What's in a like? Showing a stamp of approval for your favorite brand of toothpaste really does nothing for the human race except maybe save you 50 cents on your next Target run. Giving the "thumbs up" normally means news-feed clogs and unwanted event invites. But for one local band, your "like" could be the ticket to their dream vacation.
The fine, upstanding gentleman of Palm Beach County's beloved Spred the Dub are on a mission to return to the roots of reggae music. The six-piece band has hatched a plan to fly to Jamaica to record its new album, but only on one condition: They reach 10,000 Facebook likes by February 14. Why celebrate Valentine's Day with just one guy when you can make six happy with the click of a mouse?
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Lead singer Mick Swigert understands how powerful a trip like this can be for the band. "A trip to Jamaica means the world to us," says Swigert. "It's like a blues player living in Europe traveling to the Mississippi Delta. It's where the music we play and love was born." Spred the Dub takes its high-performance brand of friendly reggae all over South Florida and has in turn racked up quite the following, but still not enough to hit the special 10k mark.
Known around Clematis Street for its party hardy regular Monday Night Reggae gig, Spred the Dub moved its party just two months ago from Longboards to E.R. Bradley's. It's no surprise that its supporters followed the band right on down the street, and the weekly crowd reaction brings the best out of the guys. "The transition to Bradley's from Longboards was amazing," says Swigert. "Right away, the night was packed, and we felt the love from our friends and fans for sure."
But while they are known for their original tunes that make the crowd get up to dance like mad, the guys are certainly overdue on laying down tracks for a new album. And in the true spirit of reggae, that's the crusade taking them all the way to Jamaica. Swigert breaks it down: "One of the main reasons for the trip is to find a studio and record the next album in four days. We have 13 tracks we're looking to do. And hopefully the new album will be out by summer." The record, aptly titled Good Time Reggae, will feature the original tunes Spred Heads have come to love and even recite. Swigert gets to see it happen every week: "There's no better feeling in the world than having a crowd go nuts for a tune you wrote."
If by some terrible technological misfortune, these guys don't make their goal, Spred the Dub is looking forward to a kick-ass 2014 regardless. With a new CD coming out either way and a national tour in the works, Swigert has high hopes, saying, "Maybe this is our year to take over the world." Or at least Facebook.
Why not give Spred the Dub a "like"? Click here for its Facebook page.
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