Local rocksteady ska reggae band The Duppies will be playing Friday as part of Bo Diddley Plaza’s Free Fridays concert series.
The seven-piece band consists of Brian Hiebel on percussion and vocals, Daniel Kinney on drums, Tony Farah on bass, Jose Piñeiro on tenor sax, harmonica and vocals, Chris Chairson guitar and Ryan Bonner on keys. The band formedin Gainesville in 2004.
Kristen Van Dyke, a 2014 UF alumna who majored in English and psychology, said she discovered The Duppies due to her devotion to Gainesville’s local music scene and her drive to support local bands.
“I first saw them in 2014 at either a house party or at the Atlantic,” Van Dyke said. “The Duppies have a fun, jam-style sound and the members were always really nice.”
According to the press release, the band’s name was inspired from the Jamaican word duppy, which in Jamaican folklore is defined as “an unruly spirit risen from a consecrated grave.” The Duppies said their music has been known to send audiences into frenetic dancing spasms that can only be described as musical convulsions of the soul.
Van Dyke said she has since seen the band live three or four times.
“Their shows have a great, lively energy to them,” Van Dyke said. “They’re really fun.”
Every Friday night from May through October, music fans will be able to see artists from a diversity of genres, from classic rock to soul, perform on Bo Diddley Plaza’s concert stage. The Duppies’ free concert starts at 8 p.m. and ends at 10 p.m.
