The Georgia Straight presents the Wailers at the Commodore

Melo Productions has announced that Jamaican reggae group the Wailers will perform—with guests Robert Steffens and Shane Philip— on Saturday, February 23, 2013, at the Commodore Ballroom.

Formed in 1969 when Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, and Peter Tosh recruited the Barrett brothers (bassist Aston “Family Man” and drummer Carly), the Wailers have sold over 250 million albums and have performed for an estimated 24 million people worldwide. Outside of their groundbreaking work with Marley, the Wailers have also played or performed with the likes of Sting, the Fugees, Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, and Alpha Blondy, as well as reggae legends such as Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, and Burning Spear.

Reggae historian Roger Steffens joins the Wailers for a journey into the musical history of the royal family of reggae. Steffens, a frequent lecturer on Bob Marley’s life at hundreds of venues, including the Smithsonian Institution, will provide a behind-the-scenes look into Bob Marley & the Wailers’ Survival Tour of 1979-1980. Steffens is the only historian to have joined Marley on the road, and he is now generously opening his vault to share exclusive tour photos and rehearsal footage.

Following this multimedia presentation, the Wailers will perform the iconic Survival album in its entirety, which includes songs like, “So Much Trouble in the World,” “Africa Unite" and "Ride Natty Ride.”

Tickets for the show are priced at $28.50 (plus service charges and fees) and go on sale this Friday (November 30) at 10 a.m. but Straight readers can take advantage of our exclusive presale from Wednesday (November 28) at 10 a.m. to Thursday (November 29) at 10 p.m. by going to the Ticketmaster website and submitting the password MARLEY.

Tickets also available for purchase at Highlife and Zulu Records, Salon Supreme, Rehanah's Roti, Piassa Hairdressing Salon, Patty Shop & Caribbean Market, and at all Ticketmaster outlets.

And don't forget to become a fan of the Georgia Straight on Facebook and sign up for THE LIST newsletter for more concert announcements, contests, and exclusive “beat the lines” presale passwords.