It's been a long time since I've been to a reggae club and it was full of people, vibes and the music is on point. Tribe of Kings sound system has a formula that not only works but should also be mirrored by others.
The U-31 nightclub is the home of Tribe of King's Reggae Sundays, when all five of the sound system’s DJs perform. Although U-31 can house 217 guests, the venue is frequently sold out or near capacity for Tribe of Kings' nights.
When entering the venue, flags of different countries -- including Jamaica, Ethiopia and Trinidad -- are in view. It was a rainy night in March when I checked out the club, but that didn't stop the dedicated reggae fans from coming. The crowd reflected a miniature United Nations.
DJ Rashi was finishing up his set of roots, conscious and culture music when I arrived, and DJ Peril followed behind with more contemporary and some dancehall reggae. Next up was DJ Jester, who was all about the dancehall, spinning the newest releases and artists, keeping the crowd updated with music coming out of Jamaica. DJ Unite, Slightly Stoopid's travel DJ, played a variety of music, including dancehall. Closing it out was DJ Dash Eye, who played the classic dancehall, which was my favorite set of the night -- and obviously the crowd's -- because everyone was on the floor, bellowing out the tracks.
Occasionally, you'll see an artist perform at U-31 and past acts have included Gappy Ranks, Million Stylez, Sister Nancy, and Shinehead. This Sunday, AJamaican reggae artist Perfect will perform. Perfect (Greg Rose) grabbed reggae fans' attention in 2004 with the hit song "Lock Me Up." "Handcart Boy" was released as a single in 2005 and really propelled the 31-year-old onto reggae music charts.
Admission is $5 before 10 p.m., $7 afterward. An additional ticket fee of $10 is charged after for the Perfect show. Click here for more information.
