I headed to Naples, NY to catch The Movement on their Ways of the World 5^th Anniversary Tour.  I got to hang out with the guys for a little before the show, what freaking cool dudes they are. So laid back and chill.  I asked why two shows in Naples and it turns out that it is Matt’s hometown, which made it a pretty cool experience.  At one point I was standing by the mech table for The Movement and a guy buys a shirt, the merch guy asked if he was from Naples and knew Matt, he said yeah, I’m his dad. Mech guy said wait why are you buying a shirt, “I got to support my son and the band.” It took place at Hollerhorn Distilling, a really beautiful spot up on a hill.  Great atmosphere for a reggae show. If you are ever near Naples, you have to check out this spot, great spirits (the gin is really good) and food and the staff is awesome!  My only complaint I had was the rain.  It seems that every time I photograph an outside show, it rains.  But I did not let it get me down, nor did it let the crowd down at all.

The show started off with aurorawave, lead by the former frontman for Iya Terra, Nathan Feinstein (Aurora) along with Iya Terra drummer Tanner Arebalo.  While they played some Iya Terra favorites, I think what the crowd loved hearing was their original autroawave songs.  While still new as a group with just a few songs, I was surprised to see so many signing along. Taken from their website, this sums up the style and vibe; "it is the sonic culmination of Nathan’s musical evolution. With unwavering authenticity, the band manifests as the genuine sound of Feinstein's artistry, a fusion of his diverse musical encounters. aurorawave invites listeners into a world where diverse influences converge, creating a sound that is uniquely and unmistakably its own. Masterfully harnessing the raw power of heavier genres and intertwining it seamlessly with the smooth cadence of reggae, aurorawave is a dynamic and genre-blurring force that encapsulates the band's unique musical vision." They put on such a fun show, Nathan belting it out as always, Tanner leading the way with the beat and two fantastic guitarist, lead guitarist was so solid and the bass player having so much fun with the crowd. No matter what your music genre go-to is, you need to check out their unique sound.

Next up was KBong & Johnny Cosmic and the rain to the stage, just when we thought the bad weather was passing us, the clouds opened up again.  But it did not upset one person there (maybe me a little LOL), smiles everywhere, and how can you not smile listening to KBong and Cosmic? A few songs in they hit us with “Smiles on Faces,” the crowd singing right along with HUGE smiles on their faces. I don’t think KBong stopped smiling the entire set, I’ve notices this in the past, it always amazes me how upbeat and positive he is all the time! The crowd just feeds off his love and he feeds off the crowds love. The crowd just loved their set, signing along, swaying to the sweet grooves. I’ve seen KBong & Cosmic a few times together and many times with Stick Figure, and something that really hit me watching this performance, Johnny Cosmic has a fantastic voice! It’s not that I ever thought he didn’t have a good voice, but I just never heard it like I heard it this time.  Maybe it was the small, intimate venue, being very close to the stage and speakers, maybe it was a smaller crowd (I think capacity was 500), but I caught myself not taking pictures at times and just listening to his vocals.  So sweet!  Great performance and the crowd was so ecstatic.

This tour is the 5^th anniversary of their album Ways of the World, so of course they played the album for us, same order as the album. One of the best albums in the past 6-7 years in my opinion. The album was produced by Johnny Cosmic and what an amazing album it turned out to be, it is paced out to perfection. It starts out nice and chill, melodic, a sweet island feel. But it is organized in a way that the tracks that are more staunch and tough are supported by softer, more chill songs. Once again, it stopped raining between bands, but as soon as The Movement walks out on stage playing “Ways of the World” it opens up again with a nice steady rain.  Again, not one person cared, just soaking in all the vibes and amazing music. Matt is always so hyped up on stage, but I think being back home he was even happier.  Huge smiles all night long. Jason keeping the flow going all night with the baseline, bumpin’ that sound, Kyle keeping it all together, Gary thumping the drums, does his head ever stop moving, and great vocals from Josh, I think he sounds better and better each time I see them play.

As much as the crowd was grooving to and loved “Redwoodz” and “Take Me to the Ocean,” it was when they hit us with “Orange Sky” that we all went nuts.  Probably my favorite song of theirs, it’s an anthem I try and live by; “And if I had the power to rewind these years/And travel back through the ages/I'd watch the story unfold through a river of tears/As I longed to rewrite these pages/You get out of bed and wonder how much money can you rake up/Then I'm afraid you're still sleeping/When are you gonna wake up/You can't live life for the weekend.” As they flowed through the rest of the album, the rain coming down harder and hared as if it was feeding off all the great vibes, but not one person upset about the rain, everyone thoroughly enjoying the show. After “Cool Me Down” they hit us with the Drums…..the beats flowing through the night sky!  Always fun watching the crowd bobbin’ their heads to the drums! As they finish off the album with “Remember” we were not ready for this to end and they weren’t either. They bring us a few hits to finish off the night with some guest experiences! They start the encore with “Always Remember Me” and slide over to “Sounds of Summer.” And while it didn’t quite feel like summer, the chill island groove took us all there. They flow into “Fair Warning” and then “Kingdom,” keeping up the energy and vibes. And then they finished off this awesome journey with KBong and “Easy To Love.”

Every time I see The Movement they get better and better, stronger and stronger, we have not seen the best from them, whether it is in the studio or live.  And getting to spend a little time talking with them, they are awesome guys, so down to earth and chill.  You can’t help but love their vibe and groove. If you have never listened to them or heard them live, do yourself a favor, check them out.  You will thank me. Another great night and performance by The Movement.

One Love - Todd