Giant Pandas Kick it with Reggae

© RumBum.com

Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad sits down with Rum Bum for a little Q&A.

Typically when you think of reggae, giant pandas, however cute, are not the first things that pop into your mind. That is, until you've had the chance to catch the Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad in action. The furry creatures were in full attendance as the Dub Squad kicked off the third day of the ROTHBURY Music Festival, with fans of the group wearing panda masks, and even dancing with stuffed pandas. It was a scene, to be sure.

The Dub Squad hails from Rochester, New York and plays a skillful combination roots reggae, dub, and afrobeat. Since their inception in 2004 by brothers, Matthew and Christopher O'Brian, the group has gained a loyal following and has had the luxury of sharing stages with such reggae legends as Toots and The Maytals, Lee "Scratch" Perry, and The Wailers. 

Their dub sound and show style during the 45 minute ROTHBURY set was laid back, cheerful and, at times, meditative. It was the perfect music for Saturday morning's laid-back vibe. For the sluggish ROTHBURY crowd, who'd been up late listening to the likes of STS9, Chromeo and Lipp Service the night before, listening to Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad liven things up on the Sherwood Court stage was the musical equivalent of an iced caramel mocha latte - exactly what the ROTHBURY crowd needed, exactly when it needed it. (And it's a good thing because actual lattes were, unfortunately, in short supply.)

Newcomers in the crowd may have heard them before, even if they hadn't recognized the name. The Dub Squad's 2006 debut album, Slow Down, continues to score frequent airplay on both Sirius and XM Radio satellite radio networks. Fans old and new alike will be happy to learn that they're gearing up to release a second album titled Live Up this August.

Unlike actual giant pandas, the Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad is not in danger of going extinct any time soon. The members of their growing panda army are devoted to keeping their refreshing mix of music going strong for a long time - even if it means occasionally dancing with stuffed pandas to show their support.