Dub band brings tunes for dancing, thinking

Talk about good vibrations: The atmospheric reggae subgenre of dub has a reverb-heavy magnetism that can turn a newcomer into a fan before a song is over.

Chris O’Brian of Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad frequently sees the transformation from behind his drum kit. He relishes watching people catch on to the delights of what he calls dub’s “soundscapey vibe” and never tires of spotting that sense of discovery.

“It’s so hysterical to watch that reaction from behind the drums,” O’Brian said.

The Giant Panda drummer will perform Tuesday evening at the Southern Cafe and Music Hall with his bandmates — bassist and vocalist James Searl; guitarist and vocalist Dylan Savage; Aaron Lipp on Hammond B3 organ, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, harmonica and vocals; Dan Keller on guitar and vocals; and sound/dub engineer Joel Scanlon.

O’Brian said he and Searl grew up together and started performing together in 1999.

“We’ve known we wanted to do this since we were kids,” he said. Now they’re sharing dub’s appeal with their audiences.

“It has a physiological effect on people — the bass and the rhythm and how it all interlocks together,” O’Brian said. “It’s hard to deny that feeling. The energy just sort of takes you.”

That’s why the band thinks it’s important to pay attention to the vibes in the room and the crowds’ reactions. If you’re completely new to dub, “I would definitely recommend going to LivePanda.com and listening to our live show,” O’Brian said, adding the caveat that the show does change from night to night.

“You can’t go out there and play your deepest cuts that your fans love if folks have no reference point,” he said. “We’re just trying to make new fans and new friends.”

The unmistakable power in the music to make people think even while it makes them dance is why Giant Panda carefully treads a line between respecting reggae’s heritage and tweaking tradition to discuss contemporary American topics in lyrics.

The men wouldn’t dream of posing as experts on Jamaican sociopolitical history — “We’re from Rochester, New York, where it snows half the year,” the drummer said — but they work hard to stay true to reggae ideals.

“We acknowledge that and kind of live in it,” O’Brian said.

“ ’70s Jamaican music is about the political situation in Jamaica and Africa at the time. Our song content may be a lot different from ’70s reggae. To some people, it’s a breath of fresh air to have today’s issues talked about.”

And Giant Panda has a secret weapon in that regard.

“James can really paint a crazy picture with words,” O’Brian said of his friend.