A few days ago I had the pleasure seeing Israel Vibration backed by the legendary Roots Radics band at Nectar Lounge in Seattle. It's pretty unbelievable that a crew that has been doing it as long as these guys have still sounds so good, but they do.

As always, the Nectar crowd was hyped. Having such an important band in the house brought out a pretty substantial crowd. I even spoke with one guy who flew in from Arizona just to see the show!

Duane Stephenson opened up the show and the crowd responded in a big way to his beautiful voice. While my guess would be that most in attendance weren't intimately familiar with his music, it was clear that he had the crowd on lock very early on in his set. If I had to say one thing about him, it would be that he makes it look effortless to produce some of the sweetest reggae singing you'll ever hear.

Once Duane's set was finished, the main event was set to start. Wiss, the remaining living member of Israel Vibration, came on stage to a raucous cheer and delivered in a way I honestly didn't expect. It's been a few years since I saw him perform and I was wondering if time had possibly taken its toll. Boy was I wrong. Wiss was awe-inspiring up there. He sang so many of the classics that I lost track. Even on the songs that would have traditionally been sung by Apple or Skelly, Wiss sounded fantastic. The backup singers sang the iconic Izzy Vibes harmonies and killed it. My personal favorite, Rudeboy Shufflin', had the crowd going crazy and singing along the entire time, just as they did most of the show. Everytime I looked around, all I saw were smiles and head-shaking amazement.

All night, the Roots Radics were locked in and on point. How they keeping doing it the way do after nearly 50 years, playing the entire night over two different sets, I have no idea. It's truly a sight to witness. Their sound has always been completely tight at all times and this night was no different.

Who knows how much longer Israel Vibration and the Roots Radics will be performing? I know that I hope I get the chance to catch them at least 2 or 3 times more. Don't sleep because you think they're washed; they are far from it.

You can watch video of Israel Vibration and Roots Radics performing their hit Rudeboy Shufflin' below: