The OnederFull announcement that Reggae on the River was coming back to the Eel after a 6 year pause is a beautiful gift that arrived to I n I pon mi bEarthStrong early this year. Rogue Agent Photo started covering Reggae in 2013, but I began attending the festival many years before that. Having last set foot on the shores of the Eel in 2018, I was beyond excited to find out more about ROTR 2024!
So I did a little digging, reached out to some good friends, and started asking questions about Reggae on the River 2024. What I discovered was that the Mateel Community Center had recently partnered with Hot Milk Entertainment, a production company that was created by a group of lifelong Mendocino county locals deeply rooted in the scene for the soul purpose of helping the MCC get Reggae on the River back on its feet.
I also learned that the head founder of HME was Leo “DJ Octagon” Ahern of Guerrilla Takeover, a solid, loving human, with a HUGE heart, that has slayed the masses with high vibes time and time again until the wee hours of the night inna renegade dj dancehall style at Reggae ever since I can remember.
This is when I started to get really pumped about it, thinking about all the love, gratitude, and livication I have for Reggae on the River and about how the MCC and HME had joined forces, both using love as the mainstay. At long last, it was time for all the fussing and fighting to end and for the smiles and hugs to begin anew. Our Reggae Family was reuniting, and it felt like we really could all be one big Fam again.
And so I have to say this very loudly for those of you in the back not paying attention:
WE ALL DID IT!!!
My heart was overjoyed all weekend because of all of us loving each other the way we all have needed to be loved for so long….
and just as Dub Cowboy declared to me when we saw each other onsite this year, I want to declare to all of you:
HAPPY NEW REGGAE!!!
Friendly smiles greeted us Thursday afternoon as Rogue Agent Photo rolled into County Line Ranch. Kaati, it was a real pleasure to see you again! Thank you so much for all your love and help as always! Nick, it was awesome meeting you!! Give Thanks for your love and support as well, looking forward to working with you more in the future!!
The forecast called for temps in the low 80’s all weekend, but I feel like that was just a big lie cuz it was blazing hot! After setting up Camp Rogue Agent, we headed down to the river to cool off.
The Eel was sparkling as far as our eyes could see and the further up we walked, the clearer the water shined. Soaking in the cool river vibes with absolutely no one around, knowing that we would wake up in the morning to a sea of tents and Reggae heads in this same exact spot is such a trip. It felt incredible to be back at Reggae on the River!!!
Fast forward to Friday morning: The masses had arrived with vibes a plenty! People were so happy to be home at Reggae with all their friends and family that it truly felt like we were all friends and family immediately, we were accepted and loved exactly for who we were on the spot, and it continued that way all weekend, everywhere we went.
Made it down to the main stage for the Opening Ceremony to witness the Long Valley Feather Dancers in traditional Native American outfits with beautiful headdresses blessing up the land by way of song and dance, setting the stage for the weekend with positive energy and intent.
There were 3 Stages this year: the Main Stage, the Stay Positive Stage, and the River Stage. Clocking about 60 miles on foot over the weekend, we navigated the stages and artist time slots as best we could. River blessings in between acts became a necessity in order to stay at least somewhat cool, and I’m a firm believer that everything is always perfectly the way it’s supposed to be however it ends up working out, so that’s exactly what happened: Rogue Agent Photo captured a plethora of phenomenal musical performances, good vibes, love, respect, and kindness that can be found only within the confines of Reggae on the River.
Kailash was on the Main Stage early Friday. I have kept an ear on this soulful youth ever since he came on the scene. Getting booked at Reggae on the River at the age of 13 is a BIG deal and by way of the sharp outfit and the performance he gave, I could tell Kailash knew exactly how important this opportunity was.
Solid, upful roots reggae with a soft yet fierce voice, performing originals alongside traditional riddims, Kailash and his band earned the crowd’s love and respect immediately. The bowl was full up, the people were dancing, and so was I.
