Coming into the weekend, I fully expected Dub N The Creek to be highly enjoyable, but I had no idea it would be as good as it was. From the moment I arrived on site after a long day of driving from Seattle after a late-night show seeing King Shiloh at Culture Yard, I was greeted by huge smiles and positive vibrations. After getting my wristband personally handed to me by Noble Tobal, I drove into the beautiful Tish Tang campground. The grounds were exceptionally maintained and I immediately noticed the sauna and fern showers as I pulled in. My copilots, @dancehallmika and Birdie, and I were all impressed. We quickly found a campsite, set up, and made our way to the show.
As I walked down the hill toward the music, I quickly recognized the Basscraft sound system flanking the Noble Tobal sound and reality set in: this was a true soundsystem culture event. In front of the sounds was a large tent under which to escape the sun and dance and in front of that was a series of pop-ups containing the tables where all the selectors would play from. I really couldn't believe how intimate the venue was. No stage, artists at ground level with the crowd, irie!
Speaking of the sounds, if you haven't ever had the chance to catch a show of any kind on the Basscraft system, you should really try to. Their double set of stacks is loud, heavy, and crystal clear all at the same time and I can't say I've ever heard one better. All weekend long, the artists were big-upping Basscraft for the quality of sound they produced. Unfortunately for Noble Tobal, his sound had recently undergone a refurbishment and he had some problems with it, but he did get if fired up for the daytime on Saturday and it, too, was impressive. There's just something about a stack of handcrafted wooden speakers that can't be duplicated in look, sound, and overall vibe. Both sounds killed. They were both so good that it didn't even matter that the Dubsiren sound from LA was unable to make it at the last minute due to some logistical issues.
Show after show, I couldn't believe my eyes and ears. This was a true international gathering of dub/soundsystem culture with representatives from France, England, Holland, New York, Chicago, Maine, Hawaii, St. Croix, California, and most importantly, Jamaica. I'm really not sure how Noble Tobal pulled it off, but it was highly evident that the relationships he has built over the years as a selector/Soundsystem were used to their fullest to get the lineup he had in place for the weekend. And while some of the artists such as Charlie P, Fikir Amlak, and Roberto Sanchez w/Ras Teo were unable to make it, the artists that were on hand more than made up for it and I certainly feel like all attendees felt like they got their money's worth. Everyone played their hearts out, whether the crowd during their set was large or not. Whoever was in the crowd at any given time was 100% engaged and there were a few sets that were really special, with several artists (Gingah, Lutan Fyah) coming right into the crowd while performing. Definitely not something you get to see every day.
Highlights of the festival for me were Johnny Osborne backed by Noble Tobal on Saturday Night, Tippy I (both solo and with Lutan Fyah) to close the event, surprise guest Mungo's Hifi, Irie Ites, Dutty Bookman and DubStuy. But honestly, not a single artist disappointed me over the weekend. While I didn't catch every show due to the fact I needed to catch up on sleep after a couple late nights in a row, everyone I talked to felt the same. Really, the only personal disappointment I had was that I didn't get to see my boy Teoman perform his set on Sunday as time was running short and Tippy I needed to get on with Arkaingelle and Lutan. Next year Teoman!!
While the daytimes were pretty mellow, with folks heading down to the river to catch a dip, or hanging at their camp recovering from the previous night (standard festival moves lol), the night shows really got hot. Saturday night was especially energetic as quite a few of the Hoopa folks came out, along with Willow Creek and Arcata locals. The vibes were exceptional and it was really great to see such a wide array of people getting turned out by the sound, the artists, and the overall vibes.
One of the things I liked best about the festival was the accessibility of the artists. Nearly every one was hanging out at the festival with the people when they weren't on stage and I was able to have conversations with nearly all of them. They all seemed truly stoked to be there helping the dub/soundsystem scene in the states grow to new heights, and they were all incredibly humble. It was truly something special.
On Friday night the party really got started with Dubstuy out of Brooklyn. While their two selectors switched off on the decks, showing a ton of versatility, Johhny.Go Figure held down the mic and it was fire. All 3 members danced the entire show whether actively performing or watching their partners get off. This crew definitely had some of the most energy the entire weekend. They stuck around until Sunday as Edica, one of the selectors, was playing to back up Joe Yorke and I got the chance to talk to both Edica and founder of the collective, Quoc. They couldn't have been nicer and more gracious. They definitely made me want to head to Brooklyn so I could see them on their home turf with their own soundsystem, Tower of Sound.
