Pay day. What gets you excited about life? For 55-year-old Tony Brown, it's his vibrant, funk-driven music, and he utterly oozes enthusiasm - like an ebullient uncle at a family reunion.
Tony Brown and the 608 Riddim Section will make their grand return Saturday to Iowa City's live-music scene at 10 p.m. at the Yacht Club.
And after a seven-year absence, Brown is pumped about bringing his band's reggae roots music back to the area. "Music fans will hear the difference in the caliber of the music," he said. "I haven't heard any band on a regional level with the type of message we are giving in our music.
" That message: a lesson in musical philosophy. Brown believes that music is one of the few elements of human existence that penetrates all social boundaries. "It has to give something vitally positive to people," he said, "Otherwise, it's just good-sounding sound.
It's similar to Bob Marley - he talked about the really hard things, but he gave you enlightenment. Same with Stevie Wonder. He sang about not the best of situations, but the way he said it gives you hope.
" Brown emphasizes the 608 Riddim Section's genre-twisting sound. "Our prime directive is reggae, but we incorporate R B, ska, funk, Latin, jazz, blues. It's hard to put a finger on what we sound like.
" He began work on his "career" at age 8, the son of a mother and grandfather on the black vaudeville circuit. He grew up in Waterloo, surrounded by a world of music and performance. He joined his older cousin's band but never let his young age get in the way of his passion.
"Because of my size, the band would take one of those eyebrow pencils and draw me a little mustache to make me feel older … All the teenage girls used to think I was older. I thought that was pretty cool.
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