Ziggy Marley • Burning Spear • October 12, 2025 • Sandy Amphitheater
Reviewed and Photographed by Amelia Weyerstall
Ziggy Marley played a groovy set, playing a mix of his own original songs and the familiar reggae hits of his father Bob Marley. Burning Spear literally warmed up the crowd with their distinctive rhythms that brought nearly everyone to their feet to start moving to their Rasta beats. Everyone enjoyed the grooves, crisp fall air, beautiful sunset, and the positive vibes at Sandy Amphitheater.
It was the final show for the season at Sandy Amphitheater. We have thoroughly enjoyed covering concerts at Sandy Amp. It’s one of our favorite summertime venues, and we can’t wait to get back there in the spring.
Burning Spear
The legendary band Burning Spear took over the stage to open the night off right. “One shall meet and correspond with the sound from the Burning Spear.” Lead singer Winston Rodney had the crowd up on their feet, feeling the beat, and adding their own fire to the show. His powerful vocals and inspired percussion skills moved the crowd both literally and spiritually, and had them cheering to every song played.
Burning Spear’s band consisted of many members, but the fan favorites included guitar player, Cecil Ordonez, who was hyping up the crowd all night long with his outrageous dance moves and contagious energy. And the amazing brass section consisting of Trombonist Micah Robinson, Clyde Cummings playing the saxophone, and James Smith playing the trumpet kept the rhythms bouncing and showed their individual talents in their solo sections. Burning Spear joining the tour with Ziggy Marley is momentous for the reggae music community across the country, having two legendary bands with lasting legacies and timeless messages of peace and love shared through their music.
Ziggy Marley
David Nesta “Ziggy” Marley started the night off with a bang by playing “I Will Be Glad”. The crowd was instantly up on their feet, dancing along to the melody. After finishing the song, Ziggy said, “Lovely Utah, how you doing? It’s good to be here. You got to stay high on life now.” which of course introduced the song, “High on Life”. The positive energy radiated out of Ziggy’s body and could be felt throughout the crowd. It made everyone smile to see how much Ziggy enjoyed performing.
In his own philosophical and foretelling style, Ziggy spoke, “If you don’t know your past then you don’t know your future.” which was of course the introduction for “Tomorrow people” which Ziggy wrote as part of the musical group, Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, a family band consisting of the siblings of the Marley family from 1979-2002, during which time they won three Grammys.
Ziggy Marley’s songs spread peace, love, and thought-provoking messages. In 2003, he started his solo career with the solo debut album, “Dragonfly”. Since then, Ziggy has won 5 more Grammys for various albums, mostly in the best reggae album category. His lyrics talk about politics, the climate, and taking care of each other.
The lighting throughout Ziggy’s set reflected the colors of the Rastafarian color scheme: Red, Gold, and Green. The minimal set design of a bare stage with just a rug on the ground made the performance feel very grounded and down to earth. The crowd was filled with Rastafari hats, dreadlocks, and various outfits with Ziggy Marley’s face on them, and a few commemorating Bob Marley.
Ziggy carries on his father’s memory through his music and humanitarianism. The crowd went wild for Ziggy’s rendition of his father’s song, “Three Little Birds”. Everyone sang along, and truly wasn’t worrying about a thing in that moment. Ziggy was encouraging the crowd to sing even louder; it was clear he loved hearing the crowd sing a song I’m sure he had heard thousands of times through his childhood and life. In regard to his social impact, Ziggy Marley’s non-profit organization U.R.G.E. helps build schools, health clinics, and supports other local organizations in Jamaica, Ethiopia, and North America. Ziggy was also one of the first Goodwill Youth Ambassadors for the United Nations.
The band behind Ziggy was wonderful; their instrumental abilities helped make the performance feel engaging, and the interactions between the whole band and Ziggy made it seem like just watching a group of friends having fun on stage together. Backup vocalists and dancers, Natasha Pearce and Tracy Hazzard, add an extra special touch to the performance. Their choreography that matches each song makes the performance engaging and adds a visual element to the concert. They weren’t the only ones who were dancing, though.
Ziggy was up and bouncing around during his whole set, which brought the crowd’s energy up as well. The crowd was cheering wildly for songs like “Circle of Peace”, “Get Up, Stand Up”, and “Look Who’s Dancing”. The whole night was magical; the music radiated through Ziggy’s body, making it a night to remember.
