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Brevard Live<br />
Saturday, May 6th at Area 142 in Cocoa Beach<br />
INNER CIRCLE<br />
By Steve Keller<br />
“Is this story about the band<br />
or the show that is coming<br />
up,” asks bassist and founding<br />
member of the legendary<br />
band Inner Circle, Ian Lewis.<br />
He seems pleased to find out<br />
that it is both. The Grammy<br />
Award winning band headlines<br />
a very special edition of<br />
‘Jamaikin Me Crazy’ Saturday,<br />
May 6th at Area 142 in Cocoa<br />
Beach.<br />
The promoter of the series, George<br />
Toler, has known and worked with<br />
Lewis and the band for over 40 years.<br />
“Inner Circle is one of the hardest<br />
working reggae bands I’ve ever had the<br />
pleasure to work with,” he proclaims.<br />
“Ian and his brother Roger have kept<br />
their music alive for over 50 years<br />
and beyond.” Lewis is quick to point<br />
out that Reggae music has two facets;<br />
modern and traditional. “Young people<br />
have to understand where the modern<br />
sound originated from,” he says. “It’s<br />
all about vibrations, it doesn’t matter<br />
the color of your skin.” He may be considered<br />
an expert on this subject with<br />
a certain crossover hit that defined the<br />
band many years ago.<br />
‘Bad Boys’. Just reading those two<br />
words ignites the song inside your<br />
head. Released in 1987, it became the<br />
theme song for the TV show ‘Cops’ in<br />
1989 and part of the American culture.<br />
It became so popular, the band is also<br />
sometimes known as the ‘Bad Boys of<br />
Reggae’. Lewis wants people to listen<br />
to more than just the catchy chorus.<br />
As he told Rolling Stone Magazine in<br />
2017, “I hope people take a moment to<br />
understand that the song is about teenage<br />
life and becoming semi-aggressive<br />
as you start growing up.” The phenomenon<br />
led a movie franchise staring Will<br />
Smith and Martin Lawrence. Lewis<br />
mentions that there are plans to release<br />
a fourth movie in the near future.<br />
The iconic song also has value outside<br />
of the silver screen. At press time,<br />
Wendy’s has released a commercial to<br />
promote their $5 Biggie Bags. The cashiers<br />
are ‘Bag Boys’ (“whatcha gonna<br />
do when we bring your food”) while the<br />
original song plays in the background.<br />
Reggae music here in Brevard has<br />
been on the rise for the last couple of<br />
years. Bands like Tidal Theory, Part<br />
One Tribe and Coastal Breed have all<br />
seen success in Central Florida. One local<br />
band, Drifting Roots, has made the<br />
most impact in the shortest time, thanks<br />
to numerous tours throughout the coun-<br />
12 - Brevard Live May 2023
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