Plan for Full Day and Night of Positive Island Vibrations at Upcoming 2014 Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival
RISBJ Staff | Jul 24, 2014
NEWPORT, RI – Having already held seven shows this summer as part of its Newport Concert Series, the Newport Yachting Center is now preparing for its first music festival of the season. The 5th Annual Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival, to take place on Saturday, August 9th from Noon to 10:00 p.m., promises a full day and night of positive island vibrations led by reggae legend Freddie McGregor along with John Brown’s Body, Mighty Mystic, Etana, New Kingston and Soul Rebel Project. The flexible general admission tickets, which allow concert attendees to come and go throughout the 10-hour reggae party, are $35 in advance through this Friday, July 25th, $45 from July 26th through August 8th and $50 the day of the Festival. In addition to the musicians, the Festival features the Reggae Pit with authentic Jamaican food options including everything from jerk chicken to fish cakes from Aunt Birdie’s Jamaican Cuisine along with some Caribbean flare from Aruba Steve’s, multiple bars featuring Red Stripe and other cold brews, festive island cocktails and a marketplace of vendors offering artisan goods and much more. For the ultimate reggae fan, an exclusive Rocksteady Pass is available for $80 in limited quantities which offers one all-day pass, reserved “Deck” seating for a great view of the main stage, cocktail service, a complimentary beverage, a complimentary Red Stripe beer and more. All tickets can be purchased online at www.newportwaterfrontevents.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000.
The Festival’s main headliner, Freddie McGregor, is a reggae icon and one of the genre’s most soulful singers who has spanned every stylistic shift in Jamaican music since the late 1960s, from ska and rocksteady to roots reggae and lovers rock. Born in Jamaica, McGregor’s recorded the classics “Rastaman Camp”, “I am a Rasta”, “Mark of the Beast”, “Sergeant Brown” and “Walls of Jericho” throughout the 1970s. In 1980, he released the album, Bobby Bobylon, which was widely popular throughout Jamaica and established McGregor as a budding star. McGregor followed that album up with the hit single “Big Ship” which catapulted him to the top of the reggae scene in the post-Marley era. He extended his creative hot streak to an international audience with “Push Came to Shove” in 1986 and a cover of the Main Ingredient’s “Just Don’t Want to Be Lonely” which made the U.K. Top 10 in 1987. After slowing the pace in the 1990s, McGregor released the Grammy-nominated Anything for You in 2002. His latest album release is Di Captain.
The other 2014 Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival performers are:
John Brown’s Body categorizes its music as “Future Roots” with reggae as a foundation but also incorporates dub, drum and bass, dancehall, hip-hop and other musical experiments and explorations to create a sound both timeless and forward. The progressive band from Boston, Massachusetts and Ithaca, New York has been described as “reverent and revolutionary” by the New York Daily News. JBB followed up their last full-length album, Amplify, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Reggae Chart, with the 2013 album release, Kings And Queens. It best captures the band’s classic UK reggae sound, most noticeably in the heavy drum and bass along with the complicated horn lines.
Born Kevin Mark Holness in the countryside of St. Elizabeth, Jamaica, Mighty Mystic scored his first international hit with the song “Riding on the Clouds” in 2006. However, it wasn’t until the release of his first album, Wake up the World in 2010 that he became a household name in reggae circles. Peaking at #4 on iTunes Reggae Charts, the album featured several standouts such as “Revolution”, “Better Times” and “Original Love” and appearances from reggae icon Shaggy and roots rocker Lutan Fyah. Mighty Mystic’s brand of “Hard Roots” featuring his Jamaican heritage while adding elements of hip hop and rock has proven to be a magnet to young music lovers and continues to grow. His 2014 sophomore album, Concrete World, recently landed at #3 on the iTunes Reggae Chart and #6 overall on Billboard’s Reggae Chart.
After growing up in Florida, Etana returned to her birthplace, Jamaica, where a fateful meeting with 5th Element Records resulted in her selection as one of Richie Spice’s backup singers. She eventually broke out on her own with her debut album, The Strong One, which was released in 2008 to extensive acclaim. Known for her powerful vocal range, elegantly modest Rasta-chic style and a sound which is a distinctive fusion of folk, soul, jazz and reggae, Etana’s 2014 album release entitled A Better Tomorrow is being hailed as her most confident and cohesive work to date.
From Brooklyn, New York, New Kingston incorporates R&B, hip-hop and jazz with their heritage genre, reggae, to form an infectious sound. To date, the band has released two full-length albums, In the Street (2010) and Kingston University (2013), with a third studio project slated for release later this year. New Kingston enjoys a heavy touring schedule supporting headliners including Rebelution, The Green, SOJA, Matisyahu, Beres Hammond and Collie Buddz, while also playing festivals around the world such as the California Roots Festival and Summerjam in Germany.
Hailing from Boston, Soul Rebel Project features a unique sound of pulsating drums and bass rhythms and heavily decorated melodies combined with the soulful vocals and energetic stage performances of front man and songwriter Mike Francis, Jr. Named High Times’ Band of the Month, Soul Rebel Project is currently finishing their self-titled, third full-length album.
The Newport Yachting Center is located on the waterfront in the heart of historic downtown Newport right on America’s Cup Avenue. The venue features a covered concert tent and ample open air space with stunning views of Newport Harbor. Guests can enjoy “The Point”, a dockside lounge with expanded bars and good eats.
In addition to the Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival, the Newport Celtic Rock Festival featuring Gaelic Storm and Eileen Ivers is slated for Saturday, August 23rd. The Newport Concert Series at the Newport Yachting Center is also currently in full swing this year with nine remaining concerts to-date: The Machine performs Pink Floyd With the Interstellar Laser Show on Friday, July 25th; 3 Doors Down Acoustic – Songs From The Basement on Friday, August 1st; Boz Scaggs – The Memphis Tour on Wednesday, August 6th; Gregg Allman with Special Guest Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band on Sunday, August 10th; Josh Turner’s Roughstock and Rambler Tour (presented by Ariat) on Thursday, August 14th; The Beach Boys on Saturday, August 16th; Alanis Morissette Live – Intimate & Acoustic on Thursday, August 21st; Blues Jam With Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band on Sunday, August 31st; and Chris Young With Special Guest Courtney Cole on Saturday, September 20th. Please visit www.newportwaterfrontevents.com for all the details.
Sponsors of the Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival include Red Stripe, Sobieski Vodka, Seagram’s and Blackwell Rum.
For more information on the Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival, please visit www.newportwaterfrontevents.com or contact Michele Maker Palmieri, General Manager at the Newport Yachting Center via mail at mpalmieri@newportyachtingcenter.com or call (401) 846-1600, Ext. 222. To receive future Newport Yachting Center Music Festival and Newport Concert Series headliner announcements, presale opportunities or exclusive packages, sign up at newportwaterfrontevents.com and become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/waterfrontevents.
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