BrotherS in the Struggle

It's called "Roots Reggae Rock," and the band that made this breed of rock-infused reggae ubiquitous calls itself Natty Nation. Tonight at 10 p.m., five members of this up-and-coming band will take the stage at Uncle Fester's House of Blooze to share their unique sounds and pass along what they feel is bridging the gap between not just reggae and rock, but between all types of music.\nStraight from Madison, Wis., Natty Nation has been together since the mid-'90s after a few of the members were victims of another group's break-up, Arawak Jah. Demetrius Wainwright's on bass, Aaron Konkol's on keyboards, Peter Johnson and Paul Willis play drums and percussion and Stefan Truesdell rounds them out with guitar. Wainwright, Konkol and Truesdell take care of the vocals.\nNatty Nation, who has opened for groups as popular as A Tribe Called Quest, say they play their music to inspire the unity of people from all different cultures of the world -- hence the moniker "Natty Nation." They also play to spread the ideas of Jah, the Rastafarian word for God, by ensuring that no negativity exists in their music. They've performed in nearly 30 states since banding together more than eight years ago and hope to someday tour internationally at venues in Europe, Japan and possibly South America.\nAlthough Natty Nation has been influenced mainly by the rock sounds of Jimi Hendrix and the reggae vibe of Bob Marley, they feel many other types of music can relate to theirs.\n"Our music has many other elements," Truesdell says. "We are influenced by soul, hip-hop, metal, funk, drum and bass and jazz."\nThe positive reviews of Natty Nation that come from all types of college and city newspapers around the country have increased their popularity at a significant rate. The Chicago Sun-Times calls them, "A blazing live act -- the group performs conscious roots-style reggae, blended with a hard rock edge." And radio personality Professor Skank of KDHX-FM in St. Louis says, "Natty Nation is truly one of America's best reggae bands … as they play conscious roots with a rock 'n roll edge."\nUnlike many bands in today's music world, the members of Natty Nation are very close with one another. Before they formed Natty Nation, most of them had known each other for nearly 10 years.\n"We consider each other family," Truesdell says. "(We are) brothers of the struggle."\nIn 2001 the band came upon serious tragedy when they lost their lead vocalist, Jeffrey Maxwell, to cancer. They overcame his death by doing their best to put things into perspective and focusing more on the big picture. Konkol was added to the band when Maxwell could no longer perform, and a brand-new aspect came to their sound.\nThe band continued to center on what they were trying to accomplish when Maxwell had to leave. Staying true to that idea two years later, fame and fortune don't seem to be at the top of Natty Nation's list of priorities either, as they say no show is too small for them.\n"We're not really trying to make a new category as much as put our influence in what we do," Truesdell says. "We like to spread a positive vibe towards everyone who listens to our music." \nInatty in Jah Music, the band's newest album, was dedicated to the memory of Maxwell and it features bits and pieces from his past interviews. This album, like those in Natty Nation's past, is inspired by spontaneity and everyday events that occur in the real world. \n"Hold on Strong," which focuses on overcrowding of prisons, is one song featured on the album. Soon after the release of Inatty in Jah Music, Natty Nation began working hard on a new album and they hope it can be released within the next few months.