On a beautiful sunny day in Baltimore, the Maryland Leaf crew set out for an epic adventure at a festival that holds a special place in our hearts: Reggae Rise Up. What started out as something we all talked about going to three years ago has become something that we look forward to, from the time we leave each year until the time we return. There is something about the vibes at this festival that is unparalleled in many of the concert scenes I’ve been lucky enough to dive into. In previous years, there were two stages, which meant no delay in the music and a lot of walking back and forth with your belongings. At first, I longed for that second stage but quickly began to love the idea of taking a 30-minute break to sit down and chat with friends before the next band. With a weather forecast pushing just below 100 degrees, being prepared was a necessity. Luckily, the festival allowed camping chairs and umbrellas, which helped keep us cool until the sun began to go down.
The music here solidifies in my mind just how great reggae really is and how talented these musicians are. Early in the day on Friday, we were blessed with a killer set from Mike Love. When he played one of his most popular songs titled “Permanent Holiday,” the crowd was in a trance as he looped his voice into a dreamy, deeply layered soundtrack. As we moved into golden hour, Steel Pulse put on a show that had the whole crowd going crazy. Iration closed out the first night with a banger as Micah Pueschel and Micah Brown were shredding those guitars with huge smiles on their faces.
On day two, we arrived a little later in the day to avoid the heat and started out with some Ballyhoo!, leading into Collie Buddz. I grew up listening to Collie Buddz, and when they came out with “Come Around,” I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face as we burned down a fatty. Shaggy was the next artist I was pumped up to see, and I was surprised when he kept teasing all of his classic hits and getting right to the point of the song dropping before cutting the track. Soja was the final act of the day, and they absolutely crushed it on all fronts. This is another artist that takes me back to some of the first reggae I ever listened to, so the nostalgia factor was deeper than ever from these guys.
The mix of vendors at Reggae Rise Up has always been stellar, and this year was nothing short of what was expected. We saw the addition of Rise Up Beer Fest, which brought together dozens of local Maryland breweries that provided tastings to the attendees. Sunny Life Hats were in the mix, slanging hemp hats left and right, and Fuzzies Burgers gave us that much-needed sustenance to keep going through the weekend.
On the final day, everyone had a bittersweet feeling of having had so much fun but not wanting this festival to end. We saw some great local music from Bumpin Uglies, who had an amazing stage presence. As Dispatch took the stage for the second to last act, everyone jumped up from their seats and ran straight to the crowd. They played “The General,” which, even if you don’t know the name, I can almost guarantee you’ve heard the song. The entire crowd seemed to love the way they played their songs live, which provides a different element than listening to studio recordings. Lastly, my favorite act of the weekend was The Roots, with their incredible mix of rapping, shredding the guitar and bringing psychedelic vibes to the stage and crowd. The flow of this group had the feeling of New York rap meets rock and roll. I had never really seen something quite like this and the uniqueness left me wanting more and more. Lucky for us, they played well past their set ending time, and the party just kept on going.
Baltimore is forever grateful for Reggae Rise Up coming to Maryland and hopes to see it continue. However, it would be incredible to travel to Las Vegas, Florida, or Utah for this event to see if the vibes match what they put together here. Next up is Las Vegas in October, and the Reggae Rise Up website has dozens of other reggae concerts in the meantime; Florida’s festival is already on the books for 2025 in St. Petersburg. Endless thanks go out to the entire event crew, safety and security teams, and the musicians involved in this legendary event. The Maryland Leaf team is beyond thankful to have been able to attend this amazing festival and the chance to rise up!