They handed things off to Sinai Sound out of England and he amazed me with his versions of classic songs that he remixed from the original tapes. He had a ton of unique music, much of which he recorded at Prince Fatty's studio. Sinai had his dubplate claiming locked down and his nice-guy looks and persona made me smile whenever he'd make his claims as there was such a juxtaposition between the two. It was a special show.
The surprise of the night was that the closer for Friday night was none other than Mungo's HiFi! He did not disappoint, with his incredible array of original recordings and dubplates. He played deep into the night, leaving everyone both exhausted and filled at the same time. I've been wanting to catch Mungo's for many years and to finally get to see him playing was a honor. While it was super late, I couldn't help but keep moving my feet all set long as he spun until well into the 3am hour. I ran into him and his family the next day as they came to CA just for the festival and made a family vacation out of it and it was a true joy to get watch his kids playing as Saturday's dub music played. This festival was true family vibes.
When I woke up Saturday, I was pretty beat, but I couldn't wait for the sound to start so I could get to dancing again. First up was Beatdown Sound out of Chicago. They played a different sounding set and it was so dope watching Selectress Kinky P lay down her tracks and vibe hard. She's definitely feeling the music when she's playing whether in front of 5 or 500 people. Since they had the early set Saturday after a very late Friday night, it was closer to 5 (more like 25), but that didn't stop Beat Down from going hard and getting the people who made it to their set moving, myself included. They were the only sound selling merch and I bought a t-shirt to support and represent.
After Beatdown's set, I went down to the river and chilled for a bit, then went to catch up with my friends who were running security. I then took a much-needed nap so that I could make it deep into the night again and I unfortunately missed Joe Yorke's set. I did however talk to several people who said it was amazing and that Joe hit the note that brings involuntary tears to your eyes several times. I'm bummed I missed it, but that's festival life. You just can't catch 'em all.
The next show I caught was Ruff Neck Posse out of Oahu, Hawaii. I don't think any artist had more fun than these guys. In a way, they reminded me of a rub-a-dub WuTang in that their style is pure controlled chaos. You don't know which member is going to be playing with the volume, selecting the music, or toasting on the mic. Members were coming and going from behind the table, disappearing for 15 minutes and then reappearing and grabbing the mic. These guys brought the old school rub-a-dub style on the mic and I gotta say, it was entertaining as hell. They even invited other dj's, singjays, toasters, what have you to join them for a freestyle session during their set and it was really good. These guys had an infectious energy. Later in the night, I got to enjoy the Johnny Osborne show with them, particularly Kanaka Man and Ruff Neck Posse are cool as hell. Such aloha spirit. Big ups to these guys.
Dutty Bookman was the next show I had the privilege of catching on Saturday and it was a heater. He just kept playing songs my friends and I had never heard, but every one of them had us skanking our legs off. I wasn't familiar with him in the role of selector and he was a force for Jah. Truly an amazing set that I can't say a whole lot more about other than it was so good I just had to dance and listen and couldn't take any notes; I was just too into the show. Catch him if you can, you won't regret it.
Saturday night at Dub N The Creek was by far the most attended night of the festival and it was a night to remember. The night time shows really got kicked off by Irie Ites and their immense collection of dubplates. And when I say immense, I mean a non-stop, two-hour set of dubplates, each hotter than the next. From modern reggae to bangers from the 80's, the Irie Ites have a catalog that few can rival. At the start of the set, there really weren't that many people under the tent on the dancefloor, but as soon as Irie Ites started playing, there was a steady stream of people moving under the tent which quickly filled up. Everyone was hyped and Manu's infectious personality really made it feel intimate. Manu has a unique style where he holds a mic in one hand and plays music primarily with the other. He spends a decent amount of time on the mic, especially between songs and while his French accent can be a little tough to understand over the loud music at times, when he flexes his dubplates you can't help but smile at his delivery. He's both braggadocios and endearing at the same time and it's crazy clear he absolutely loves sharing music with the people.
