Joseph Hill and Culture: Age-Defying Reggae

If someone tells you a reggae show starts at midnight, it usually means 1:30 a.m. In the case of Culture's concert Friday at Crossroads, it meant more like 11:15 p.m. So a reporter arriving at 11:45 really could do nothing more than curse himself for missing the first 30 minutes of a 100-minute concert -- especially because the 70 minutes he did see proved that Culture leader Joseph Hill is not only one of the best songwriters in the history of roots reggae, but also a charming and charismatic performer. Hill's scratchy tenor sounded a little hoarse when he chatted between songs, but his voice was nothing but golden when he sang, accompanied by fellow Culture singers Telford Nelson and Albert Walker and backed by D.C.'s fantastic Forces of Justice band.

Decked out in a natty knee-length suit coat, a dress hat holding back his dreadlocks, Hill danced, high-kicked and teased the crowd, drawing from 30-plus years of performing experience. During "International Herb," people sang along as they waved their arms and cellphones in the air, but Hill stopped the song and made them scream for more. For "Love Shines Brighter," one of Culture's most uplifting singalongs, Hill went down on one knee to croon.

But for all his playful showmanship, Hill is a righteous crusader at heart. He introduced a cover of Peter Tosh's "Equal Rights" by saying: "I was born for justice. And when I die, bury me in a casket called Equal Rights."

"Two Sevens Clash" is Hill's most famous composition, a classic cut from 1976 that talked about the apocalypse hitting on 7/7/77. It didn't, natch, but the tune still sounds incredible today. Hill introduced it by saying, "If you ever write a good song -- or even [create] a piece of furniture -- good things don't grow old." The same can be said of Joseph Hill and Culture.

-- Christopher Porter