POPULAR NYC REGGAE & SKA PARTY HITS THE ROAD
Version City Tour to Bring New York Ska to the Rest of the East Coast

This winter King Django, former front man of Stubborn All-Stars and founder of Stubborn Records, will embark on a month long tour of the east coast with musical support from Philadelphia reggae act The Snails and Matt MacLeod of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania’s soul-reggae troupe The Heavy Beat. Kicking off December 15 from New London, Connecticut, the tour will touch down in cities all along the eastern seaboard reaching deep into Florida before returning to the Northeast in mid-January.

The Version City Tour aims to spread the positive vibrations of New York City’s seminal Version City Parties where, since 1997, Django and friends have hosted countless ska, rocksteady and reggae bands, artists and DJs to share and celebrate their love for the roots and offshoots of Jamaican music.

In the words of Steve Shafer, operator of the popular ska blog Duff Guide to Ska, “This winter, some of the best musicians [of] the US ska scene are banding together … and bringing the ska to the people.” King Django and the Snails have joined forces once before, running a short tour through New England in January of 2012. The “old-school” King Django has said he is excited to take this group of “young upstarts” on the road for the second time.

Coinciding with the tour, Stubborn Records will be releasing a new full-length King Django CD entitled “Anywhere I Roam” as well as The Snails’ debut vinyl 7” EP “The River,” both recorded at Version City Studios. The tour will also signify Matt MacLeod’s first efforts as a band leading solo artist, deviating from his usual role as co-leader of the Heavy Beat. Overall, the Version City Tour will be a monumental event for all artists involved.

Fans and concert goers can expect to be treated to a plethora of musical sounds and styles ranging from traditional Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae to American soul and rhythm & blues.
To learn more about the Version City Tour, check facebook.com/versioncitytour and reverbnation.com/versioncitytour for show listings and samples of each bands’ music, and be sure to follow the tour as it heads south this winter on Twitter @versioncitytour