For its upcoming 25th Anniversary, SOhO Restaurant & Music Club will celebrate with a performance from homegrown reggae band Soul Majestic, a group that has performed the venue dozens of times and is impartial to the club each time it performs in Santa Barbara. In an interview with the News-Press, co-lead vocalist Eric Iverson said he and his bandmates are honored that SOhO asked them to perform for its quarter-century celebration on Sept. 20, adding that it’s “the only club we play in town.”
“It was an honor. We’re close with the club after playing there so many times,” he said.
In addition to performing songs from its first five LPs, Soul Majestic will perform “Time Has Come,” the first single from its upcoming sixth album “Keep it Burning,” scheduled for release in Feb. 2020. According to Mr. Iverson, the SOhO gig will mark only the second time the song has ever been played live. Despite just getting introduced into the band’s live repertoire, the singer said the song translates well to the stage, featuring “cool horn arrangements” and “dueling vocals” between Mr. Iverson and the band’s other lead singer, his wife Oriana Sanders.
Mr. Iverson told the News-Press that the song “invokes action and social justice, and where we are as a country.” A lyric video for “Time Has Come” that dropped on Sept. 6 features imagery like protest signs, peace flags, and images of Bob Marley and Che Guevara. Just as his group uses its music to make comments on social change, Mr. Iverson believes the reggae genre as a whole is an effective vehicle for addressing the world’s ills.
“I love the feel of reggae music, I love how it makes me feel. It’s a great tool for speaking out about social justice and change,” he said.
Lyrically, Soul Majestic’s catalogue covers “everything from social justice to having a good time,” according to the singer. The music is a product of a songwriting team that consists of Mr. Iverson, Ms. Sanders, and guitarist David Lyons. When asked about what it’s like for him and Ms. Sanders to be a married couple in a band, Mr. Iverson said that many people aren’t aware that they are husband and wife. Whether or not the crowds know it, for Mr. Iverson playing music with his spouse is extremely satisfying.
“It’s great to have a partner who has a common vision, a common goal, and a love for music,” he said.
Following its appearance at SOhO, Soul Majestic will perform at the Roots on 66 festival on the weekend of September 28 and 29 in Victorville, CA. In a little over a month, thee band expects to drop a new single from “Keep it Burning” ahead of the album’s release next year.Tickets for Soul Majestic’s September 20 performance at SOhO cost between $12 and $14 and can be purchased online at www.sohosb.com. The concert will begin at 9:30 p.m. and the venue’s doors will open at 8:00 p.m. SOhO Restaurant & Music Club is located at 1221 State Street #205.
