Arts & Culture
Steel Pulse Plays Showbox Market Tonight
Seattle isn't exactly a reggae town. There aren't enough homegrown acts to constitute a "scene"—although Clinton Fearon and Kore Ionz are noteworthy exceptions. But as far as this being a reggae destination. No luck.
So, when an international touring force like Steel Pulse comes through town, fans of reggae, and good music in general, are in luck. For over 30 years, Steel Pulse, who originated in Birmingham, England, have managed to stay relevant and have thankfully resisted watering down their sound. They're still chanting down Babylon and uplifting social consciousness with all of their songs and miraculously, lead singer David Hinds still has some of the best dreadlocks in music history.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGNNg_XIxCQ&feature=player_embedded#![/youtube]
At one point, when I was interviewing Hinds back in 2007, he told me that for years, he couldn't ride in cars because his famous faux-hawk dreads—which went at least two and a half feet in the air—prevented it. His locks are no longer Basquiat-esque, yet they're still impressive.
Steel Pulse isn't as hard-edged as they were during their days of playing shows with English punk bands like the Clash in the late '70s, but they've still got a lot to say. And a huge bevy of hit songs like "Prodigal Son," "Handworth Revolution," and "Earth Crisis" to pull from on stage. Check out the video below of them performing last week at an outdoor venue. That's snow you'll see flying past the camera.
It takes a lot of love for a reggae band to perform outside in the snow.
Steel Pulse performs tonight at the Showbox at the Market, 1426 1st Ave. 7 p.m $30.
So, when an international touring force like Steel Pulse comes through town, fans of reggae, and good music in general, are in luck. For over 30 years, Steel Pulse, who originated in Birmingham, England, have managed to stay relevant and have thankfully resisted watering down their sound. They're still chanting down Babylon and uplifting social consciousness with all of their songs and miraculously, lead singer David Hinds still has some of the best dreadlocks in music history.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGNNg_XIxCQ&feature=player_embedded#![/youtube]
At one point, when I was interviewing Hinds back in 2007, he told me that for years, he couldn't ride in cars because his famous faux-hawk dreads—which went at least two and a half feet in the air—prevented it. His locks are no longer Basquiat-esque, yet they're still impressive.
Steel Pulse isn't as hard-edged as they were during their days of playing shows with English punk bands like the Clash in the late '70s, but they've still got a lot to say. And a huge bevy of hit songs like "Prodigal Son," "Handworth Revolution," and "Earth Crisis" to pull from on stage. Check out the video below of them performing last week at an outdoor venue. That's snow you'll see flying past the camera.
It takes a lot of love for a reggae band to perform outside in the snow.
Steel Pulse performs tonight at the Showbox at the Market, 1426 1st Ave. 7 p.m $30.
