Stoopidheads united this warm summer night in Raleigh, NC when Slightly Stoopid came to town with not one, not two, but THREE incredible bands joining them in support of their Summertime 2023 tour. Sublime with Rome, Atmosphere, and The Movement took the White Oak Amphitheater stage with our favorite reggae band, making it one hell of a party.
The crowd was a bit sparse early in the evening, but that didn’t stop those who were there from feelin’ the groove. A backdrop counted down from five and once it reached zero, The Movement appeared and splashed straight into their first song of the night. Captain Hook (Joshua Swain), said if it wasn’t for Sublime with Rome or Slightly Stoopid, they wouldn’t be onstage.
They thanked those bands and said they owe them everything. Screams erupted when he asked how we were all feeling before going into “Take Me to The Ocean.” When they sang “Redwoodz,” their music videos played behind them on the large screen.
Six years ago, The Movement was on tour with Slightly Stoopid for the Sounds of Summer Tour and Captain Hook said they were happy to be doing it again, this time with more bands. They then played “Sounds of Summer,” which they wrote during the last tour. Their set ended with the Matt Goodwin showing the trumpet who’s boss – he slayed it!
Slug and Ant from Atmosphere took to the stage next. Forget the island sounds; Sean Daley (Slug) started spewing his sharp hip-hop lyrics to “Okay,” but not before he said, “Look at you ugly motherfuckers… I love you.”
He told us to put a peace sign in the sky and hold it up there for our friends before singing, “The Loser Wins.” When Slug sang “God’s Bathroom Floor,” the back screen was alive with bright, colorful swirls dancing along with the beat.
One of the best parts of their set was when Atmosphere got transparent with the audience. Slug said when singers boss the audience around and tell them what to do – like throw their hands in the air – it’s not because they are some ego maniacal motherfuckers, it’s because it’s about us, the crowd.
When all the different people in the crowd got on the same page by moving their body in unison or making beautiful noise with their voices, it’s as close to church as many of us will ever get; it’s about rejoicing and celebrating with one another. Then, he dedicated “God Loves Ugly,” to “all of you ugly motherfuckers that came here today!”
Atmosphere did a great job at getting the audience ready for Sublime with Rome and Slightly Stoopid. While he gives off a high school math teacher look, he is funny, witty, and does a great job connecting with the crowd, oh, and man can he play some air instruments!
Sublime with Rome was the last opener of the night and it was hard not to smile when you looked up at Eric Wilson (bassist). His hippie outfits are iconic and his collection of hats never gets old. He was sporting a black shirt with a lightning bolt, purple pants, and his colorful top hat.
It had finally started to get a bit darker out so you could see the stage lights better, which aided in the beachy, island feel of the evening. A few days before the concert, the band released a new single called “Cool and Collected” and they played it for us live. Rome Ramirez said it only took 48 hours to write.
“Smoke Two Joints,”(Toyes cover), then their cover of “Skankin’ to the Beat” by Fishbone got people dancing to the bouncing ska rhythm. Fans were thrilled when they played “What I Got” and Ramirez told us all to sing along if we knew the words. Of course we did!
They closed their set with the audience singing along to “Santeria” and screaming praises every time Melvin (the official tour dog) caught the ball being thrown on stage. Just before Ramirez, Wilson, and Jason Vic (drums) left the stage, they invited the crowd out to the after party at The Pour House (a music hall and record shop) where another band was going to be playing. Sublime with Rome had everyone toking and feeling the love just in time for Slightly Stoopid.
Stoopidheads were treated with “Top of the World” right out of the gate. This got the mood set for the rest of their set, but fans would be in for a few surprises as the night progressed. It’s impossible not to be happy at a Slightly Stoopid concert; their music is upbeat and their easy-going vibe is a mixture of peace, love, and hope.
They played, “Officer,” “If You Want It” and “Prophet.” The first surprise of the night was about to unfold and cause fans to scream and holler in excitement as Chali 2na joined the band on stage for “Everyday People” followed by “Hands High.” Fog blasts erupted from the stage spraying mist above the crowd.
A cover of “Franklin’s Tower” by Grateful Dead was a nice treat. Fellow Deadheads were excited to be able to listen to a couple Grateful Dead songs being covered throughout the night by the bands. But it wasn’t just Grateful Dead being covered; Slightly Stoopid also played their rendition of Tom Petty’s “You Don’t Know How It Feels” to which everyone was shouting and singing along.
“No Cocaine” and “Closer to the Sun” closed out the set for the night, but we still had the encore and everyone was waiting with anticipation to see what they would play next. When the band finally made their way back out on the stage, they had Chali 2na with them. They blew the roof off the stage with “Black Vapor.” Those that were starting to make an early exit even turned back to watch. The finale piece de resistance was a unique twist on “Intergalactic” by the Beastie Boys.
As much as I love to hear the music developed by the band, hearing their take on other great artists’ work is fascinating and makes the night even more enjoyable. The little unexpected moments were what really made this show stand out and left you wanting more.
The overly grateful members of Slightly Stoopid continuously thanked the crowd for coming out to see them. The cameraman panned the audience displaying the excited crowd on the screens throughout the night. When it wasn’t showing superimposed images of marijuana and the band, the graphic effects were incredible and captivating and the flamboyant lights flowed and flickered.
The Summertime 2023 Tour runs through September 3rd where it will end in West Palm Beach, FL for one hell of a party. The rest of their dates are pretty much on the East Coast, but CA residents can trek to the Dry Diggins Festival in Auburn on August 27th.
