Tim Parsons / Tahoe Onstage photos
“Here Comes Rastaman.” Reno reggae fans have been waiting a long time to hear the verse from one of the many iconic songs by Steel Pulse.
The band was set to play at Cargo Concert Hall in early 2016 when frontman David “Dread” Hines fell deathly ill with pneumonia. The entire tour was canceled.
“We almost lost him,” keyboardist Selwyn Brown told Tahoe Onstage.
But the charismatic singer indeed proved to have a Steel Pulse. The band was back at it a few months later. However, it did not make it to Cargo Concert Hall. That is, until Tuesday, Feb. 11. The show opens at 8 p.m. with “skunk-punk” Local Anthology, a band from Lake Tahoe.
During a concert last fall at Crystal Bay, Hinds, 63, was the spry, dancing bandleader reggae lovers have cherished since Steel Pulse formed in 1975 in Birmingham, England. Steel Pulse played five songs from its first new studio album in 15 years, “Mass Manipulation,” including the song “Rize,” which was a highlight of the show.
The classics were performed as well, including “Steppin’ Out,” “Babylon Makes the Rules” and “Soldiers,” which was on the band’s debut album in 1978. A decade later, Steel Pulse became the first non-Jamaican band to win a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album.
Steel Pulse’s lineup includes Brown, 5-string bassist Amlak “The International Reggae Am-BASS-Ador” Tafari, saxophone/clarinet player James Johnson, lead guitarist David “Cirious” Elecciri, and drummer Wayne “C#” Clarke.
For 45 years, Steel Pulse has presented roots reggae, supporting equal rights and social justice.
Steel Pulse
Opener: Local Anthology
All-ages show
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11; doors open at 7
Where: Cargo Concert Hall
Tickets: $22.94 at Whitney Peak Hotel front desk (no processing fee), Recycled Records, The Melting Pot World Emporium & Smoke Shop, or online at JMaxproductions.net TICKET LINK.
