A positive vibration of hip-hop and reggae sounds flowed through LaSalles on Friday night with Mystic Roots.
The crowd had plenty of time to build up its anticipation for the headlining group. The opening act, Shakedown, played the stage until almost midnight, when it was announced that Mystic Roots was about to perform. Normally a headlining band would give the audience at least two hours of music, but Mystic Roots was off the stage by 1:30 a.m., much to the dismay of their fans.
The crowd was lively. The dance floor was full of a comical mix of fake tans in tube tops, the faint scent of patchouli and a few homemade dreadlocks.
Shakedown played a cover of UB40's "Here I Am," and the dance floor was as filled with '80s cover lovers.
Before they gave the stage over to Mystic Roots, Shakedown called for some freestyle from the audience.
"Anyone want to come up here and improvise with the mic and the music?" asked the lead singer.
There was one taker in the audience. Unfortunately he was too hard to understand. That aside, the audience loved the interaction and gave him huge applause for his effort.
Mystic Roots took the stage and overwhelmed the crowd with good vibrations. Lead vocalist cootdog recited some politically charged lyrics about racism, homophobia (saying it was born in America) and, of course, some fast jabs at "our fearless leader," George W. Bush.
The obviously liberal crowd loved it. Hands were flying up in the air and people were dancing from the front of the stage to the back of the patio. The show kept up its positive vibe until the very end.
Coot "cootdog" Wyman sings lead vocals for the band. He has a professional stage presence and a magnetic personality that draws the crowd in. Wyman also plays the keyboard and writes many of the band's songs.
Eric "Irie" Iverson wails on lead guitar. He grew up in Southern California, loving the L.A. live music scene and moved to Chico to pursue a music degree at Chico State, according to the band's Web site mysticroots.com.
Drummer Enrique "Kike" Alvarez has been playing drums since the age of 8. He began playing live shows at 15 and joined the band in 2000, when it needed a new drummer.
Miles Styles is the newest member of Mystic Roots, and if you know reggae music you know that a good bassist is crucial for an authentic sound.
Shayne Tolchin sings and plays the keyboard for the band. A former Chico State student of music and recording arts, Tolchin came from musical parents. His biography reveals that both of his parents played piano professionally, so it was no wonder he got into the music business.
Michael "MJ" Jordan is the rap vocalist for the band and has been around since the beginning. He and Wyman met at Chico State in 1996 and spent many late nights writing lyrics that can still be heard in the set lists of Mystic Roots shows today.
Mystic Roots is a reggae band with heart and a social conscience that shines through in their music and lyrics. The band's sound and style is positive and strong and each band member brings his own personality and love of music to the stage.
Mystic Roots has put out several albums since its 1997 debut, "Chico Style," a live set that reveals the staying power this band has. Its sound hasn't changed, it has just grown richer over the years.
Coreen Larson can be reached at
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