Theres a new groove in town and its name is Dub Empire.
Purveyors of the acoustic rock/reggae sound made popular by So-Cal band Sublime in the early 1990s, the three-man band based in Mount Currie takes the stage for their first signature gig at Merlins tonight (Thursday, Sept. 8).
The current roster consists of Matty Fury and Funkin A-Man sharing the electric/acoustic guitar and vocal duties, with DJ Sin providing percussion and a host of additional eclectic sounds such as recorder, organ and electric beats.
All three of the band members hail from Ontario, arriving in Whistler independently and hooking up via the Sunday Night open stage jam at the Crystal Lounge.
The trios recent move to a farm in Mount Currie has freed up time for the recording of Dub Empires debut album, what A-Man (Eamon McCormick) calls "music to make people smile and be happy, get up and dance and love life."
Its a sound and a philosophy that has taken root in this area lately with acts such as Kostaman and Living Room going strong. A-Man says its because at its heart, "Whistler is a laidback, chill place, where people dont have any reason to be upset."
Kostaman has definitely been an influence on the trio, he says, offering the local reggae player a "big up."
Another big up goes out to No Cover Lee & The Fun Inspectors, who will be opening the Merlins gig with a set of old school jazzy riffs.