It was busy all around and vendors were sprawled out in a bunch of different ways. I really liked how everything felt like a city this year, with streets, avenues, and alleys, and the different stages in the opposing areas of town. Everything flowed together really well and once you got a grasp of things it all kind of made sense.
Nattali Rize is such high energy every time I see her and the sound she creates in her music gets my feet stomping and my body bumping. Her Main Stage performance this year at Reggae was a fantastic time! I love watching her act and being able to capture all the smiles and vibes she gives out.
Taking time to support the vendors is one of my favorite things to do at Reggae. There’s always tons of amazing food and products from all over the world and it’s so much fun to see what unique energies call you from their homes inside these booths and what you end up coming out with as a result of your heart’s desire.
Stopped by a few booths in particular to pay respect to some friends I’ve held in this space for quite some time now: Mystic Lion, Pure Anywear, and Satori Movement. These gentle souls have put their hearts first time and time again, all in the name of Love and Reggae, and I wanted to make sure to reconnect after all these years to big them up for all they’ve done and let them know how important it is to keep doing all they do! The Reggae Massive Loves You!!
Chuck Fenda is the Living Fire! Arrives on stage looking super fly in a bright yellow suit, proceeds to serenade us with chune after chune, then brings out the bright, sexy dancehall sensation Samora who was said to have traveled over a day and a night from a far away land just to be at Reggae on the River to sing some sweet sweet songs with The Living Fire. It was awesome! I loved it!! Mashed it, smashed it, vocals so tight and sounds so right, it was one of my favorite moments of the day.
Next up, we ran over to the Stay Positive stage to catch some of Perfect Giddimani‘s set. Made it with a little time to spare and was super happy to get some of his musical vibe into my soul. This area of the venue was where all the Food Vendors were located and there were a bunch of picnic tables and trees that made for a really nice, chill, shady zone. I macked down a Spyro’s Gyro and watched Perfect tear up di place…what a treat!
Pressure Busspipe was on the Main Stage next. I have been eager to fulljoy his act since long time, so we charged down to the bowl to see what a gwan. Once in ear shot, I could hear the familiar call of his voice. I’ve always loved the way he sings and fuels his music with such passion. Got a little choked up when he made mention of Vaughn, I miss him dearly. VI Reggae has always held a special place in my heart and Pressure‘s set definitely brought it all flooding back. Give Thanks.
With Stylo G up next, everyone really started to crowd inside bowl and wow, what a vibe! Then BOOM, the bass from up front began to roar and it was time for some dancehall music. Stylo G gracing the stage at ROTR was a long time coming, and sighting the show he displayed, it was clear that his intent was to shell out the exact energy the masses craved, blowing up the house over and over again. The bowl transformed into a space and time unlike any others I have witnessed…. and the people, they could feel it, and they showed it. Screaming, dancing, loving, vibing… it was awesome!
Anthony B was the headliner Friday night and barely made it due to a life threatening medical emergency. Showing his bandages and telling us about drinking fish tea and swallowing a bone that got stuck and had to be surgically removed, Anthony B informed the masses that even though he was unable to jump and kick and perform like he wanted to, he loved Reggae on the River way too much to even think about missing it. I love Anthony B! He’s the reason why I decided to start shooting shows professionally. His live performance at a festival back in 2006 moved me so much I decided right then and there to buy a camera and founded Rogue Agent Photo.
After Anthony B finished, the bowl closed down and all roads pointed to the River Stage as the Friday night Dancehall began. It was a long day, so we had to take a breather before trekking down there, but it was well worth it. Made it in time to see Deejay Theory killing the game! And to our visual delight, the dancehall stage had also been taken over by the Frisco Rockaz, a hot group of Bay Area Dancehall Queens with a focus on making that sweet, sexy body move to the beat!
The light of Saturday morning arrived just a few hours after we left the dancehall, signaling that it was time to bless up and do it all over again. A slight cloud cover cooled things down for a minute during the waking hours, but our hope that cover might last all day faded quickly as the sun had it’s way with us again. The river called and we listened. Recalibration by the way of the water is essential at Reggae.
