Black Uhuru: reggae royalty with guests Indubious

(a portion of this piece was published by Planet JH Weekly)Arguably the most successful of the second-generation post-Marley reggae bands, Black Uhuru (meaning “freedom” in Swahili) has maintained despite numerous personnel changes in their four decade-plus history. Trying to figure out what the band has been up to in the last several years, or even its current lineup, was a rather empty endeavor (not even the venue could answer). This seems to be a commonality among a few of the old-school reggae bands -- stay the course regardless of new creative output or fan contact, and rely on your brand to get people in the door.A mess of legal battles between founding members ensued in 1996, an era when two separate bands were touring under the name Black Uhuru. That court decision sided with bandleader Derrick “Duckie” Simpson, who now tours with Andrew Bees and Kaye Starr, among other backing members. In 1983, Black Uhuru was the first reggae band to win a Grammy for Anthem. They further broke the mold by touring worldwide with The Clash, The Police and Rolling Stones, among others. After an eight-year break from touring, the band began touring worldwide again in 2011.Opening the show will be Indubious. The Southern Oregon trio is fronted by brothers Evan “Evton B” Burton (keys and vocals) and Spencer “Skip Wicked” Burton (bass and vocals) coining their mix of roots-reggae and electronic as “roots-tronica.” Black Uhuru with guests Indubious, 9 p.m. Friday at the Pink Garter Theatre. $26/advance, $29/day-of-show. PinkGarterTheatre.com.