A promotional group photograph showing three members of the Hawaiian reggae-rock band Pepper posing enthusiastically outdoors under a bright blue sky. On the left, vocalist and bassist Bret Bollinger wears dark sunglasses, a black baseball cap, and a short-sleeved button-down shirt patterned with skulls and flowers while making a triumphant fist. In the center, drummer Yesod Williams wears a yellow baseball cap, a long greying beard, and a matching patterned short-sleeved shirt with his arms raised. On the right, guitarist and vocalist Kaleo Wassman wears sunglasses, a black cap, and an unbuttoned matching floral skull shirt exposing his torso and abdominal tattoo while raising his hands with a wide open-mouthed expression.Pepper Credit: dixxonflannelco / Instagram

That smell? We’re halfway to Reggae Rise Up, people.

The On High party is just one day, but it brings staples of the reggae-rock genre back to downtown St. Petersburg, from Big Island-born trio Pepper to The Movement from South Carolina. Aer’s Carter Reeves brings his feel-good reggae-pop project Surfer Girl to the pier, too.

Tickets to see Pepper, The Movement, Surfer Girl, Brother Ali, and The Grouch & Eligh at St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg on Friday, Aug. 28 are still available and start at $40.66.

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This article appears in August 27 – September 02, 2026.

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Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief…
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