BLMay23To Web

try playing along with many well-known Reggae bands.
They will be the opening act on May 6th. “It’s always
cool to play with a band that I’ve been listening to since I
was a kid,” remarks singer/guitarist Matthew Mavericks.
Adds bassist Joey Zizzo, “It’s a blessing and an honor to
play and share the stage with Reggae legends.”
Jamaikin Me Crazy kicked off their latest season a few
months ago at new venue Area 142. The loyal fans followed
suit quickly making it an essential Sunday destination.
The Inner Circle concert will be a special ticketed
event happening on a Saturday. The normal Sunday free
edition happens the next day.
Inner Circle started out in Kingston, Jamaica in 1968 with
Lewis and his brother Roger on bass and guitar respectively.
They were the backup band for singer Jacob Miller
until his untimely death in a car accident in 1980. They
disbanded soon after but regrouped again permanently in
1986. ‘Bad Boys’ sold half a million records in the US
and four million worldwide. They received a Grammy
Award for ‘Best Reggae Album by a duo or group’ in
1993, followed up by the international hit ‘Sweat (Ah La
La La La Long)’. These were the crossover hits that solidified
the band’s place in music history. “What’s amazing
is that they are not just a reggae band but actually won
their Grammy Award with a “Pop Music” song which had
heavy air play on CHR (contemporary hits radio) and
skyrocketed on Billboard charts,” offers Toler.
The band was also immortalized in their home country.
Both Lewis Brothers and Jacob Miller received the Order
of Distinction in 2019 from the Jamaican government.
The band features long tenured members Bernard “Touter”
Harvey on keyboards (since 1973), Lancelot Hall on
drums (since 1986), Trevor “Skatta” Bonnick on vocals
(since 2013) and Andre Phillps on guitar (since 2017).
Over the years, the band has played many of the world’s
largest music festivals. They have shared the stage with
such music heavyweights as Elton John, Van Morrison,
The Black Crowes, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page and
Carlos Santana, just to name a few. Most recently, the
band played The Florida Groves Festival last month in
Orlando with Drifting Roots, and have shows booked for
the remainder of this year and into next.
Ian Lewis is looking forward to the show this month.
“George Toler is a pioneer in bringing Reggae to Florida,”
he says mentioning that this will be the 7th or 8th
time the band has played Brevard. “I want to give a shout
out to all of our fans and we will see everyone at Jamaikin
Me Crazy!”
Brevard Live May 2023 - 13