Heavy Seas Beer Presents 1st Annual Island Jam Ft. The Wailers, Ballyhoo! And More

Baltimore, MD – The launch of the new music festival, Heavy Seas Island Jam, is coming to Rash Field at the Inner Harbor on April 11, 2015. The festival features reggae legends, THE WAILERS, national recording artists BALLYHOO!, Heavy Seas beers, island foods, arts and many other surprises from 1pm – 7pm.

The event is presented by the local Baltimore brewing company, Heavy Seas Beer. Event attendees will be offered several craft beer styles onsite to purchase, as well as a variety of food including local food trucks and island inspired cuisine. Guests are welcome to bring chairs and blankets to take advantage of the spacious stage viewing area.

General admission to the festival is $29 in advance or $35 on-site and includes admission to the event and all live entertainment. Food and beverages will be sold a la carte.

For more information on purchasing tickets for Heavy Seas Island Jam, please visit www.hsislandjam.com or call 800-830-3976.

Take the Charm City Circular for quick and easy transportation. There are also thousands of free and paid parking accommodations around the site.

About The Bands Performing:

THE WAILERS
There is no more legendary band in Jamaican music history than The Wailers. Formed in 1969,as it continues its worldwide campaign of promoting peace, love and equality through the message of reggae and Rastafari. To date, The Wailers have sold over a quarter of a billion albums, including seven top-ten entries on the British pop charts. Widely hailed appearances at major festivals include Lollapalooza, Glastonbury and Rothbury, along with superstars such as Carlos Santana, Stevie Wonder, Sting, the Fugees and Alpha Blondy. More than 24 million fans have seen them performing live. In 2012 alone they played an impressive 180 concerts. Signed to Island Records in 1972, their first album with Bob as the sole front man was its breakthrough, particularly in England, “Natty Dread.” A debut performance in 1975 at London’s Lyceum was captured on the thrilling “Live” LP, and produced a huge hit with “No Woman No Cry.” It also contained Bob’s own version of the song he composed, “I Shot the Sheriff,” which was then an enormous international smash in a cover version by Eric Clapton. By 1976, Marley and the Wailers were in the top ten of the U.S. charts with their “Rastaman Vibration” album. They would continue on the hit parade throughout the remainder of Marley’s life. At the millennium, The Wailers’ 1977 masterpiece, “Exodus,” was chosen by Time magazine as the best album of the 20th century. It contained Bob’s anthem, “One Love,” called the “Song of the Millennium” by the BBC, which played it every hour for 24 hours during its globe-spanning coverage of the turn of the century. The New York Times called Marley the most influential musician of the 20th century, and placed a copy of the video of his performance at London’s Rainbow Theater in a time capsule to be opened in the year 3000, calling it among the most significant musical performances of our times. Marley passed away from melanoma cancer at the age of 36 in 1981, instructing the band to carry on his mission. Family Man, the rock hard foundation of The Wailers’ sound, has led the band through various incarnations ever since. The Wailers are heralded as one of the last great reggae institutions, history in the flesh, continuing to tour and breathe new life into their universally loved catalog of reggae’s greatest hits.

The current lineup includes the veteran keyboardist Keith Sterling, a veteran of ‘70s studio greats, the Soul Syndicate, as well as Peter Tosh’s Word Sound and Power band. He is so respected by his colleagues in The Wailers that they call him “Coach.” Fams’ young son, Aston Jr., a multi-talented musician, plays organ and is the heir apparent, helping bring the music forward to a new generation. Filling the role of lead singer is a highly disciplined young Jamaican star on the rise, Dwayne Anglin, known as Danglin. Of particular note, he is a Navy veteran who already holds a masters degree in criminology and is actively pursuing a Ph.D. in that field, while nightly bringing audiences to their feet in loud acclaim for his vocal prowess. “Drummie Zeb” excels on percussion. He is a founding member of Chicago’s Awareness Art Ensemble, and has toured with Kenny Chesney. Lead and rhythm guitar and backing vocals are handled expertly by Audley “Chizzy” Chisholm. Backing vocals are also supplied by the elegant Trinidadian Cegee Victory.

