Hawaii’s rising reggae vanguards The Green return to Southern California Friday, February 17, performing at the Hollywood Palladium as part of Rebelution’s Peace of Mind tour. The Green are supporting their sophomore long-player, the No. 1 Reggae Album Ways & Means (Easy Star Records), on this, their sixth tour of the Mainland. “We always love playing So Cal,” The Green’s vocalist/guitarist/composer Zion Thompson tells The Examiner. “We’re really excited to be on tour with Rebelution and Pep Love right now. It’s a big deal for us to be able to play in front of large crowds every night. We’re super stoked and thankful for the opportunity, and we’re really looking forward to jamming the Hollywood Palladium!”

Like Santa Barbara’s Rebelution, The Green, hailing from Kailua and Kuli‘ou‘ou on Oahu’s southeast end, bring their unique perspective and aesthetic to the roots reggae sound that is efflorescent in the Pacific and on the American West Coast. “Reggae music took a strong foothold in Hawaii years ago,” Mr. Thompson explains. “It’s always been on the radio for as long as I can remember and even the more traditional Hawaiian music singers and groups have dabbled in some of reggae’s rhythms.”

“I think the difference in our sound,” Mr. Thompson continues, “comes from both our diverse musical tastes as individuals and, lately, our travels across the country. Even though we’ve been making music together for over ten years (in various bands), The Green has only been an official band for about three years. We’ve basically been on the road the whole time we’ve been a group and what we see and hear out here definitely opens our minds to other possibilities with our songwriting and live performances.”

Southern California has the chance to learn The Green’s ways and means this Friday, February 17, 8:00pm, at the Hollywood Palladium. The Green return to Southern California in early March with performances in Solana Beach (Mar 9), Bakersfield (Mar 10), and Santa Ana (Mar 11), with Passafire in support.