Merry Christmas in advance! Usually we're getting ready for Christmas around now but we couldn't resist when we heard that John Brown's Body wanted to do a show (their only BC appearance for this tour;) In case you haven't heard of Easy Star Records' JOHN BROWN'S BODY, they're one of the most exciting reggae bands coming out of the US. Hailing from Cambridge John Brown's Body has gone through ups and downs throughout being a band - perhaps the biggest loss being their original bass player Scott Palmer who died of cancer in 2006. But despite that, the band bounced back and now have a brand new album to get the reggae community around the world excited about once again. That album is called "AMPLIFY" proudly released through Easy Star Records. The album features twelve original tracks, showcasing the group's broad palette of influences - from classic UK reggae of the 70's to West African instrumentation, and even spaghetti westerns. This album, which is debuted on the Reggae Billboard Charts at #1 is the group's first release since 2005's Pressure Points (Easy Star), features a new band lineup and many special guests.

Opening for John Brown's Body will be Shane Philip, who is one of Canada's best didge players. His new album "In the Moment" is still being discovered and his live shows are solid every time.

And finally Athena Holmes (formally in Southern Chakaras) has been making a name for herself in the east (Montreal) and is excited to be a part of the VICTORIA BC SKA SOCIETY REGGAE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR. And spectacular it will be!

Advance tickets on sale now at Lyle's Place, Ditch Records, The Reef, Strathcona Hotel, Fascinating Rhythms (in Nanaimo) and Ticketweb.ca