I’ve been slow on catching the Jamaican legends in concert. Haven’t caught the Skatalites. Flaked out on Jimmy Cliff. Got lazy in Marcia Griffiths. Avoided Toots and the Maytals.

It’s fitting then, that the legends are slow in getting to me. I’m sitting in Ruby downtown right now, waiting for The Wailers to load in over at the Knit. They were held up in the weather and just pulled in a few minutes ago. The draw is Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett, the original bassist from Bob Marley’s seminal group. Barrett played in Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s house band before Perry fused Aston and brother/drummer Carly with the Wailers’ vocalists.

Those sweetly addicting baselines to songs like Exodus or Stir It Up? Written by Family Man.

And now Radiohead is floating through Ruby and I’ve got a fresh drink.

Out to Airbag.