Music trends come and go, but Hawaiian trio Pepper keeps on trucking with a time-tested sound that's mellower than its namesake spice. Whatever you think a band of surfer dudes from Hawaii would sound like, it's likely right on point. Pepper's flavor is based on a heavy blend of dub reggae, with top notes of punk — the bandmates are actually all avowed metalheads — and a few finishing notes of acoustic balladry.
Unsurprisingly, it's a sound that does particularly well on the summer festival circuit and year-round in coastal climates like ours. As such, by going the slow and steady route since 1997, the band has built a hardcore following that keeps it playing around the mainland for most of the year. (Actually, for years now, Pepper's been based in Southern California.)
For proof, check out its schedule when it stops in Fort Lauderdale: not one, but two consecutive nights at Culture Room. The shows are meant to support the band's latest EP, Stitches, which features party-ready anthems with titles like "Drunk Girl." Expect extra stories of getting happily wasted on the first night, in which trust-fund slacker rappers Shwayze also perform.
