Add Ventura Music Hall to your California music venue bucket list! The gorgeous hall is the perfect escape for reggae music fans and only minutes from the beach! Daily Reggae had the chance to connect with the venue’s production manager, Courtney Panton, about the Ventura Music Hall’s amazing momentum since launching in 2022.

Ineffable Live, the live music arm of Ineffable Music, will celebrate the first anniversary of Ventura Music Hall with a jamming Thievery Corporation show on March 11. Thievery was one of the first shows to perform at the venue, so it’s rad to hear they are returning and to see all the success of the gorgeous venue!

Ventura, California’s Overgrown (aka Daniel Alvarez) blends reggae and punk rock in the jamming new single, “I Don’t Mind”. I’m absolutely loving this laid back tune, and especially appreciate Overgrown’s talented guitar showcased throughout the song and the clever lyrics. The hook is especially catchy and Overgrown is able to highlight his on point vocals - both singing and hip flow wise.

Reggae and punk rock music have long been intertwined. Both cultures embody a DIY attitude and a rejection of social norms that divide and oppress, and though the exact expression of this rebel mentality and promotion of a more equal and inclusive community differ between the two, the common ethos they share has led to amazing music combining the genres for decades. For many reggae fans their initial introduction to the genre came through punk; whether it be from classic punkers like The Clash, third wave ska bands like Reel Big Fish and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, or current artists blending reggae and punk such as Slightly Stoopid. Such a musical journey is shared by this reviewer as well, with my personal introduction to reggae starting with the punk band NOFX, which led me to bands like Sublime and The Expendables, further leading to Rebelution, and from there the whole genre opened up before me. I am far from alone in this experience, one which I especially share with my fellow West Coast Americans. 

The combination of punk and reggae is far from over, and there are amazing new artists continuing this legacy that you should be aware of.The combination of punk and reggae is far from over, and there are amazing new artists continuing this legacy that you should be aware of.

Enter the great Kyle Smith and his debut full-length album "Lost Cause".