After Irie Ites was the highlight of Saturday night: Johnny Osborne live and direct. Backed by Noble Tobal (who later told me he was so grateful he had the honor of backing the legend up), Johnny Osborne put on a set for the ages. For me, the night's rendition of 'Ice Cream Love” was the highlight, followed by 'In Your Eyes.' But honestly, every single song Johnny sang was incredible. He easily switches between singing and toasting and he a true master of the crowd. It's hard to wrap my mind around the fact that he's in his late 70's and has been doing his thing since the 1970's. It was such a special show to see; I danced the entire 2 hour set and the crowd was enthralled until 1:30 in the morning!!
Last up on Saturday night was none other than King Shiloh. I had just seen him a couple nights before in Seattle, but catching him outdoors, with the big sound, it was a whole other level. If you know King Shiloh, you know that he has a unique way of injecting commentary in the music that sets the vibe. Interestingly, he played cd's on this tour, which I found really unique. I figured he'd be playing vinyl, since that's what I see him play on YouTube, but I imagine he didn't want to travel with his rare (and heavy) records. He played a good mix of both heavy hitters you definitely know, like Iron Shirt, but then he'll play a bunch of songs you've likely never heard unless you know all the deep cuts. Everything he plays has a message though, and it's one of inity, respect, and human rights. What an ender to an already incredible night.
Sunday got started late and had a hard stop the show was up against. It didn't matter at all. I came down to the show in time for Inner Standing and that guy had energy for days. I don't think any other artist in the lineup danced as hard as he did during his set. The only thing close was the aforementioned Dubstuy. He had a whole lot of original songs that were super bangers and the crowd was feeling his vibe throughout his set. I was feeling pretty beat and wanted to conserve energy for the ender, but I watched the whole set and it was really good. I wasn't familiar with Inner Standing, but I'll be looking out for his shows in the future, when I have more energy.
Up next was Tippy I, the artist I was most looking forward to seeing at the festival. His method of live dub, where he has separated the stems of songs using AI and then basically engineers on the spot is something to witness. His boards and pads are his instrument and he's a true master of his craft. He opened with a set of his own, playing live dub versions of Akae Beka songs that he himself had recorded and he did a version of Protoje's 'In the Hills' that was absolutely incredible. Throughout the set, Tippy I was showing respect to the Hoopa Tribe, praising Jah, and espousing the power of live dub music. Tippy then brought on Arkaingelle who performed for about 45 min with Tippy live dubbing behind him. Arkaingelle brought a ton of energy and his personality really came out while he was performing. I had never seen him before and I was impressed, even though I don't know a ton of his music, just the songs that Tippy I has produced. He sang about Sellasie I, Babylon, and Unity; it was a really good performance.
Last but not least by any means, was Lutan Fyah. From the moment he came on, you could tell there was a synergy between he and Tippy I, especially after doing Lutan's latest album together. Not only did Lutan sing many of the songs off the album, but he sang many of his hits from over the years. Lutan was all smiles and he was really feeling the crowd. At one point, he came out from behind the tables and into the crowd where he stayed for about 15 minutes. Personally, it was an all-time experience as I've always been a Lutan fan and he was singing 2 feet away from me. Other than that moment, the highlight of the show was Lutan and Tippy I's performance of 'Freedom Sound' which features Chronixx. While Chronixx wasn't on hand, Tippy played his parts while Lutan sang his and ad-libbed along with Chronixx. This is the best song of 2025 so far, in my opinion, so I was geaked. Lutan even came out for an encore, which he very rarely does, and the crowd ate it up. It was a performance to remember.
And, it was a festival to remember as well. I had such a good time. As far as next year goes, Dub in the Creek 2026 has already been announced for the weekend of June 26,27,28. If you love dub, reggae, and soundsystem culture, you should 100% attend this event. As I mentioned briefly earlier, there is a sauna on site and fern showers, each in their own little fern grotto. The campground is also right on the Trinity River and you can both camp next to and dip in it to cool off. The hospitality of the Hoopa tribe is incredible, the vibes ever high, and the music superb. Big ups and much respect Noble Tobal, the Hoopa Tribe, and Dub N The Creek!! See you next year!
