“The Pit” Show Report by Eric Snider

A gorgeous day turned into a gorgeous night, a perfect reggae Sunday. Third World headlined a relaxed, feel-good show yesterday, marked by balmy breezes inside the courtyard. Loping grooves, soulful hooks and sumptuous vocal harmonies wafted through Jannus Live for several hours.

Third World, formed way back in 1973, has always been underestimated, as far as I’m concerned. Lead vocalist “Bunny Rugs” Clarke delivers lyrics in a raspy R&B croon, and guitarist Stephen “Cat” Coore is a formidable player. One of last night’s highlights was when he performed a quasi-classical piece on cello.

That sequence — the whole concert, for that matter — really showed off Jannus Live’s new sound system, which, for you tech-heads out there, is a Martin Line Array. I remember way back when, standing on the dilapidated back balcony of the old Jannus Landing and hearing nothing but distorted mush emanate from the stage. Last night, as I sat in a comfortable chair in front of a private suite, my ears soaked up Third World with a sound quality akin to playing a CD. So yeah, this might come off as a pitch. Take it any way you like, but it’s true. Come to JL and hear live music as it should be heard.

After a couple of entertaining acts set the table, Marcia Griffiths performed. Her Bob Marley medley, including a brief a cappella “Redemption Song,” really resonated. She finished by inviting some fans onto the stage to do the Electric Slide as she sang “It’s Electric.” For the record, I can’t stand the song and sit it out every time the DJ cues it up at a wedding. As far as the dance, let’s just say I’m a conscientious objector. But last night, in the context of a perfect reggae evening, I had to give “It’s Electric” some props.

I’m at best a point-and-shoot photographer, and I was working with a very basic SLR camera, but I snapped a few pics. Here are a handful to give you a flavor of the event.

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