Reggae, rock acts aid USO with good vibes

Reggae and rock acts will be jammin' Saturday at the Get Up, Stand Up Roots-Rock-Reggae Fest.

Local band Bimini Rd. will open for headliners John Brown's Body, based in Boston and Ithaca, N.Y., at Chicho's Pizza in Virginia Beach. The show benefits the USO.

Bimini Rd. bassist and singer Mike Fischetti has done volunteer work for the USO and has seen firsthand how the organization supports service members. "I wanted to do something on Armed Forces Day that was a family-oriented event, plus give troop members a place to go," he said.

Fischetti is looking forward to the day of original music at the Oceanfront, which will also include local bands Galaxy Dynamite, Rio and Saladaze.

"I thought it would be a good idea to get (John Brown's Body) in here. The best thing about reggae shows, for me, is they bring a good style of crowd - it's just a big family kind of deal," said Fischetti.

John Brown's Body formed in the late '90s with lead singer, guitarist and songwriter Kevin Kinsella. "Kevin was a super history buff kind of guy," said drummer Tommy Benedetti. That inspired him to name the band after the revolutionary abolitionist John Brown. "Kevin just loved the story about this anti-slavery hero who put himself out there to go against the odds to do what was right."

Kinsella preferred a classic reggae sound, while backing vocalist Elliot Martin liked a more modern approach. "Having both of those styles confused people. Some people loved it, but some hated it," said Benedetti.

When bassist Scott Palmer died of cancer in June 2006, Kinsella decided to leave the band. Martin took the lead on mic and as primary songwriter.

Benedetti answered a few additional questions for us.

What does it take to get an eight-member band onstage?

A good tour manager. (He laughed as he said this.) It's a big family, and we enjoy working out and playing together. We've been spending so much time on the road that, by the time stage time comes around, we're ready to go.

In 2008, "Amplify" entered Billboard's reggae chart at No. 1. Any new material coming out?

We make our bread and butter on the road, and that's been keeping us pretty busy. New material is a slow process for us, but we have played a few new songs live.

What do you want listeners to take away from your live show?

We want people to enjoy themselves, straight up. When we look out from the stage and see young kids having a good time to our music, we know we have something for everyone. Check out our vibes... we mean business when we hit the stage.

Your music has been called "reverent and revolutionary." How do you respond to that?

I like that. We owe a lot to the artists that have come before us. Today in 2011, it's our job to carve our own sound out as American reggae artists, and we've done that. I think that's something that I can hang my hat on and be proud of.

Patty Jenkins, (757) 446-2298, patty.jenkins@pilotonline.com