Friday afternoons are a sort of limbo time for University students — it's too early to go out, the motivation to do work was lost somewhere closer to Tuesday and the call of Netflix is stronger than ever.
Boylan Heights on the Corner may have found a solution to Friday fatigue: reggae guitarist and vocalist Greg Ward. Ward has been playing reggae music for more than 18 years. He brought his funk vibes to Boylan Heights last Friday.
“The main reason why I play is to bring people together and inspire spiritual thought and positivity,” Ward said at the show.
Ward looked the part of a reggae musician as he strummed his guitar on the outdoor patio: thick dreads snaked out from underneath wild brown hair and a warm smile shone through his beard.
Ward’s music mirrored his image. More mellow than the mushrooms down the street, Ward’s tunes were funky, relaxing and fun. Soulful vocals carried across groovy guitar solos which wrapped around the Corner, drawing looks and stopping more than a few passer-by’s.
Ward played many of his own songs, including “Love is the Solution” and “Rivers & Valleys”, mixed in with modern hits like Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours.” What Ward played, he played well.
“I really love all music,” Ward said. “I love bluegrass, to rock and roll, to jam band. Yeah I love all of them.”
A self-described “one man reggae show,” Ward uses a drum machine as his sole accompaniment. Despite the new rhythm it added to his performance, the drum machine was the weakest element of his show — it proved more distracting than entertaining.
Ward periodically interrupted his set to fiddle with the acoustics. Even then, the crackly stereo distorted some of the music’s original tone. A live drum set would have made for far better accompaniment and a more seamless transition between instruments.
Still, Ward’s music was one of the better ways to spend a Friday afternoon. Good vibes coupled with Ward’s natural warmth and friendliness made for a relaxing, upbeat show which was infinitely better than an evening of Netflix.
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