Pretty great show in Asheville last night.  I missed the saxophonist, but was thrilled to no end to see Junior was still rocking it with ‘em, and Drummie Zeb is absolutely amazing every time.  The man has boundless energy, and puts so much heart into his immaculate performance, you can’t keep your eyes off him.  I brought my Augustus Pablo album “King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown” for Family Man to sign if I saw him, (one of the top albums of all time, any genre, which he and his brother played on) but security made it hard to get to the band.  I was delighted when they opened the show, though, and played a bit of “Skanking Dub” from that very album.  They also made a Big Youth reference, from “Some Like it Dread”.  Great stuff!  I enjoyed Elan singing, but am a bigger fan of the songs Junior has sung when I saw him front the band a few years back.  Then, their set list had a few better tunes on it, like:  “Burnin’ and Lootin’”, “Small Axe”, “Roots Rock Reggae”, “Rastaman Vibration”, and other early tunes.  Last night’s tunes were mostly off “Legend”, good tunes, but not my favorites.  Family Man looks almost exactly the same as he did thirty years ago, which always blows me away.  I can’t wait to see them in a small venue again, cos they mingle with the crowd afterward, and are very kind as far as autographs, souvenir drumsticks, and other cool stuff.  Keep up the positive vibrations guys, fan-freaking-tastic job, as always!  Can’t wait till my next show!

-Rachel in Tennessee