The reggae band The Human Rights (THR) first came across my browser window when a friend messaged me about her brother being in the group. The band was touring through Austin in early 2024 and though I missed them on their first pass, I wasn’t about to miss them as they performed at Austin Reggae Fest in early.
Austin Reggae Fest takes place each spring at Auditorium Shores in downtown Austin. It’s located along the south bank of Ladybird Lake and on warm evenings it is my favorite venue in the whole city. From a blanketed spot on Auditorium Shores’ lawn, you can catch everything happening on Reggae Fest’s main stage while soaking in the early-evening sun arching across Austin’s bulging skyline. Though the festival is well-attended, especially during headliner performances, it manages to give attendees space to breath and enjoy the greatness of our city while not also inducing claustrophobia like Austin’s 6th and Rainey Streets.
The Human Rights hail from Toronto, Canada, and is known as one of the premier reggae acts of our northern neighbors. Their YouTube channel gives you a sense of the music and hints at their performance style, but when you see the band live they carry themselves with casual professionalism. The music feels simultaneously organic and fully-formed. Well-drilled but un-starched. And, while I’ve seen plenty of acts where front-men carry themselves in hyper-masculine, dominant ways, THR’s vocal leaders,Tréson and Christopher James Hatton, spent the majority of their set celebrating the band’s members while dancing, smiling, and playfully pointing fingers in celebration of the moment. So confident were Tréson and Hatton in their and the band’s abilities that posturing was wholly unnecessary.
At around 5pm on Friday night THR gathered center-stage for their traditional team huddle before beginning their set. After a collective “Rastafari!” cheer, the driving bass beats, from Tyler Wagler, and the two person horn section, of Lauren Barnett and Tom Richards, led the brassy charge on the song “One Foot Skank” before taking the crowd on a journey through the rest of their setlist.
Though some of the crowd was still filing-in from their Friday work day, the audience was soon baptized with Tréson and Hatton’s vocals. They were a veritable two-headed dragon of front men weaving between each others’ stanzas and trading smiles and hugs during the frequent instrumental interludes
And, perhaps the unheralded stars of the festival were the American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters. The festival’s culture presents as extremely inclusive, and with Austin’s sizable deaf population along with the Texas School for the Deaf located less than a mile away, I’m grateful for organizers’ attempts at inclusivity and accessibility. While I’ve seen ASL music interpreter viral videos, these signers were deserving of their own fan accounts as they pivoted their bodies back-and-forth while frantically gesticulating to the fast-moving and difficult lyrics.
Drawing from their vast repertoire, THR effortlessly navigated what is likely an audience of first-timers to their music. Each rhythm, song, and movement causing the audience to vibrate with THR’s unique brand of energy and kindness. Though the stereotypes of a reggae band may come off as kitsch to a Reggae Fest newbie like myself, I didn’t feel any hints of inauthenticity to the band’s messages and presentation. What came through most loudly through catchy songs and cool people was the encouragement for being good to one another, to work as a society to put a stop to endless war, and to enjoy the day that you are given. It was a sermon I needed to hear in the midst of such a chaotic time.
The entire festival experience and THR performance was a testament to the beauty of the moment. And, as their performance ended, with my heart full and my spirit lifted, I hopped on my bike and bid adieu to Auditorium Shores. And, with the sun hanging low over Austin’s hills I felt an immense amount of gratitude for the goodness that The Human Rights gave to all in attendance. If they are passing through your neck of the woods, or if you’re nearby to Toronto, I would absolutely recommend catching a live performance of this wonderful band in person. You may just come out feeling weightless.
