Richie Spice & The All Spice Band brought the heat to Flatbread

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Richie Spice performed at Flatbread this past Wednesday. — Photo by Kelsey Perrett

Along with his eight-piece band, reggae artist Richie Spice drew a large crowd of 20-somethings to Edgartown’s Flatbread Company. Or rather, he drew them to the dance floor.

Spice’s rootsy rhythms and crooning vocals paid homage to traditional reggae style, not to mention ancestral Rastafarian themes.

“My responsibility is to use the talent that God gave me as an instrument to uplift people who are facing the struggle worldwide and let them feel happy in themselves,” Spice says on his website. A wise and noble use of his vocal talents, since you can’t understand a word he says if he’s not singing. Highlights of the night included Spice’s original “Gideon Boot” into reggae classic “Johnny Too Bad,” as well as a tribute to John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane.”

The event marked the return of the Nectar’s influence to the Island, after a lull last summer in which the venues, and the bookings, seemed sorely lacking. Nectar’s Presents, a booking agency headquartered out of Burlington, Vt., will present a number of shows at Flatbread throughout the summer. Locals expressed excitement, not only to see Flatbread resurrected as a venue, but for the remainder of the summer lineup, which includes NRBQ, Freddie McGregor, Maceo Parker, The Felice Brothers, and others.

For more information on schedules and tickets, visit flatbreadcompany.com.