Lucky Dub

Washington DC is where Lucky Dub resides but their music will soon travel much further just like their members who are from all over the world. Having been nominated for multiple Washington Area Music Awards and Virginia Reggae Awards, Lucky Dub releases their debut album "Mindset". Officially throwing their names in the hat for an up and coming artists that has potential to tour more than just the country with the tunes I have heard.

...... - Music Bailout

Lucky Dub was formed in D.C., but the band's musical influences and members are not defined by the District.

About to set off on a show-filled summer, the funk-inspired band has certainly come a long way from playing at Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house parties.

The diverse 11-member band - with strong foundations in reggae music, combined with elements of funk, jazz, ska, alternative rock and Latin grooves - is ready to embark on its East Coast summer tour, playing venues in Ocean City, Md. and Dewey Beach, Del., as well as in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Virginia Beach, Va.

Their unique sound and positive message has become Lucky Dub's hallmark. Using a wide variety of adjectives to describe their sound, not a single word has summed up the distinct musical vibe the band encompasses.

"Reggae is a good jumping off point," Baker said, identifying the foundation of the album's sound.

The members of Lucky Dub enjoy the indefinable quality of their music, attributing it to their large number of band members who all bring different musical influences to the group.

"I like that though, because different people hear different things. It appeals to a larger audience," Isaiah Toney, a junior and the band's saxophone player, said.

Bandmates are current students and alumni with backgrounds in music studies programs and a cappella groups.

Daniels' serendipitous entrance happened when the band's previous singer was a no-show at an event in Adams Morgan. Daniels jumped on the stage and has been behind the microphone ever since.

......... - GW Hatchet

Friday, July 1; Rock and Roll Hotel, DC Just in time for summer, Lucky Dub – nominated for best DC reggae band at the 2010 Wammie Awards – brings us their infectious brand of world-influenced party music on their new full-length studio album, “Mindset.”This musically- accomplished group of international musicians keeps things light from the start with “No Money, No Worries,” a plea for those collections agents calling from “1-866” numbers to leave them alone. “Move On” creeps up slowly with a solid bass line, lilting keys and fat horns lend the song even more drama before a slinky electric guitar brings the entire jam to a boil. Clocking in at 15 generous tracks, “Mindset” is a perfect platter of party tunes ready for your next backyard barbecue or beach trip.-MC - On Tap Magazine

Lucky Dub is taking DC’s reggae scene by storm with the recent release of their debut album Mindset. The album includes a variety of jams from reggae and dub to funk and jazz. Lucky Dub’s members are a diverse group, hailing from The United States, Russia, West Africa and the Caribbean with the influences from each creating a unique sound experience sure to stroke your summer ego ....... - The Dubside Magazine

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Marina Ghabbour.

Thousands flocked to the H Street Festival Saturday to chow down on free food and experience the Northeast neighborhood between 8th and 14th streets.

The festival was framed by two stages presented by the Rock & Roll Hotel where local D.C. artists like Billy Woodward & The Senders, Alma Tropicalia, The Tribe, Lucky Dub – whose members hail from GW – and DJs Keenan and Metaphysical performed.

Sharon Cochran, an event volunteer, said that the festival was started to bring more business to H Street, which has been working toward gentrification for almost ten years.

For a visual look at the festival, watch The Hatchet’s video report.
- The GW Hatchet

Lucky Dub - whose members include current students and alumni - performed Saturday on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center. Since its formation in 2008, the group, whose worldly sound combines elements of funk, jazz, Latin beats and reggae, has played at several venues in D.C. and the surrounding area. - The GW Hatchet

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Elizabeth Hay

On the façade of the Millennium Stage, at the Kennedy Center, a declaration in gold letters is written across the top, it reads, “Performances for Everyone”. This certainly held true Saturday night when Lucky Dub took the stage.

Lucky Dub is a D.C-based band formed in 2008, includes not only a alumnus and lead singer Gordon Daniels, but also current students.

The band “[pulls] together elements of funk, jazz, Latin and world beats while keeping a rock-steady reggae vibe,” according to their website.

The band is polished with a Sublime sort of vibe. Most recently the band was nominated for two 2010 Wammy Awards from the Washington Area Music Association.

The group of fans was made up of children and adults of all ages, which made for an interesting experience. One could not help but look around at how this music brought so many people together. Lucky Dub was full of energy and their set mimicked that. Their songs fuse so many vibes together that it is hard not to want to dance. The Kennedy Center comes with many prestigious associations that often mean a viewer feels the need to keep decorum. While it was evident many wanted to dance, the head bop was the most the average audience member would do.

It is notable that the band was able play at The Kennedy Center, but it is not a venue that necessarily can accommodate the intimate and high-energy atmosphere the band creates with their music. The concert was held in the Grand Foyer, a large hallway that terminates at Millennium stage on its left side. The intentions of the casual atmosphere of this stage are apparent, but it would have been ideal to see these guys at one of their usual venues like The Black Cat.

Looking to hear more from Lucky Dub? Check out the full performance free here. - The GW Hatchet

The musical world of Lucky Dub calls for several players to make what they call "a signature sound that is best described as the fusing of funk, jazz and world beats while holding fast to a rock-steady reggae vibe."

Nine members of the band's core group, plus two guest artists bring that distinct, award-winning, sound to the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage on Saturday evening. The program features some original songs, a few from their yet-to-be released album, "Mindset," and one or two arrangements of popular cuts from the likes of Snoop Dog, Rolling Stones and Bob Marley.

"I started the band almost four years ago, but this is definitely the best group of guys we've had so far," said bass player John Baker.

No doubt that group superlative originates out of the diversity of its players that hail from D.C., California, New York and the Virgin Islands, as well as West Africa and Russia.
IF YOU GO
Lucky Dub
» Where: Millennium Stage, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F St. NW
» When: 6 p.m. Saturday
» Info: Free; 800-444-1324; kennedy-center.org; LuckyDub.com

To understand the music is to appreciate the origins of the band's name.

"'Lucky' highlights the upbeat positivity that we try to bring through in our style of music," said Gordon Daniels, the group's vocalist. "'Dub' is a nod to the old-school reggae style that came out of the mid-60s -- reggae roots."

Like the right sauce that enhances a recipe, the group's horns, drums, strings and keyboards add to the diversity of musical genres, such as jazz and world beats. There is even the presence of a cuica, a Brazilian drum often heard in samba music. The tone it produces has a high-pitched timbre that gives it the nickname of "laughing gourd."

In addition to John Baker and Gordon Daniels, Lucky Dub includes individual performers on drums, ukulele, guitar, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and a melodica, a small, wind-powered keyboard.

"We do bring in multiple players [to appear] on stage with us from time to time," Baker continued. "We brought a Brazilian drum troupe up onetime. Then we had twenty people on stage."

For the sake of the shows and mainly the integrity of their music, the more performers, the merrier.

"Our music is a reflection of the world we want to see, where people from all different walks of life are working together, moving to one beat and creating a positive sound for all," said Daniels.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/entertainment/2011/01/lucky-dub-digs-eclectic-kennedy-center#ixzz1CY6LjOHm
- The Washington Examiner

Lucky Dub Rocking at Redemption Thursdays at Jaxx in Springfield, VA. - On Tap Magazine

Lucky Dub plays upbeat reggae music at Lux Lounge for Best of DC winners March 25th 2010. - Washington City Paper