Tropidelic in Concert
Tropidelic are surefire party-starters, talented instrumentalists, and an easy answer to the question of whether there are any good reggae bands from Cleveland, Ohio. The group — comprised of singer Matthew Roads, trombone player James Begin, guitarist Bobby Chronic, drummer Darrick Willis, trumpet player Derek McBryde, and bassist David Pags — formed in 2008 on the campus of Kent State University. They didn't have the horn section yet, but they still became college favorites, and they continued their success by moving to Cleveland after graduation.
At the time, no one in the city sounded quite like Tropidelic. Their sound has always been rooted in warm, groove-heavy reggae, but they quickly added funk, hip-hop, and even a little rock to their repertoire. They debuted this fusion on ‘Rebirth of the Dope,' their self-released first EP, and sold 10,000 copies at concerts and street corners around the Midwest. ‘All Heads Unite,' their first album, came out in 2011, and they've followed it with four more: ‘Police State,' ‘Go Down With the Ship,' ‘The Hard North,' and ‘Heavy Is the Head.'
‘Police State,' from 2015, was the breakthrough, mixing chill beats with serious lyrics about the personal ("Alcoholic") and the political ("Police State," inspired by an incident in which cops raided their practice space because of an incorrect warrant). On "Alcoholic," they were joined by Bumpin Uglies, who have since taken the younger band under their wing — and along on several tours.
This is a group of self-described road dogs, and they've brought their sound outside Cleveland city limits as part of Warped Tour and Electric Forest, and in support of acts like Slightly Stoopid and 311. Closer to home, they host the annual Freakstomp Music Festival, helping Ohio unlock its inner reggae jam-band vibrations. Their next album is set to be released in the spring of 2019, and they post on Instagram and Twitter as @Tropidelic.
