The smart sound of“Slightly Stoopid” at Ives Concert Park

Although they aren’t the most commonly known band in the mainstream, Slightly

Slightly Stoopid line up: Miles - Guitar, Bass, Vocals Kyle - Guitar, Bass, Vocals Rymo - Drums O.G. - Congas, Percussion, Harp, Vocals Dela - Saxophone C-Money - Trumpet and Keyboards Photo Credits: Jared Milgrim and Jeff Farsai Stoopid has been a rising star in the underground for years now. Originally signed by Bradley Nowell, lead singer of Sublime, to “Skunk Records” while the founding members were still in high school, Slightly Stoopid has gone on to be one of the most successful independent musical acts in history.

In 2000, to avoid the restrictions of a major record label, the group started their own label, “Stoopid Records” and their album sales have passed the 700,000 mark.

The music of Slightly Stoopid is a unique mixture of reggae and punk, sometimes referred to as DUB/Rock or reggaefusion, a genre that the band helped to pioneer alongside Sublime, easily the best known of the DUB/ Rock artists. Other bands of the genre include Ace of Base, Matisyahu, No Doubt, 311 and Damian Marley.

Slightly Stoopid has benefited from a loyal fan-base that has built their popularity from the ground up, and each successive album release by the band garners more attention and interest from the public.

A sure sign of success is an appearance on a late-night talk show, and Slightly Stoopid has just crossed that barrier with their appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” where they performed their biggest hit to date, “Closer to the Sun”, featured on the album of the same name in 2005.

As it says on the band’s biography page: “I think consistently touring is important,” explains Miles. “Most people take the route of trying to be successful without even getting out there for people to hear what your band is about.

The most important thing is you can be playing in front of zero people or 20,000 people, and you’ve still got to rock the show. When we were first starting out, literally, we played in front of nobody.

We’d show up at the club, and it would be bartenders and security guards, and ‘Yo, play your hour set – here you go!’ But after you play that show, they tell some of their friends and their friends tell some friends. I think the Internet has helped us a lot too, because people were able to spread the word about the music easier.

The most important part is being out there 200 days a year. You’re going back to towns twice a year, so people get to come out, and that gave us a real loyal following.

Wherever we go, you have these Stoopidheads going crazy. For us, it’s pretty much the greatest job in the world.”

While they are definitely more popular out west, Slightly Stoopid tours all over the country, and this month they’re coming to Danbury, CT as part of their “Legalize It 2010” tour. On the 24th, Slightly Stoopid will be performing alongside Cypress Hill and Collie Buddz at the Ives Center on Lake Avenue in Danbury.

Tickets can be purchased for $35 on the Ives Concert Park website at http:// www.ivesconcertpark.com/events. html.