There were a ton of artists we wanted to see today and the remarkable Arkaingelle was first up. Solid and rootsy with Rastafari thanks and praise, Arkaingelle blessed our day with the exact vibes I was hoping for, letting me know that the ancient wisdom of Reggae Music hasn’t been lost, the teachings continue on, and we were all lucky enough to be part of the class. Jah Bless.
Rocker T is an artist who’s filled my heart with love and joy many times throughout the years. Listening to his unique vocal display and feeling his righteous sounds echo down the shore from the River Stage was absolutely breathtaking. And with all the members of Jah Warrior Shelter Hi-Fi in one place, this made for a very special moment. Seen? Boom!
Ran back to the bowl to watch the Drummer’s Parade. The energy is so bright when things like this go down and I love how people really get into being a part of it. Our time there was short lived though, we needed to get back to the River Stage to see Chezidek, and we were so glad we did! The Herbalist’s voice was strong, his energy was bright, and we fulljoyed dancing and singing along to classic Chezidek tunes pon di river.
Next, Demarco‘s show on the Main Stage made me grin, laugh, hoot, and holla! The Frisco Rockaz were burning up the stage alongside di Bunup Boss and the masses could not get enough!! Earth quaking, booty shaking, puppy tailing, dancehall action took the festival by storm and everyone I could see from one end of the bowl to the other was deep inside, smiling, dancing, and having a OnederFull time.
Lila Ike…. where do I begin? Oh my Jah, what a feeling! One of the biggest and baddest artists ever to explode upon the Reggae Music scene, Lila Ike‘s performance at Reggae on the River 2024 was completely, one hundred percent without a doubt, straight from her heart to ours. Her love for all of us made my heart explode and showed me once again why Reggae Music is so important for the people.
From here, the rest of our evening was all about the Main Stage. Rasta Reggae Music started blasting loud and clear as Lutan Fyah‘s display of conscious roots music surrounded us all in a tender moment of irie livity. Moving right along to this joyful, soulful, Rasta Man, the Reggae Massive was loving every second. Lutan truly kept the Fyah burnin’ FULL TIME!
The next performer took a bit to get going on stage, but once Konshens appeared it was like all the good girls had immediately gone bad! It was nuts!! Running the stage like a boss, Konshens performed an amazing set filled with a hot variety of reggae and dancehall music. I was really blown away! His voice was sweet, his band was tight, and everyone was bumpin!! Give thanks for taking us all the way, Konshens!!!
Capleton was the Saturday night headliner at ROTR 2024. Talk about Fyah! Not one but TWO acapellas, completely different in vocal nature, expelled from Capleton‘s lungs with such passionate ease that my jaw dropped to the floor!! The whole set, The Fireman gave More Fyah, More FYAH, MORE FYAH!!! In my humble opinion, King Shango delivered THE MOST AMAZING PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEKEND AT REGGAE ON THE RIVER 2024!!!
As I looked around the bowl during Capleton‘s set, I could see the happiness, the love, and the Fyah that had been started for each and every blessed soul there. I felt so lucky… and ready for what was coming next. Something I’ve never seen before: a Sound Clash.
My team was beat, so I traveled solo down to the River Stage for the Kings of the Earth Sound Clash featuring Dynamq vs Renaissance vs Heavy Hammer. It was so packed I could barely make my way to the stage. Once I got up there, the scene was laid out just as my mind had pictured: 3 World Class Sound Systems, 1 Intimate River Stage, and THOUSANDS of screaming dancehall fans!
This really was incredible and something different, never before seen at Reggae. I enjoyed every second of the show and what a show it was! Each Sound System took turns showcasing their plates and chunes in response to whatever the competition called for and it sounded sooooo goooood!!! As Heavy Hammer put it “This stage sounds to me like a studio, so Thank You!” and it really did! Royal Sound & Lighting had hauled in one of their coveted Void rigs down to the river and it may very well be the best sound from a speaker system that I’ve ever heard!
