It’s not easy to grow a reggae band from a start-up
into an international phenomenon. Just ask the guys from John Brown’s Body
(JBB). Drawing its members from Boston, MA, and Ithaca, NY, the band was
founded in the mid-'90s, when instant Internet fame was not an option for
musicians. Instead, the only way to make a name for yourself was to hit the
road and build a fan base one city at a time.
But after a decade and a half of hard work, critics
now hail John Brown’s Body as the epitome of progressive reggae. The
eight-piece band’s sound incorporates dub, drum, bass, and electro to create
rich melodies and intense rhythms that feel like a natural progression of the
roots reggae vibe at their core. And fans across the world can attest to the
power of the band’s live performances. With a three-piece horn section,
keyboards, drums, and guitars on stage at every stop, John Brown’s Body brings
the same feel-good energy that won them fame to every show they play.
Virginia Beach, VA, reggae enthusiasts will have the
opportunity to experience that energy for themselves when John Brown’s Body
performs alongside Bimini Rd., Saladaze, RIO, and Galaxy Dynamite at the Get Up
Stand Up Roots Rock Reggae Fest on May 21st. But before the band began
preparing to take the stage, EasternSurf.com caught up with drummer and co-founder Tommy Benedetti to chat about creating a
unique sound, touring the world, and working hard to make it to the top.
ESM: You guys seem to stand out from the typical North
American reggae band in almost every way, from your music to your name. What
was the significance of naming the band after a Civil War figure?
Tommy
Benedetti: It was named after John Brown
the abolitionist. Our former singer named the band back in 1996. He was really
into the story of John Brown, and it was something that wasn’t widely taught in
schools but was really interesting. It was also a name that we could build a
sound around. It wasn’t a run-of-the-mill name, so we could build our own
little sonic world around it and not be pigeonholed into anything.
ESM: How do you decide which aspects of modern music to
include when you’re coming up with that unique sound, and how do you balance
that with staying true to your reggae roots?
TB: Well, things come and go as far as musical fads, so
we don’t really try to do anything either way, but we do like to pay tribute to
the musicians who came before us in Jamaica and the UK who we were really influenced
by. It’s just kind of been a natural evolution. We always end up playing a
certain style of music whenever we get together. We’re not trying to sound like
anything in particular. It always just ends up sounding like JBB, so it’s not
contrived at all.
ESM: What was it like for you guys when you were starting
out?
TB: We really just got out there and hit the pavement.
We went through years of developing a reputation as a hard-working band on the
road, and we were really one of the first reggae bands to go national. We had
to get out there and do it, because, back in those days, there was no Facebook
or anything to help you out. These days, bands can just pop up on Facebook one
day and then sell out the House Of Blues the next. It’s kind of ridiculous really.
ESM: How did John Brown’s Body manage to stay strong
through all those years of hard work?
TB: The band is a family. We’ve traveled tens of
thousands of miles and we’ve been through a lot and spent a lot of time
together. It’s not just a job. These are people you’d go to the mat for.
Whenever stuff comes up, you just have to roll with the punches. We’re a
family, so we have each other’s backs
ESM: And how did you create the live energy that eventually
made you famous?
TB: We don’t compromise. We never go without our whole
horn section, because I’ve seen other bands whose horn sections I really
admired, but you go to the concert and they just have some cheesy keyboard
playing the horn section. We don’t cut corners musically. We bring the full
attack wherever we go. All of those hours and hours of traveling we do are for
those two hours of performing, and even when I’m tired or burnt out, all that
disappears when we get up there on stage.
We play in venues that range from mid-sized with
about 300-500 people all the way up to stuff that’s 1,000 or more people, and
generally we try to bring the good vibes wherever we go and have that same
energy anywhere on the planet.
ESM: So of all the places you’ve played, which are your
favorites?
TB: New Zealand was completely crazy. We got there through
some friends of ours who are in the band Black Seeds and are from New Zealand.
We’re fans of theirs, so they opened for us in the U.S., and then they returned
the favor by having us open for them in New Zealand. Those shows were really
fantastic. We’ve also had some interest In Europe, but the
logistics of getting over there were not easy, so it took us a while. When we
went a couple of years ago, that was actually our first time over there believe
it or not. It was amazing, and we’d love to do it again when the time is right.
We’re an East Coast band though, and even though we
do a lot of work across the country, a lot of those markets on the East Coast
are really our bread and butter. Anywhere from Boston down to Ft. Lauderdale is
where we do a lot of our work. I’m looking forward to Virginia Beach. We’ve
been playing there for years, and we have tons of friends down there. It’s
going to be a great night.
UPCOMING
JOHN BROWN’S BODY TOUR DATES:
5/19 The
8x10…………………………………………… Baltimore, MD
5/20 Port
O’ Call………………………………………… Kill Devil Hills, NC
5/21 Chico’s………………………………………………
Virginia Beach, VA
5/22 The
Blockley……………………………………….. Philadelphia, PA
6/3 Smilefest-Reunion………………………………….
Pinnacle, NC
6/5 Wakarusa
Music Festival…………………………. Ozark, AR
6/16 Maxwell’s…………………………………………….
Hoboken, NJ
6/17 The
Stone Church…………………………………. Newmarket, NH
7/22 GrassRoots Festival………………………………. Trumansburg, NY
7/28 Pour House…………………………………………. Charleston, SC
7/29 FloydFest…………………………………………….
Floyd, VA
8/20 Great Bay Music Festival………………………….. Dover, NH
9/11 Catskill
Chill Music Festival……………………….. Hancock, NY
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Catch John Brown’s Body live in Virginia Beach, VA,
during the Get Up Stand Up Roots Rock Reggae Fest on May 21st at Chico’s on
29th Street. A portion of proceeds from the event will benefit The Wounded
Warriors Project; tickets are available at www.MyTicketsToBuy.com
For all things John Brown’s Body, including a free
four-song download, visit www.JohnBrownsBody.com