Now well into their fifth decade, The Wailers truly are living legends who embody the nobility, conviction and progressiveness of Bob Marley and his music. Their journey is far from over as the world awaits The Wailers’ next move in their “One Love” revolution. “Our music is the magic,” says Fams “the oxygen of the people. It’s the message of roots, culture and reality, meant to spread peace and love to all.”
http://wailers.com/

BALLYHOO!
A rock band with punk energy and pop reggae grooves, Baltimore’s BALLYHOO! are a fun, fan-loving powerhouse. These road dogs have tirelessly toured coast-to-coast taking their music to the people. Between the road and the studio, BALLYHOO! have crafted a sound distinctly their own; fresh, fun, and embodied by the soul of the party lifestyle. Lead singer and guitarist, Howi Spangler, has a reputation for mixing slick lyrics with his smooth but powerful voice. Drummer Donald Spangler lays out the hard-hitting beats. Scott Vandrey layers in the finishing touches to the band’s signature sound on keys. The guys recently welcomed Nick Lucera as their new bass player.

BALLYHOO! released their 5th studio album Pineapple Grenade on June 25th 2013. It broke through the Billboard Top 200 at #189 as well as reaching #4 Billboard Heatseekers and #5 at iTunes Alternative charts.

The album features “No Good,” produced by Rome Ramirez (Sublime with Rome) and mixed by Paul Leary (U2, Sublime); while the first single “Run” saw an early radio add from KRAB Bakersfield and early radio spins by KROQ Los Angeles, WHFS Baltimore, KTCL Denver, and KCXX Riverside among others. Alongside the album release, BALLYHOO! co-headlined the 2013 Summer Sickness Tour with Authority Zero and special guests Versus The World. Pineapple Grenade is the band’s follow-up to the 2011 LAW Records release of “Daydreams,” which debuted at #1 on the iTunes Reggae Charts and #4 on Amazon.

BALLYHOO!’s unique yet melodic blend of genres, along with their hardcore devotion to the road and their fans have pitched them into snowballing success. The band has performed with a myriad of national touring acts; 311, Slightly Stoopid, SOJA, The Dirty Heads, Matisyahu, and more. Tour highlights include the 2011 311 Pow Wow Festival, the 2012 and 2013 311 Caribbean Cruise, Bamboozle 2012, 2012 Charm City Music Festival, 2013 Cali Roots Festival & the entire 2012 Vans Warped Tour. In 2011, after concluding the Last Calls and Liabilities tour with respected contemporaries, Pepper, they were honored with being included on the ever-popular Hollister Holiday Playlist. They were listed on MTV’s Top 100 Bands to Watch and even featured 2 downloadable songs on the popular video game ROCK BAND.
http://www.ballyhoorocks.com/

PASADENA
Formed in 2000 by lead singer Joey Harkum in his hometown of Pasadena, Maryland, the band’s popularity has grown as they have gone from playing in small bars in Pasadena to signing with management from 1 Koast Entertainment and performing to sold out crowds all over the U.S. Over the past few years Pasadena has provided smooth bass lines, emotional lyrics, intricate rhythms, and beautiful harmonies that have helped create an unbreakable bond with their fans. Pasadena believes in freedom of expression and by composing and performing their original music they liberate themselves from any struggle or conflicts they may face. Thanks to the heart and soul poured into each and every song, Pasadena’s music has inspired an ever-growing fan base. You can anticipate great things from Pasadena in the future, and don’t be surprised when you hear their influential music in your town soon.
http://thepasadenaband.com/

8 OHMS BANDS
The 8 Ohms is a powerhouse of sound bringing horn heavy funk and the sweet vocals of Kristin Anzures. Annapolis, MD. based band drawing from diverse musical backgrounds, the 8 Ohms play an eclectic mix of hard grooves, funk, soul and go-go to keep the dance floor moving. The 8 Ohms Band has been honing their style since 2007 playing festivals, clubs and events throughout the eastcoast. The Band’s Debut CD “Superheavy” was released July 9, 2011.
http://www.8ohmsband.com/

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