Victoria Ska & Reggae Fest Day Four: Jakobs Castle, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Mad Professor, BWK

Name: Victoria Ska & Reggae Fest Day Four: Jakobs Castle, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Mad Professor, BWK
Start: 2025-06-21T19:30:00-07:00
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada, British Columbia

Schedule

Sat, 21 Jun, 2025 at 07:30 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

Victoria, BC, Canada, British Columbia | Victoria, BC

Saturday June 21 at Victoria Curling Club Ticketed: $49.95 - $65 advance All Ages / Beverage Service for 19 yrs+ w/ID (Kids 10 and under free with adult)
From the sunny beaches of California to the rocky shores of Vancouver Island comes our Saturday night Curling Club party. We’re celebrating the past, present, and future of the Long Beach sound with an all-star lineup of reggae, punk, and dub.
Jakobs Castle is the moniker of Southern California singer-songwriter Jakob Nowell. As the current singer of Sublime and son of the group’s founding frontman Bradley Nowell, there is no denying that Jakob is influenced by his father’s music and legacy. However Jakobs Castle is anything but a nostalgic rehash. Blending elements of ska, reggae, and punk with leftfield influences from the likes of hyperpop, electronic music, and video game soundtracks, Jakobs Castle offers an experimental take on familiar sounds. With a keen sense of melody and a serious set of pipes, it’s no surprise that Nowell was courted by legendary punk label Epitaph and found a songwriting partner in Tim Armstrong of Rancid and Operation Ivy fame. Whether it’s performing on the Coachella mainstage with Sublime or a DIY party with Jakobs Castle, Nowell is a rising force to keep an eye on in the modern music industry.
Continuing the theme of southern California music royalty, we’re thrilled to host Long Beach Dub Allstars at Victoria Ska & Reggae Fest for the first time. Originally founded in 1997 by surviving Sublime members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh, they recruited frequent collaborators such as Opie Ortiz, Michael “Miguel” Happolt, and Marshall “Ras MG” Goodman to continue the group’s musical legacy. After their initial run concluded in 2002, Ortiz and Happolt revived the group a decade later with a new crop of ultra talented musicians. Current and former members of the band have played in acts such as The Aggrolites, The Expanders, Dillinger Escape Plan, and The Mars Volta, showing how the “all-stars” moniker is truly appropriate. Still going strong almost three decades after their original formation, LBDA continues to come in hot with new tunes, new collaborations, and an impassioned commitment to that punky reggae sound.
An all-star reggae lineup wouldn’t be complete without a Caribbean pioneer on the bill, which is why we’re thrilled to welcome Mad Professor to Victoria for the first time! Born Neil Fraser in Guyana and moving to London as a teenager, Mad Professor got his nickname at an early age due to his high proficiency in both music and technology. A frequent collaborator of dub pioneers such as Lee “Scratch” Perry and Jah Shaka, Mad Professor is one of the most celebrated dub musicians of all time, with his remixes and studio wizardry being courted by everyone from reggae legends like Horace Andy, Sublime, and Pato Banton to artists outside the genre such as Massive Attack and The Orb. For his Ska and Reggae Fest performance, Mad Professor will be joined by Amarra, who’s gorgeous vocal delivery will bring some luscious melody to the heavy dub attack.
Opening the show, and returning from a brief hiatus, are local favourites Blackwood Kings. Originally formed almost 15 years ago, the group is one of Victoria’s longest running and most beloved underground bands. Blending elements of reggae, dub, punk, and ska with experimental flourishes and dazzling musicianship, these boys play a progressive take on rebellious soundclash that is uniquely their own. Suffice to say, we’re thrilled to welcome them back to the festival for their first show in almost two years.
Keeping the dancefloor moving between bands is DJ Roger Rivas. As the iconic keyboardist and organist of LA “dirty reggae” legends The Aggrolites, Rivas will also be performing double-duty in LBDA. Rivas has a deep crate of vintage reggae and ska records, so we can’t wait to see what musical gems he surprises us with.