As the Soldiers of Jah Army took the stage at 123 Pleasant Street Saturday night, lead singer/guitarist Jacob Hemphill addressed the crowd. "Thank you Morgantown, one of the first places we got to play outside of our home in Arlington, Va."
With more than a decade of recording and 150 live shows per year, the band, commonly known as SOJA, is one of the most extensively touring groups in the music industry. Despite constant movement, the band always makes a stop in Morgantown before going home.
"Morgantown is awesome," Hemphill said. "People tell us that everyone has played here. Nirvana and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, supposedly Pearl Jam played here. You’ve got a bunch of cats whiling out before the real world, that’s what keeps me coming back."
Labeled as a reggae band, SOJA delves into the exploration of music. Traveling with horn players Hellman Escorcia (saxophone) and Rafael Rodriguez (trumpet), the group sports metallic guitar riffs, rap interjections and jazz-style improv, all while maintaining the traditional rhythms of reggae.
"We’re just making whatever music we’re making, and I really think it’s up to everyone else to classify the genre," Hemphill said. "We just play whatever we like."
Arriving at 123 Pleasant Street, the band, with little help, immediately got to work preparing the stage and conducting sound checks. The show was underway by 11 p.m.
The energy of the crowd reached incredible heights as the horns clashed against one another, mellowed out by waving guitar licks and deep, warm bass lines.
The relationship between the crowd and the band was that of old friends. Every member of the audience seemed to know each member of the band by name, as well as every lyric to every song. Hemphill was barely audible over the singing of the fans during "You Don’t Know Me" and just allowed the crowd to take control of "Can’t Tell Me."
Poetry in the lyrics and fluency in the sound meshed well with the crowd’s warm and happy attitude. The melodic feel of "Decide You’re Gone" and the bands quintessential reggae anthem "Rasta Courage," contrasted with the party atmosphere, which reached its pinnacle during tracks "Don’t Forget" and the classic "Revolution," after which the band left the stage.
However, the crowd refused to leave the club, instead choosing to chant the band’s name until it returned for an encore consisting of new songs "Here I Am" and "Sorry."
After the show, many of the concertgoers stuck around to talk to the band, which immediately got to work dismantling its set. A few members even walked through the club, speaking with fans and signing autographs.
The band loaded all its gear into the bus and explained to a few remaining fans that, after a long stretch on the road, they were finally returning home.
One fan approached bassist Bobby Lee and told him how much he appreciated them coming. Bobby’s response was to grab the fan in a one-armed hug and say, "Hey man, I appreciate you."
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