Music lovers seeking something out of the ordinary and uplifting can head to Ocean’s Bar and Grill from 8 to 11 p.m. tonight to hear the five-piece, alternative-reggae band “Rootz Within.” Band members from Minnesota, now living on Hawaii Island,
Music lovers seeking something out of the ordinary and uplifting can head to Ocean’s Bar and Grill from 8 to 11 p.m. tonight to hear the five-piece, alternative-reggae band “Rootz Within.” Band members from Minnesota, now living on Hawaii Island, perform uplifting jam songs in hopes of spreading a positive message through music, culture and friendship. Their mission is to make an impact on today’s world through inspiring audiences with their performance art.
Rootz Within is a fusion of two musical groups who came together for a project, and ultimately through their Minnesota roots, came together to create their own fusion sound.
Shea Volker, who plays drums, and Ryan Engberg, who plays bass, were in a funk rock trio that had been touring about the Midwest and Rocky Mountain regions of the mainland and had just released their first album when the third member of the trio quit in August 2015.
Jonah Bowe and Tyler Renney (singers/guitarists) along with Anita Cargiuolo (djembe) spent the summer of 2015 playing acoustic shows at several Minnesota music festivals with a different band. By coincidence, both bands were scheduled to perform at this same Wisconsin festival.
“Shea and I were contracted to run sound at one of the stages at this festival in addition to our own set,” says Engberg. “Since we suddenly found ourselves without a band member, and we’d improvised together before, we asked Jonah, Tyler and Anita if they were interested in playing our set with us. Intrigued with the idea of having a full rhythm section, they agreed.”
“Both sets went so smoothly, we knew we were on to something and invited them to play the festivals and shows we already had booked for the rest of the year,” said Volker.
Bowe was a regular visitor to Hawaii Island and invited the others to join him for FlowFest in Kalapana in 2016. After FlowFest, the band played several shows together on the island and decided to commit to each other as the new band, “Rootz Within.”
“Music has been such a positive tool each of us in this band has relied on to get through different elements of life,” Bowe said. “We are driven to give people that same tool in the same way we have received it. Our goal is that people leave our shows feeling hopeful, inspired and most importantly, positive! With so much negativity in the world, we feel that a positive perspective is necessary to survive and come out of this in a better place.”
Since becoming Rootz Within, the band spent the rest of 2016 playing shows at venues and festivals across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota before returning to Hawaii to start the new year.
“We’ve had so much fun playing for crowds in Honokaa, Kona, Hilo, Pahoa, and at Uncle Robert’s in Kalapana,” said Engberg. “It’s been such an honor and truly a privilege to play for so many who really listen and feel our message. You just don’t see that so consistently on the mainland as we have discovered here.”
With a primarily reggae sound, Rootz Within doesn’t believe in performing only one genre of music.
“We are five unique souls mixing our vast and different musical and personal backgrounds into this group, because we all have different roots within,” said Bowe. “We are constantly trying to expand, improve and add as much as we can, because our roots are constantly growing and evolving. The one thing our shows have in common is leaving you feeling uplifted and inspired.”
After tonight’s show, the group performs at La Hiki Ola in Pahoa on April 8; Hilo Town Tavern on April 21; and The Landing in Honokaa on April 22 before heading to the mainland for shows in Minnesota and Wisconsin. ■
