Photos and Review by Bethany Anna Packer
Galleries: Dirty Heads, SOJA
Southern California-based hip hop-reggae fusion group Dirty Heads set off on their highly anticipated summer co-headlining tour of the U.S. with Grammy-nominated reggae band SOJA early this month. This father’s day the tour landed itself at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion on Boston Harbor. Opening acts included D.C. bred RDGLDGRN and Hawaiian reggae band, the Green.
RDGLDGRN opened the night with their unique genre defying sound. They fired up the crowd with a high energy blend of hip-hop, reggae and punk. The trio (appropriately called Red, Gold and Green) came out on stage with authority, demanding the attention of everyone there.
Next to perform was The Green. The six piece roots reggae-R&B-soul band from the islands of Hawaii transported everyone in the venue to the Pacific Islands with their bright and vibrant rhythms. Lead singer Caleb Keolanui donned a sunny smile as he maneuvered through the band’s catalogue of tunes.
As the sun set on Boston Harbor, co-headliner SOJA was next to take the stage. The group is a personal favorite of mine and I never miss a chance to see them perform live. SOJA gives fans a magical look at the world through their lyrical magnifying glass and deliver their message with a high energy performance marked with top-notch stage presence. This time was no exception as bassist Bob Jefferson literally jumps up and down on stage pulling full splits, the energy was contagious.
The venue was buzzing by the time Dirty Heads were up. The stage was appropriately set so that front men Duddy B and Jared Watson could move freely around an empty floor, with the rest of the band elevated on a riser toward the rear of the stage. Smoke and a dazzling light show accompanied the group as they exploded out of the gate with “Franco Eyed” from Sounds of Change which was the perfect tune to get the audience chanting along to it’s viral chorus. Next, they performed one of their biggest hits “Burn Slow” which only whipped the crowd further into a glorious frenzy. The group continued to slay a variety of hits from their ever growing collection as they interacted with each other and the audience like a well-oiled machine. Green from RDGLDGRN returned to the stage to join the group for a performance of “Medusa” and the energy did not stop right through to the last song of the set “Spread Too Thin/Lay Me Down”. After a roaring demand for an encore the group returned to the stage for a high-energy performance of “Oxygen” and “That’s All I Need”. Dirty Heads never disappoints and, for me at least, their shows are becoming a summer staple here in Boston, I can’t wait till next year.
Dirty Heads and SOJA at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion – Boston, MA