I got back to my tent at 4:20am. My heart full of gratitude, a smile on my face, and another amazing, unbelievable, life changing experience in the books.
And I really want to tell you all about my Sunday at Reggae too and how I loved seeing my friend Mista Chief mash up the Stay Positive Stage, and about how baking hot I was when Iba Mahr killed it, and about Sister Nancy being the ORIGINAL!!! Plus, I could never forget about the Ganja Farmer Marlon Asher making us feel so irie, or about J Boog doing it so nice to us all over again, and of course Collie Buddz coming around with that sweet, sweet sensi, closing Reggae on the River down proper.
The thing is though, this review has now exceeded my desired word count many times over, and I am uncertain how many of you took the time out of your life that it requires to read this far, but there is a likkle more that I wanted to share with the world before I go:
First, I wanted to make mention and BIG UP All Di Artists that gave love to the masses at ROTR 2024. Rogue Agent Photo was unable to capture or include everyone in this review but needs to give Massive Thanks and Huge Love for every beautiful moment, smile, and memory all you miracle makers helped create for us all!!!
Sending ALL My Heart To ALL of You in No Particular Order:
Guerrilla Takeover, Stay Positive Sound, Rising Signs, Blue Lake Dub Rock, Mean Dean, Stevie Culture, Topshelf, DJ D’Vinity, DJ Rundat, Nikka T, DJ Guidance, Dub Propulsion Records, Onewise Sound, Binghi Ghost, Tropicali Crew, G Davis, DJ Konnex, Boomyard Crew, Mysta Crooks, Yaadcore, Yaksta, Inner Standing Sound, Niceup Radio Crew, Unity Sound, Yungg Trip, Zions Gate Sound, Black Love Sound, DJ Junglist, DJ Kobie Ashanti Hi-Fi, Christafari, Gabe Pressure, Checkered Past, Reggae Angels, Mystic Roots, Full Watts, Tuff Like Iron, DJ Smokey, Epicenter Sound, Blessed Coast, Ishi Dube, Cassidy Blaze, Jah Mikey, Green B, DJ Lazyboy, Killamanjaro Sound, Lake Anthony, DJ Just One, Paapa Wastik, Squarefield Massive, Soul Ska Band, Xyclone and Bay C, Cannabass, Collective Elements, Eli Fowler and Mikasun, 9LFE, MC Radioactive, Soulmedic, Chico, Casa Rasta, Bobby Hustle, Massive Sound International, WBLK, One Wise Sound, King Addies, and any others I missed!!!
Second, there was a beautiful mural that spanned the walkway from the Main Stage to the River Stage this year that showcased all of the event posters from all the years, going back to the very beginning of Reggae on the River. As I walked along admiring the posters, I began noticing the images surrounding them, which were all images of Artists, Attendees, and Reggae Family members from over the years.
As I kept walking, I realized that many of these images were photos that Rogue Agent Photo had captured. Further along, more and more of my images appeared. Then down about halfway, I stopped and started to cry. There was a picture of me and Dub Cowboy from years and years ago at Reggae. Not only were the images I captured being loved up to the extreme, but me and my brother who brought me to Reggae for my first time all those many years ago were being loved up to the max too! I was in disbelief, feeling so touched and grateful.
I have never felt so accepted, loved, appreciated, and respected at Reggae on the River as I did this year and I want to send my strongest, deepest, most sincere love, thanks, and appreciation to all the good people at Hot Milk Entertainment, the Mateel Community Center, and our entire Reggae Family that put forth all the effort it took to make this beloved event happen for us all!
I am beyond honored to be a part of this Family and look forward to seeing you at Reggae year after year after year after year!
HAPPY NEW REGGAE!!!
Peep all the images Rogue Agent Photo Captured at Reggae on the River
Here: FRIDAY ~ SATURDAY ~ SUNDAY
More Love, More Respect, More Time
Rogue Agent Seh BOOM!!!
Joe McLaren ~ Rogue Agent Photo
8-26-2024
