I have seen Stephen Marley in concert more than any other artist or band, probably around 15 times.  Damian is right up there as well.  This is one of the best performances by Stephen I have ever seen, Damian too, but Stephen’s performance stood out to me specifically.  Back in 2015 they toured together on the Catch A Fire Tour, but that was more of them doing their own songs and their own sets, only joining each other from time to time.  That was a fantastic concert as well, but in these nine years since, so many more songs from the two of them and so much growth.  Then in February of 2022 at Cali Vibes all the Marley Brothers performed to celebrate Bob Marley’s birthday.  That may be the best, most important, most epic show I have ever seen live.  There was truly a Natural Mystic flowing through the air that night.  I have shivers going up and down my back right now just thinking about it. That show took me to a totally different place.  But that show was all about Bob and celebrating his music and his legendary life.  The Traffic Jam Tour is about Stephen and Damian and all the work they have done together through the years.  I’ve always said they should do some albums together, between their solo albums and singles, they put out a ton of music together, so maybe they don’t need an album together.  But it would be nice to see them work on a unified project together, it would be amazing.

They walked out on stage, with huge grins on their faces, you could instantly tell this was going to be amazing.  The Fillmore was packed, I have never seen it this filled before. They played songs they have done together, their own songs and of course, Bob songs.  It was a perfect mix for a perfect show.  You can see how much they love each other and how much they love performing together, always smiling and laughing on stage.  Their connection and interaction is simply amazing.  After the first three songs (they actually had us leave midway through the third song “So Much Trouble”), I would normally keep photographing from the crowd close to the stage, but the venue was so packed and people were so close to each other, I couldn’t get anywhere near the stage for a good view.  So I spent the rest of the night up in the balcony, which was a great view and perfect sound.  They went into “Pimpers Paradise,” a song I have heard them do together but never live, I was so excited to hear this.  They absolutely killed it….with the crowds help.

“She loves to party (Stephen), have a good time (crowd)

She looks so hearty (Stephen), feeling fine (crowd)

She loves to smoke (Stephen), sometimes shifting coke (crowd)

She's laughing when there (Stephen)  ain't no joke, hey” (crowd)

“That's all she was, now
Pimpa's paradise (Stephen),  Pimpa's paradise (crowd)

That's all she was
Pimpa's paradise (Stephen),  Pimpa's paradise (crowd)
That's all she was, now
Pimpa's paradise (Stephen),  Pimpa's paradise (crowd)
That's all she was”

Then Damian comes in hard:

”Cause coke was a thing that once she first try
Was once a blue moon to once a blue sky
Now she's wondering who else wants to go buy
She don't got no money and wants to get high” 

I just simply loved hearing this!  They hit us with “Still Searchin” and kept up the love and energy.  The smiles from them was heartwarming. “Tight Ship” was next up, Stephen grabbed his guitar and hit us with his smooth voice and then Damian comes flying in with his verse, I love the contrast in their styles, sound and voices.  IT WORKS SO WELL!  Always has, but I swear the older they get it just flows so much better.  It was time to bring up the energy to another level with “It Was Written” with Damian jumping up and down and willing the crowd to join him. So much high energy in this song. What I loved about this show was the song choices, so many of their songs I was hoping to hear them play, old, new, crowd favorites, my favorites. Throughout this show, their band (a mix of Stephens and Damian’s bands) sounded amazing!  Their energy was so high, they were feeding off of Ragga and Jr. Gong, and Ragga and Jr. Gong feeding off of them! I was really hoping to hear something from Stephen’s new album Old Soul and they go into “Cast the First Stone,” and WOW this sounded perfect!  Stephen banging on the drum and singing and Jr. Gong doing his thing. I am so sorry I missed his Old Soul tour because that is one of the best albums release in a long time.  Another classic and another amazing song, “Jah Army” was up next.  This was one of the best on the night, they absolutely killed this.  I think the only thing that would have made this any better would have been if Buju stepped on stage with them. 

This crowd knew all the words to all the songs, it was truly an incredible scene.  It was time for Damian to educate the crowd on the medical and health benefits of marijuana, and we all knew what was coming……..”Medication.” Damian asking the crowd if it is legal in Philadelphia, and when the crowd yells no, he says “we need to change that,” the crowd erupting in a cheer!  They really hit on this one….but then again, they were hitting on all these songs.  It was time to take us back to 2008 with “The Mission,” another classic from Ragga and Jr. Gong.  Huge scream from the crowd as they started.  The band really was amazing on this one, and the energy between them and Stephen and Damian was powerful!  And while I said they took it back to 2008, then they took us waaayyyy back to 1996 for “Love and Inity.”  I swear the love and energy just kept rising and rising with each song.  It was time to hit us with a little Bob since they had this crowd “Jamming.”  Bob up on the screen behind them as they poured their hearts out on this one.  Sticking with the Bob groove, and one where the entire crowd sang along, so loud that they almost overtook Damian and Stephen.  Crazy listening to 3000 people all singing “Is This Love” and not missing a word or beat.  Stephen hits us with “Rock Stone” and like I’ve said before, the energy was crazy.  Just when you think it can’t get any higher, it does! 

“Road to Zion” was next up and Damian had everyone pull out their lighters and phones.  What a site, 3000 people holding up their lighters, what a cool vibe going on, chills hitting me.  Damian sounded perfect and I kept hoping Nas would come walking out on stage.  It was time for a song that no matter how many times I have heard it, it just never gets old, “Welcome to Jamrock.”

“Out in the streets, they call it merther”

I swear every time I hear this it gets better and better.  It never gets old. Damian goes into “Move!” the crowd jumping right along with Jr. Gong.  As Stephen and Damian walk off stage, the entire crowd starts chanting MARLEY, MARLEY, MARLEY! We all needed just a little bit more from them.  This was an epic show but no one wanted it to end.  We were all having such a great time, so were Stephen and Damian.  They finished off this wonderful show with a great, and long, rendition of “Could You Be Loved.” It really was the perfect song to finish this off, because we all felt the love between these brothers, we could feel the love they had for everyone there.  This is one of the best concerts I have ever seen, they were so amazing, everything about this night was perfect.  And like I said, I have seen them both many, many times and this was them at their best.

One Love - Todd