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MISSION BAYFEST

Live in San Diego

October 11, 2024 Review by Samuel Hill

SoCal has a feel. The sound attached to that feeling is hard to describe, but you know it when you hear it – punk, ska, reggae, and surf rock crossbred into a distinct strain. Mission Bayfest was a perfect showcase of what Southern California is famous for: laidback vibes, reggae-infused music, gorgeous (if a bit warm) weather, and beautiful people.

Day one featured Stick Figure, the reggae and dub powerhouse, supported by Tribal Seeds, Z-Trip, Boosative and Sensamotion.

Stick Figure wowed with their masterful arrangements. In this venue, they proved that polished production is not needed to move the spirits of a crowd. Songs like “Edge of the Ocean” and “Paradise” are just as soul-stirring on a live stage as they are post studio-production.

Tribal Seeds definitely brought their award-winning, spiritually driven, refreshing rock vibe they have infused with the roots reggae music.

With a setlist spanning from “Youth Rebellion” to the 2024 record, “Ancient Blood,” Peter Tosh was somewhere smiling down on their standout set of the day. I could definitely feel the fire and power being channeled in the music.

Z-Trip absolutely cooked and lured the crowd into hypnotic grooves. The New York DJ brought his mashup prowess to the proceedings before Boosative wowed the crowd with a transcendent dub journey.

It felt like Toots and the Maytals having a jam session with Burning Spear.

Closing things out was Sensamotion. If one needs a sunset soundtrack to a California beach, look no further. Their two guitarists were in lockstep and working seamlessly to keep the interlocking rhythms going through a solid set.

Day two was phenomenal with Iration and Pepper on the sundrenched stage, backed by Rome and Duddy, Iam Tongi, Eli Mack, Artikal Soundsystem, Tropodelic and Maryland’s own Bumpin Uglies.

Not a cloud was in the sky. The taco trucks were creating culinary delights. Iration took the stage to raucous cheers and gave a wonderful performance, moving the crowd with such favorites as “Time Bomb,” “Wait and See,” and “Back Around.”

This band is not afraid to mix a little distortion with the classic “one drop” dub feel.

Pepper was in rare form. Keleo Wessman’s voice was beautiful and the Bret and Yesod rhythm section was flawless.

These men sounded much bigger than a three-piece and I kept looking for other musicians hiding somewhere. The Sublime and Three Plus influence is evident without being a pastiche.

I managed to grab an IPA (or three) before Iam Tongi blessed us all with his soulful Hawaiian take on the classic reggae sound. Tongi’s music sounds like a young Beres Hammond by way of Oahu. His effervescent energy was infectious! One cannot listen to Iam Tongi without grinning and he seemed to be having genuine, honest-to-goodness fun.

Eli Mac, Oahu’s very own Roots Girl, was in attendance, achingly fashionable and in possession of a serious set of pipes. Mac lent her effortless cool to the festivities and was a welcome addition to the lineup. As “Dubstop” drifted over the throngs of festival goers, I made a mental note to take a deeper look into her discography.

The smoky, hazy, feel-good music of Artikal Soundsystem took the afternoon in a party direction and had the crowd dancing. This band is a light and airy reggae infused fun experience that I highly recommend to keep a party or kick-back going. Their take on Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” is a must-listen.

Tropidelic was in full force and sounding massive. These guys have mastered their unique blend of reggae rock, funk, and hip-hop. “Bad One” was an absolute banger that was taken to another level once the horns hit.

The final day was spectacular. We were treated to a lineup of Cypress Hill, Wiz Khalifa, Protoje, DENM, Fortunate Youth, Yaadcore, and Jesse Royal.

Protoje was a standout act with tracks such as “Who Knows,” “Weed and Ting,” and “HILLS” bringing us back to the homeland of Jamaica. Protoje, along with his contemporaries Chronixx and Koffee, brings a sunny and upbeat approach to reggae and is the spearhead of a modern youthful strain of the genre. Assisted by Camp Habitat, Protoje’s energy was off the charts.

Yaadcore kept the fires burning with his hip-hop tinged reggae. Spitting Nyabinghi fire over hip-hop beats, Yaadcore castigates “chatty bwoys” and “dem people dem who ah bleach.” Unapologetically Jamaican, Yaadcore proved himself a show stealer.

Jessie Royal’s upbeat dub style lightened the mood. Royal moved between singing and toasting and had complete command of every rhythm he was on “Gimme Likkle” and “Cool and Deadly” are perfect demonstrations of his uncanny ability to fit neatly within the grooves and pockets of a song.

Songwriter and producer DENM brought us all back home to SoCal with his sound. The 20-something musician drops plenty of hazy daze optimism into his melting pot of youth culture. DENM sounds like a hangout with your closest friends in Laguna Beach.

Fortunate Youth gave a top-notch performance. I was blown away by how technically proficient these reggae rockers are. The poly-rhythm on the opening of “Burn One” is just wild and it took my brain a full 20 seconds to process what was happening.

I was lucky enough to catch both Cypress Hill and Wiz Khalifa and both acts delivered sativa-scented hip-hop that rattled around in my chest well after they left the stage. Wiz puts on quite a show. Despite his apparent allergy to shirts, he powered through a high-energy set that left everyone wanting more.

Cypress Hill continues to deliver and has not missed a beat or a bar yet; “How I Could Just Kill a Man” never gets old.

I don’t care that I have a bad back and was in line to purchase yet another fruit forward IPA; for a brief moment, I reached unassailable heights of gangsta cool that only Cypress Hill can help one ascend to.

I climbed back into my car, thoroughly satisfied and brimming with the finest vibes.

Mission Bayfest was a resounding success and I can’t wait to see what the next one brings!

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