One of the first reggae concerts I went to as a young buck was a group called Culture, at some spottie in Oakland back in '89 I think. I was solo because believe it or not none of the homies wanted to go... Got there nice and early on via public transpo (always was a foot soldier), got a nice spot near the front of the stage, and soaked in the vibe. I got treated to a magnificent show, introducing me to the sweet upliftment music of Joseph Hill and Culture. Helllllla reggae concerts, borderline rasta-ism, a short stint on community radio and who knows how much student loan money spent on cd's along the way, and I can look back at that concert as the first time I really saw that reggae light. After that I always had to search for the next roots vibe concert to match the irie standard set there.So it was with sadness that I stumbled across the news that the great Joseph Hill had suddenly passed away sometime last year, while on tour... R.I.P. to a great positive force whose music mos def made an impact and lives on!
