Audio By Carbonatix
The Aggrolites
November 12, 2010
Sail Inn
Despite the chilly autumn air outside, the Aggrolites warmed up the Sail Inn with the sounds of summer last night.
It was one of those shows where everyone checked their worries at the curb, knowing the Aggrolites’ feel-good vibe would make caring about anything else simply impossible. The show got off to a loud start with guitarist Brian Dixon shouting, “We are the Aggrolites!” and jammed out right away with “Funky Fire,” which could be heard all the way from Mill Avenue.
The smile that lead singer Jesse Wagner couldn’t wipe off his face
was contagious, as was the band’s music. Their songs are easy to catch
onto even if you’re not familiar with them at all, and even people who
didn’t know the lyrics seemed to have caught on quickly and found
themselves singing along. Needless to say, the crowd couldn’t help but
lose themselves in the groove.
I’ve never seen such a tame ska crowd in my life. Sure, there was a
little skanking here and there, but those kids restrained their inner
animal and seemed content with enjoying a more laidback night.
At one point in the set, the Aggrolites had a sea of 20 fans act as
backup dancers and allowed some kids to let loose on stage with the band
for half a song. Their moves and the volume with which they sang with
the band they love clearly showed the enthusiasm of the Aggro fan
community.
The band played a seamless set with nearly no breaks in between
songs, just smooth-sailing transitions almost the whole way through.
Dixon oozed with personality and worked the whole stage no matter the
tempo of the song. Everyone really dug Roger Rivas’ organ solos, as well
as bassist Jeff Roffredo’s playful attitude toward the crowd. Aggro
threw in some Latin flavor before going right into “Love Isn’t Love.” A
string of danceable, carefree songs included “Hot Stop,” “Precious and
Few,” and “Someday.”
The crowd swayed to a sound that was like a combination of a white
Ziggy Marley, the sexiness of 311’s “Amber,” and the joy of Jimmy Cliff,
getting gradually more lost in the music as the great gig went on.
Anyone who came out was there for a purely good time. Damn, it was some
good shit.
Critic’s notebook:
Last night: The Aggrolites at the Sail Inn.
Personal bias: I’ve known about the Aggrolites for less than two months, and I was hooked in no time.
The crowd: Everyone was in their twenties and thirties, for
the most part. A few chicks wore homemade hoodies with patches they
sewed on themselves, while guys wore newspaper boy hats, suspenders, and
fedoras galore. Plenty of people sported buttons that rep their
favorite ska bands. And yes, the token white guy with dreads wearing a
drug rug was there, although I’m shocked I didn’t see more of “that
guy.”
Overheard: “‘Banana!’ Play ‘Banana!'”
