Fri,
Jun 19
Lodge Room and Nance Arte present
DOORS 7PM | SHOW 8PM
ALL AGES
VIP tickets do not include a general admission ticket. VIP Tickets include:
The Expanders may play vintage reggae, but they’re more than revivalists. The Southern California-based band champions classic ’70s and early ’80s roots reggae, focusing on three part vocal harmonies and thoughtful songwriting. Players John Asher (drums, vocals), John Butcher (guitar, vocals), Roy Fishell (organ, piano), Chiquis Lozoya (guitar, vocals), and Devin Morrison (guitar, vocals) have been making fans and critics take note with their version of “golden era” reggae for more than 20 years. Butcher and Morrison grew up together, listening to the record collection of famed reggae archivist Roger Steffens, and credit much of their love and knowledge to the accessibility and education of those experiences. While many of their contemporaries in the current U.S. reggae scene play music that is one or two steps removed from these original influences – often coming at reggae by way of Sublime, for example – The Expanders are distinct in that they draw inspiration directly from these foundational tracks and bands, and manage to replicate the sound while bringing their own current style and approach. The band spent its early years entrenched in the California reggae & ska scene, and established themselves as the go-to backing band for legendary Jamaican singers like Alton Ellis, Pat Kelly, Stranger Cole, Leonard Dillon of The Ethiopians, Roy Shirley, Willi Williams, the Wailing Souls, The Maytones, and Prince Jazzbo, whenever these legends came through the area. “Listening to and falling in love with their music is one thing, but having the opportunity to play alongside those artists and absorb their insight on the tunes we love is priceless,” says Lozoya. “Our sound mixes deep knowledge of classic Jamaican riddims with lifelong friendship and a true love for the art.” The band’s first album of original material – a self-titled release in 2011 – melded carefully crafted songwriting with a studied take on roots and rub-a-dub styles. It was mixed by engineer J Bonnerwho brought a crucial element of classic dub mixing to the project (Bonner also created the memorable album cover). Old Time Something Come Back Again Volumes 1 and 2 (released in 2012 and 2017, respectively) built upon The Expanders’ extensive knowledge of reggae over 27 covers. The song selection on those two releases go deep, drawing on some of the most obscure, but most amazing cuts in Jamaican music history. Both volumes of Old Time Something were recorded live to an eight track tape to honor the style of the Jamaican pioneers beloved by the band. “It was a statement of respect to those artists. We were trying to expose these people that might have gotten swept under the rug,” says John Butcher. “If you like Sublime or Slightly Stoopid, you’re going to love what we’re doing because this is all the stuff those guys were listening to and getting inspired by.” The Expanders’ third studio album, Hustling Culture, was released in 2015 on indie tastemaker label Easy Star Records and produced with the help of the band’s extended family: keyboardist Roger Rivas of The Aggrolites and Rivas Recordings, and Orgone guitarist/Killion Sound producer Sergio Rios (who also engineered the self-titled release). Following Hustling Culture, The Expanders released the Top Shelf, Piece Of Love, & Thanks For Life riddim albums, all remixed by Major Lazer’s Walshy Fire. “Reggae is a very international form of music and that project really embodied that because there were artists from so many different places involved, not only the Caribbean diaspora,” says John Asher. Devin Morrison took a break from the group in 2018, and over the next few years the band released a series of singles and EPs, including “Sweet & Slow” featuring Kyle McDonald from Slightly Stoopid, and TWO FOR TOOTS, a tribute EP to the late great Toots Hibbert. Morrison returned to the group in 2025.