high school students (some with parents) and even a toddler sitting on center stage, all together in one place, it's safe to say the night was a success.