Saturday July 16th

DUB IS A WEAPON

NOMO Afrobeat Orchestra

After just a short time together, Dub Is A Weapon has already been hailed as, "a sprawling supergroup that combines the spacey atmospherics of dub with the brassy big-band soul of African pop"  (New York Magazine).  Their hard-hitting combination of militant beats and live dub mixing has quickly gained them a loyal following on their home turf of New York City and beyond.  Dave Hahn, who has most recently worked as dub engineer for the Easy Star All-Star's "Dub Side of the Moon" live show and as a touring guitarist with Antibalas, leads this Brooklyn-based dub coalition.  Jamaican percussion legend Larry McDonald serves as the group's spiritual godfather, sharing his vocabulary of grooves gained through years of service with the likes of Gil Scott-Heron, Taj Mahal, Ernest Ranglin, and Peter Tosh. While many artists now clamor to adopt the increasingly fashionable sounds of dub, Dub Is A Weapon is recognized as NYC's top-ranking dub warriors, with "drums and bass coming so hard and dangerous you can see the competition's bloodstains" (Village Voice). The group has taken to the road with a vengeance, performing over 70 times in 2004.  Critics have immediately embraced Dub Is A Weapon's, "volatile package of soaring, heart-pounding rhythms," (Chicago Sun-Times), while recognizing the group's ability to produce, "chassis-rattling dub beats that stretch the limits of rhythm maintenance." (Chicago Reader).  The result of such amazing praise was inevitable: packed dub sessions that firmly established the group as a force to reckoned with. The group recently spent three long days in the studio to record a brand new collection of Mr. Hahn's compositions.  While their previous self-released effort featured vocal efforts from Rasta-heavyweights Rob Symeon and Ashanti Roy (from the foundational roots reggae group, the Congos), Dub Is A Weapon's latest recording will seek to highlight their ability to create breathtaking dub soundscapes that are, "very crucial." (Cleveland Scene). With a solid number of "irresistibly irie" (Flavorpill) performances behind them, Dub Is A Weapon has a firm foundation upon which to start spreading its gospel of dub.  Fans and critics alike should prepare themselves for future sessions of rootical beats and heavy bass from a group that is truly dedicated to the preservation of live dub chemistry. 9:30 PM, $10, Ballroom 

thanks!

beachland ballroom and tavern