Bumpin Uglies are from Annapolis, Maryland. Early in their set, they play “Island Time” from their 2019 album, Buzz. This is their most popular song on Spotify with over 14.8 millions streams. “Put me back on island time / I need that state of mind / Island time, where everything’s slow / Put me back on island time / We can ignore the grind / Island time, where we take it slow, oh”. This song has such a great slow groove that transports the audience to a beach in Hawaii as they sway along.
Soon after, they play “Radio” from their 2018 album, Beast From The East. “I don’t write songs for the radio / I write songs for the stereos / So turn it up until the speakers blow / We’re getting faded at the reggae show”. This is a fantastic about being in a band touring the country for the love of the music instead of for fame.
Brandon Hardesty, the lead singer, asks the audience about that awful liquor that is famous in Chicago. “Malort!” replies everyone. “Let’s get shots of Malort for the band! I’m sober, so I’ll just enjoy watching!” Each member of the band took a shot and promptly displayed their Malort face!
Towards the end of the night, they play “Trouble” from their 2022 album, Mid-Atlantic Dub. “Trouble made a martyr out of me / I hate to love our codependency / my accomplice and my airtight alibi / She beats me down and it makes me feel alive”. It’s not often that the name of the venue is in the lyrics of a song.
To close out their set, they play “Bad Decisions” from 2015’s Freakout Hell Bus. “So we’re making bad decisions / Bad decisions tonight / Running amuck and keeping it up / Until the morning’s light / ‘Cause we don’t need no guarantees / Living the now, figure it out when it’s right / We’re making bad, bad decisions tonight”. This is a great party song to end their great set of reggae and reggae adjacent music.
See a recent setlist here.
See our review of The Expendables in 2018 here.
Cost of a ticket: $33
PlaylistHQ Economic Rating: Worth It +
Rating Scale: Exceptional Value > Worth It > Half Price > Go for Free > Don’t Bother
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