By Daniel Paiz

Summertime is here and that means a Rasta jukebox is more than welcome, as Damian Marley and Stephen Marley bring vibes to Red Rocks this last Friday in June 2024. Arguably the two most musically successful children of Bob Marley, these two put on a charismatic show for the ages before an energetic audience. Prior to these two joining the Colorado Symphony Orchestra on the big stage in Morrison, the opener Burning Spear hopped on and set the vibes for the night.

The opener

Burning Spear (also known as Winston Rodney) has been making music a long time. Apparently, Rodney grew up around the same area Bob Marley is from, and the two crossed paths as their respective careers grew and blossomed. Stephen Marley called Burning Spear an uncle during their headlining set, giving credit and respect to a staple of the Reggae genre and culture. The seasoned pro had his band jamming, moving the crowd and showing off a bit of fancy footwork from time to time as well. The energy of the set was very much like a jam session, focused more on movement in the moment as opposed to performing certain songs.

Introducing…

Collaborations between the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and various artists are always intriguing shows, because usually there’s some smashing of sounds and styles on stage. This time, however, that didn’t seem to happen. The Orchestra provided a flurry of horns and laid a musical foundation for the Marley Bros’ band to hover fluidly. Stephen and Damian have a chemistry quite possibly stronger than any bond known to man, as the two played off of each other and created moments that felt like snapshots in time.

Stephen is gifted on the guitar, gliding along and plucking away effortlessly as he does his father proud in terms of his performance and his singing. There were times where it felt like Bob was singing to the excited crowd, and quite possibly he was by Jah. What’s equally noteworthy is Damian also performs with a spirit reminiscent of his father’s breakout stardom. Rapping wasn’t a popular thing like it is today, but Damian gives listeners a glimpse of if it had been in Bob’s era. His flow and delivery are so good and draws in the crowd with his energy; he seemingly conducts the crowd in every direction.

Most of the songs performed seemed to either be from Stephen’s catalogue or well-known tracks from Bob. There were fewer Damian Marley tracks, but he nailed it each time when “Medication”, “Road to Zion”, and “Welcome to Jamrock” were performed.

Bonus: An Unfulfilled Prediction

It just so happens that Damian Marley and Nas are playing Red Rocks this summer. During the month of June, and with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. In fact, they are both playing the same weekend, June 28th and June 30th, respectively. This fan was hoping for a Nas sighting tonight that led to an impromptu mini set of their 2010 album Distant Relatives. The good news is, Sunday is a celebration of Nas’ 30th year Anniversary of Illmatic; perhaps, Damian sticks around Colorado this weekend, and the two perform. It seems like something more likely to happen on Nas’ performance anyway, so let’s hope something historic happens June 30th.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Daniel Paiz (@plumaspoetic)