Original Wailers – Powerstation: November 26, 2024

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Last night the Powerstation was giddy with anticipation for The Original Wailers to play their golden anniversary. The house was full, but not uncomfortably so; there was room to dance, and Al Anderson and the rest of the crew were happy to oblige, bringing the audience a set full of some of Bob Marley’s more mainstream and popular tunes.

Beginning with The Wailing Wailers, there were several  greats such as Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer and Bob Marley that bred several different versions of what would be called “The Wailers”, breezing through genre changes from Rock Steady to Roots, Reggae, Ska, and a bit of Dancehall.  And throughout these evolutions, the Original Wailers maintained the original sound with vocals that “seemed to capture the anguished cry of alienated youth.”

Guitarist Al Anderson, the only actual original, explains this further in his interview with 13th Floor’s own Marty Duda, saying, “We call ourselves The Original Wailers, although they were not in The Original Wailers group. I had the opportunity to play with Peter, Bob, and Bunny, and I call the group the Original Wailers only because there were so many people after Bob passed that were trying to incorporate the name Wailers to enslave us to tour for them.”

The Elovaters

ElovatersThe night began with The Elovaters, an explosively energetic progressive roots band from Boston that felt like a highly danceable mainstream ska band with a Green Day or Sublime flavour, but with drummer Nick Asta making us feel as though we were inside the snare.

Jackson Wetherbee on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Matt Link on bass, Greg Nectow on keyboards, John Alves on lead guitar together made for a tight set and I could hear the Boston in them sneaking out to create what turned out to be a pretty original vibe.

Original Wailers

WailersGiven the history associated with The Original Wailers, I did expect to see a bit more of the revolutionary hits that made their way through the progression of Roots and Rocksteady to Ska and Dancehall, but the setlist was decidedly all classic hits from Bob Marley and the Wailers. The band members were a multitalented bunch, including Al Anderson, from New York, writing, producing, and guitar, Chet Samuel, from Puerto Rico, writing and producing, Papa Nyarkoh, drummer from Ghana, producing, Omar Lopez, multi instrumentalist from Mexico, and Ross Clamper, keyboards, from Jamaica.

Wailers

The audience seemed happy to dance to the classics. Aotearoa has a massive reggae culture, both musically and politically, and I think there are myriad Māori reggae bands that are expanding their revolutions regarding the judicial system here, the covert racism, the lack of governmental representation and agency, as well as the fellowship and respect for family, the staunch support that reggae music evokes in the hearts of indigenous ad repressed around the world. I also was happy to dance and allow the well-know tunes to comfort and uplift us all. With the spot-on talent that The Original Wailers brought to The Powerstation, I sincerely hope that the next time they come around, they bring more of their Original Original music.

Diana Phillips

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Joel Leong:

Original Wailers: 

 

The Elovaters:

Original Wailers Setlist:

  1. Stir It Up
  2. Three Little Birds
  3. Could You Be Loved
  4. Is This Love
  5. I Shot The Sheriff
  6. Buffalo Soldier
  7. Jammin
  8. One Love
  9. No Woman No Cry

 

Diana Phillips
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