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Reggae band to rock legends |
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Wednesday, 05 March 2008 |
by ALISON MEANEY
Intern Lifestyles Reporter
One of the top reggae bands in the East Coast circuit will play Legends tonight.
Dubconscious is a six-piece band from Athens, Ga., complete with a horn section to perform at 9 p.m. for $5 for students in advance and $8 at the door.
“If you’re into reggae, you have to come to this show,” said Brian D. Lineberry, a sophomore music
industry studies major.
Lineberry is an APPS member heading up the Dubconscious show. As a lover of music and reggae, he
is fascinated by the band’s group dynamic.
 The raggae band Dubconscious will usher in Spring Break with a performance at Legends Thursdsay night. Special to The Appalachian
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“The artists are from various backgrounds - drum circles, university trained, to singing and guitar,”
Lineberry said.
Indeed, Adrian Zeleski, the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, didn’t begin his musical exploration until
college at the University of Georgia in the early 1990s.
“I played endlessly during that period,” Zeleski said in his online biography. “I would take a toke and
play Bob Marley and Ben Harper songs all day. Their songs had such a profound meaning to me...
Then… I started writing my own.”
While living on an organic farm, Zeleski was exposed to non-stop reggae music and was inspired to
join his first group - thus, Dubconscious.
He hooked up with Jerry Hendelberg who learned a love of music from songs celebrated in his
synagogue as a kid and Scott Prigden who, like Zeleski, didn’t start playing music until college.
Solomon Wright was one of the last additions to the band.
Wright has been playing trumpet since the third grade and was trained by jazz great John Mahoney at
University of Loyola in New Orleans, La.
This patchwork ensemble is mirrored by their music.
The band’s sound is a blend of its combined influences - Bob Marley’s reggae, Georgia-based
Widespread Panic’s psychedelic rock, Dr. Dre’s rap and the Chicago afro-beat’s rhythm.
Hendelberg explains that genres of music blur together.
“Like any genre of music, the beginnings have a specific source and a defining characteristic. As with
all things, time shapes and widdles these definitions until the original meaning may no longer even be
present,” he said.
“We discovered that this genre encompassed the message we were going for and allowed us the
freedom to incorporate our other musical influences... In the early development of our band and
songs… we always agreed on reggae. It is the nature of reggae music that has allowed us to survive.”
Their resulting sound is best described as dub.
Guitarist and vocalist for the group James Keane said “The term 'dub' originates from the studio
technique of 'overdubbing' sound effects on previously recorded songs. ‘Dubconscious' originated from
our influence of dub music, the instrumental and psychedelic aspect of much of our live performance,
our liberal use of effects like reverb and delays.”
Dubconsious is “a play on the word subconscious, and the idea of 'dubbing,' or introducing
consciousness to our music and lyrics,” Keane said.
“It also comes from our lyrics having a conscious message and "dubbing" the message into the
consciousness of ourselves and the people that come to experience our show and our recorded
music,” Hendelberg said.
The band’s unusual sound has earned them nationwide recognition as they have opened for bands
such as Sound Tribe Sector 9, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra and the
Wailers.
This past year they have been busy making a name for themselves by playing at Walkarusa,
Bonnaroo, Echo Project and Off the Grid festivals.
Keane said they deal with their rigid tour schedule by exercising when possible and attempting to eat
right.
As head of the APPS committee for the show, Lineberry is most excited about the kind of atmosphere
the band creates when they play.
“It’s going to be a really awesome atmosphere; everyone is going to be into the music.”
Conversely, the band is looking forward to the atmosphere in Boone.
Keane said, “We've always enjoyed Boone and love every opportunity to visit. It's a small town with a
big heart. The people here have a great quality to their character, a certain reflection of the surrounding
Appalachian.”
Check out Dubconscious’ music at their Web site at www.dubconscious.com.
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