Argonaut Online A&E

WED, 19 FEB 2003

Wailers bring “Legend” to WSU

By Aaron Blue
Argonaut Staff

Walking across any American college campus, there are a few albums people are guaranteed to hear on a given day:“Licensed to Ill,” “Under the Table and Dreaming,” Led Zeppelin’s “IV” and Bob Marley and the Wailers’ “Legend.”

These albums have become staples of college music nationwide. Unfortunately, most of these groups either have separated long ago (Zeppelin), or have become much too big to visit an isolated college community like the Palouse (Dave Matthews).

This is not the case, however, with the Wailers. Bob Marley’s former band performs today at Washington State University’s CUB ballroom.

The Wailers have been busy lately, touring extensively the past few years and recording a few songs (including a cover of Phish’s ‘Makisupa Policeman’) for charity albums. Now, fresh off last year’s tour with Santana, they are embarking on their own tour, starting in the Pacific Northwest.

The band’s vocalist, Gary Pine, is a Jamaica native who taught himself to play the guitar listening to Bob Marley and the Wailers. This dreadlocked aficionado joined the band in 1998, and has an uncannily similar voice to Marley’s.

The real heart of the band, however, is Aston “Familyman” Barrett, one of the original Wailers and widely renowned as the “architect of reggae.”

Barrett, along with his late brother Carlton, joined the Wailers before their 1971 major-label debut and has been with them ever since, part of the core cadre of the band for more than 30 years now.

In that time, Bob Marley and the Wailers have sold about 250 million albums worldwide. One of the first reggae musicians, Barrett worked and lived with Marley for a number of years during the height of the Wailers and reggae music in general in the ’70s.

Barrett produces and arranges all the songs the Wailers perform and is also credited with writing such favorites as “War,” “Rebel Music,” and “Who the Cap Fit,” all of which one can reasonably expect to hear at the concert.

Recently Barrett has been involved in a dreadful legal clash between himself and his brother’s estate and Island Records (a Universal Records subsidiary). Familyman is currently suing the company for royalties unpaid since Marley’s untimely death in 1981.

Wailers set lists include classic reggae songs both new and old, especially crowd-pleasing hits from Marley’s tenure with the band. At recent shows the band has played such reggae classics as “I Shot the Sheriff,” “Get Up Stand Up,” and “No Woman No Cry.”

The doors open at 8:00 p.m., and tickets are $15 at the door. The opening act is Topaz.

A&E Editor: Chris Kornelis Webmistress: Amanda J Hundt
UI Argonaut, 301 Student Union, Moscow, Idaho 83843 208.885.7845

‘Vagina Monologues’ returns to UI

The “Vagina Monologues” returns to UI, sponsored by Muse. Performance dates are Feb. 27-March 1. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. and the house opens at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale Feb 14 and available at UI Women’s Center and BookPeople of Moscow. Price for students is $5 and $8 for non-students. For more information, call 885-6616 or e-mail wcenter@uidaho.edu.