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The Ark Band brings reggae, karma to 'Sco

Columbus band draws energetic, unified crowd

by Laren Viera

The Ark Band cast off slowly when they played the 'Sco last Sunday night. The two-and-a-half-hour set sputtered to a start with a small, timid audience, but by the fourth number, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (a take on the Bob Marley classic), both band and crowd were feeding off of each other's energy, grooving into full reggae swing. It appeared that the multiplying audience led to more confident grounds for the band's performance, not only in its audio vibrance, but in the energy of the members themselves.

The music was performed in classic reggae style, creatively vented through the sextet band which includes a bassist, sax player, percussionist, two guitarists and singer Damon Arterbridge's strong vocals. Tunes varied from slow, driving bass and drum lines, coercing the crowd into a groove of repeated swingers, to livelier, half ska-like numbers, jumpy with catchy vocals and happy, major key hooks.

One particular song toward the end of the first half, "Trouble," started off slowly, its lyrics capturing the audience with the everyday realities of a society of ignorance. Then building up to a fast-paced tempo, the focus of the words turned toward a positive reassurance for overcoming those flaws in a closed-minded society. Whether or not the audience was aware of the underlying meaning, all were enthusiastic with the musical performance. Ark Band adviser Errol Lam said, "The entire nature of the band is to produce a positive force...in general, the purpose of the music is to bring a sort of unity among the people."

Several numbers throughout the set displayed evidence of the positive aura for peace among people. Particularly popular was the title track of the band's most recent album, NA GIVE UP, released last March on Amerisound. Lam commented that most of the band's songs are drawn around themes of safety and unity; in fact, the band name itself refers to the tale of Noah's Ark. "The word `ark' has a reputation to mean safety and helping," Lam said. "The band strives to use [its] music, the reggae, as a tool to help people."

Throughout the evening, that sense of security and comfort was vented through The Ark Band's show, though the crowd was simply enjoying the rhythm and talent for reggae that the band possessed. "First shot around, you may miss it," Lam said of his band's modest message in unity, "but it's there. And we believe that reggae is that unity."

With positive karma as an added bonus, attendees of the band's Sunday performance seemed unified in their enjoyment of the show.


Oberlin

Copyright © 1996, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 125, Number 1; September 6, 1996

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