Underground after their 'Alive' concert at Redbones the Blues Café, New Kingston, on Friday night. - Photos by Mel Cooke

For those who think that Rootz Underground is a brand-new kid on the reggae band block, think again.

In the later part of their just over 90-minute concert at Redbones the Blues Café, Braemar Avenue, New Kingston, on Friday night, lead singer Stephen Newland told the large (for the venue) audience that the band is 10 years old.

And to show for their decade together, they were able to present songs for the 'foundation' fans (which appeared to be a significant proportion of Friday night's audience), their debut album, Movement, and their next full-length project, Gravity.

Musically rich

Rootz Underground, with their crisp, musically rich sound (lead guitar, percussions and saxophone played significant roles) also paid good homage to two of those who came before them. Trench Town, Midnight Ravers and Top Ranking were delivered directly from the Marley catalogue, with Junior Byles' Fade Away given the Rootz Underground interpretation.

High energy

In introducing the band, including Charles, Colin, Tafane, Scooby, Aaron, Jeffrey and Leon, Evon Williams commented that Rootz Underground had made their sound bigger since they first performed at Redbones years ago and added that he wished the stage was bigger. That was not only in reference to Rootz Underground's size, but also lead singer Stevie G's high-flying, high-energy performance style, for which much space is optimal.

Still, despite the restricted space, Stevie did manage to get in quite a few double-legged leaps, many a soul-stirring foot stomp and a frenzied head shake to send his thick locks into a whirling curtain, giving glimpses of his animated face.

But that was not at the beginning of the concert, which started calmly enough after the band flexed its musical muscles with a couple dub versions to get the audience alive. Stevie's blue jacket came off after the opening Rasta Communication and he moved back on forth on the stage, giving different sections personal attention on Raging Bull.

On the third song, though, one got the sense that Alive had hit another groove and it did, Newland putting in his trademark leaps and locks tremors as he gave often rapid-fire to happenings over '2000 years'.

Transition point

And it was a transition point, the audience cheering enthusiastically at the end. Herb Field went out to the long-time Rootz Underground fans, who inhaled the number very enthusiastically. Stevie's voice was not the only one on lead duties Friday night, as with a quick rearrangement of the players, Scooby moved from keyboards to guitar and lead vocals to sing of History, the band members' legs kicking out in coordinated fashion as a mix hit.

A new song from the upcoming Gravity, the guitar heavy Rastaman Experience, came before another lead voice, Jeffrey handing over the guitar to Stevie and keeping time with an orange tambourine as he sang the love song Waiting For You.

Accustomed configuration

From there on, Rootz Underground was back to its accustomed configuration and it was all Stevie on lead to the end. After the Marley tribute, they went to Time is an Illusion and the uptempo Hammer, one extremely enthusiastic women taking over the space front and centre before the stage and jamming until she decided to relinquish the prime spot.

On Victims of the System, Stevie, now down to a grey merino and the sweat of his labours showing, leapt to a refrain of 'sell out', Rootz Underground went to the Riverstone and they closed "in the jungle".

That should have been the end, but the audience genuinely wanted more and Rootz Underground obliged with a double, Stevie crooning "we're connected soul to soul" for the first extra song as a very 'Alive' concert wound down.

Jeffrey moves from the guitar to lead vocals duties temporarily during Rootz Underground's 'Alive' at Redbones the Blues Café on Friday night.

Rootz Underground's lead singer Stevie's hard work shows in his sweat-laden merino. - Photo by Mel Cooke