ABIJAH REVIEW - 1.15.06

EVENT: Abijah & Dub Station
VENUE: Bill's Bar, 14 Lansdowne Street, Boston, MA
DATE: 1.15.06
ADMISSION: $15
SHOW RATING: $ $ $ $(3 out of 4, barely!)

Despite the bitter cold (11 F), the crazy winds (bursts over 25 knots), and my nagging hangover from the recent Patriots loss (bumboclat!), I had a good time at Bill's Bar taking in the sweet sounds of Abijah. Bill's Bar hosts a notorious reggae Sunday that has been in effect for years. Reggae band Dub Station, led by bassist Kyle Russell, has consistently held it down at Bill's in style and last night was a fine example of their seasoned flavor.

I arrived just after 11 pm and Bill's was pretty empty. This venue has a reputation of not filling up until at least after midnight. Resident selector K Don was largely spinning the same ol' selections (riddims like drop leaf, truth and rights, and hard times), but lit up the place with big tunes like Anthony B, "So Many Things To Say" and Trinidadian Marlon Asher's "Ganja Planter," a national hit in America. K Don is a veteran selector who knows the business well but his spinning last night seemed tired.

Dub Station, armed with a new keyboardist and talented sax player, began around 11:20 and their first set of the night featured local reggae singer / songwriter Tom O'Brien. Fresh off of their West Coast tour, Dub Station and O'Brien performed with confidence and skill. O'Brien, an adept musician, was the lead voice of the roots outfit Cornerstone before aligning himself with Dub Station. He delivered last night, belting out hits like "Open Up Your Eyes" and Bob's "Trouble On the Road Again," to the delight of the enthusiastic Bill's Bar massive. O'Brien has a folksy flavor and that quality is certainly evident on his 12 track sampler CD, "Then and Now."

The energetic first set suddenly came to a close and K Don was back on the 1s and 2s. The place was filling up and at the night’s peak, Bill's Bar was 2/3 full. To my dismay, the lovely bartender quickly poured my Guinness into a plastic cup! Overall, the drinks are a bit expensive (Guinness on draft is $5, not $4) but considering the location, it's probably cheap. Bobbyshakes.com was shooting video all night and between the first-rate musicianship of Dub Station and the melodic skills of O'Brien and Abijah, this will be a must have DVD. Before long Dub Station was back on stage and Abijah emerged from the side room with Bobbyshakes and a manager cutting him a path through the crowd towards the stage.

Abijah is a cultural, no slackness singer from Kingston, JA who has one album under his belt, "Abijah (VP)," and a slew of popular singles. His breakthrough tune "Revelation" stayed on the top JA charts for 30-plus weeks. Known as the "Ambassador of Peace" in Jamaica, Abijah has performed at schools across the island. Abijah's background is impressively musical as his father drummed with the famous Mystic Revelation of Rastafari, and he also claims ancestry to Bob Marley. His musical genes shined through, but Abijah is not a wicked, wicked artist yet.

Abijah, which means "Of the Creator," kicked off the night with Bob's "Rastaman Chant," and then moved into his own hits like "Head Above the Water" and his standout cover, "Sun is Shining." Dub Station was particularly heavy playing this tune. In and amongst some covers and decent originals, Abijah moved the crowd with scorchers such as "Press On" and his boom shot, "Revelation." The night was fun and Abijah invited some talented dancers on stage to show off their routines. He also honored his girlfriend with a tune as well as a female patron who was celebrating her birthday. But Abijah's voice was a bit hoarse and although both he and the band were energetic, the show felt slow at times and a pulsating dynamic seemed absent. Yet just before I left at 1:30 am, Abijah scored with a tune called "Rastafari Love." The man was performing with passion and the message was one of hope—classic Abijah.

http://www.reggae4i.com/Abijah.html