Wailers at Strand: Yet another WOW!

Chronicle Managing Editor Cathy DeDe writes: We’ve seen some fine shows and musical love-fests at the Strand Theater in Hudson Falls. The Wailers — next-generation Reggae group of Bob Marley fame — took it to the rafters, as demonstrative an audience as I’ve yet seen in Hudson Falls, on Saturday night, April 22.

Much of the show, much of the full house was up and standing, singing if not shouting along to the lyrics, from “Redemption Man” and “Buffalo Soldier” to “One Love” — with the high power sound of the musicians on stage, creating a wall of sound from both sides of the footlights. Nice, painless sound mix, I’ll note, too.

Even The Wailers’ new, less-known song, the anthem-like “One World, One Prayer,” hit like we already had it under our skin.
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Frontman Mitchell Brunings made the lyrics his mission, sharp and energetic. “Soldiers are you with us,” he roared early on, urging everyone to get up and dance before leaning into “Get Up Stand Up.”

This is nice, very personal,” Brunings said. “You’re not going to stay seated very long, Hudson Falls!” Last man up, a big guy in the front row who finally rose for the finale, Brunings rewarded him with a fistbump across the footlights.

Wendell “Junior Jazz” Ferraro on guitar, classic and with serious chops. “We don’t need no trouble; what we do need is ROOTS MUSIC,” he yelled at the end, to more audience roars.

The band leader is drummer Aston Barrett Jr., whose father Aston “Familyman” Barrett played with Bob Marley — but the energy was in the ensemble, including sweet-voiced backup singers “Sister Teena” and Sister Alecia.”

And the energy was in the absolutely electric room, the revival-level, transportive, “can-you-believe-it” abounding vibes. I think I’m still sweating, heart still palpitating. Not surprising if the room was still vibrating, chandelier still shaking, after that unforgettable show

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