Raggs Back From Asia Tour; Will Play Big Dipper Tonight

It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Jamaican transplant and reggae singer Raggs.

Tonight, he and his band, Bush Doktor will play their first Spokane show in months at the Big Dipper.

In what seems like a dream tour, Raggs recently arrived home to Spokane from a fourmonth, all-expenses-paid tour of Asia.

“I had some great shows in Singapore … they were very successful,” said the singer, who migrated from Jamaica to the U.S. a few years ago. “We mainly played at clubs and hotels.”

The tour went over so well Raggs is already making arrangements to go back in a couple of months. This time he’ll also play to audiences in China, Japan and Malaysia.

“My priority is to be a messenger and a world traveler,” he said.

Raggs has toured other parts of the world, as well. Last year, he made his second visit to Europe and pulled off some successful shows there.

While he is in the states, Raggs will continue to work on getting his album ready for release. He recorded the album last year in Jamaica with legendary reggae musicians and production gurus Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare.

“We’re trying to release singles from the album right now,” said Raggs. “There’s a lot of work to be done on an album before you can release.”

Raggs hopes another label will pick up the album. Some labels have already agreed to release singles for him.

In December, he will again make the trek back to Jamaica to record his second album. Though he plans to resume working with Sly and Robbie, Raggs will also record in Tuff Gong studio (Bob Marley’s old studio) with Aston “Family Man” Barrett (Marley’s longtime bass player) at the production helm.

Reggae music begins at 9:30 p.m.

The cover is $5. Bring you ID.

Elsewhere in the night

The pairing of Tacoma’s Girl Trouble with Boise’s Violent Green Saturday at the Big Dipper is definitely an odd one.

Since 1983, Girl Trouble has made a name for itself in underground as a monster garage rock band. Its up-tempo, beersoaked songs range in subject matter from Elvis movie themes to grandma go-go dancers.

Violent Green’s music, still relatively new to Northwest ears, is more serious and quite a bit more complicated than Girl Trouble’s.

Featuring original Treepeople bassist Wayne Rhino Flower, Violent Green is one of several disjointed pop bands holding the Boise music scene hostage.

The trio just released its debut album, “Eros,” which is its second release for the Sub Pop-distributed Up Records. Girl Trouble’s last full-length album, “New American Shame,” came out in 1993 on eMpTy Records.

Guitarded opens at 9:30 p.m. Admission is $4. Bring your ID.

On Tuesday, it will be “reefer madness” at the Big Dipper as it welcomes seven-year reggae veteran the Cardiff Reefers.

The always-traveling Cardiff Reefers have a new, three-song CD out called “Black Rain.”

The Salinas, Calif., band’s past efforts include two full-length recordings: 1990’s “Alternate Roots” and 1992’s “Reefer Madness.”

Music begins at 9:30 p.m.