“Killed it” has become term du jour for festival slaying these days, but Jamaicans have a better expression for what Barrington Levy did Sunday evening: murderation! The dancehall originator opened with Bounty Killer collaboration “Living Dangerously” but leaned mostly on the classic early Eighties records cementing his legendary status on the island, which fill the crates of any respectable DJ. A solid fourpiece band doubled down on the low-end theory behind nails-tough riddims originally crafted by the Roots Radics Band (“Prison Oval Rock,” “A Yah We Deh,” “My Woman,” “Murderer”), while an updated “Under Mi Sensi” revealed that Levy likes his collie herbs seedless. Despite being dressed like Russell Simmons at Chippendales (crisp white ball cap, gaudy tuxedo vest, and bow tie, no shirt), the blue-mountain yodeler was on point. His signature skat-yodel led to elaborate audience call-and-response, none more than on the massive buildup leading to smash “Here I Come”: Shoodily-wop-boop-diddily-diddily-whoooooaaaaa!
This article appears in October 19 • 2012.
