The Militia of Love is the premier West Coast Rub-a-Dub reggae band, featuring members from The Cardiff Reefers, Rock Steady Posse, Dubwize, and Pura Vida. The group has shared the stage w/ many reggae greats such as Jimmy Cliff, The Mighty Diamonds, The Itals, Pato Banton, Yellowman, Rebelution, Mikey Dread, Eek a Mouse, Michael Rose, and the Wailing Souls. The band has also backed Earl Zero, Messenjah Selah, Toussaint, and Lujan.

 

Militia of Love's current line up includes:

 

Rob Melendez
A graduate of UCSD with a BA in music, Rob was the founding member of San Diego's Cardiff Reefers ('87 - '95). He also performed with Rock Steady Posse, the Toyes, High St., Randy Baldwin, and Boomystic ('96 - '04). He formed the Militia of Love in 2006 with members of previous projects. Best known as a bassist and harmony vocalist, Melendez showcases his songwriting and arranging skills while singing lead in the Militia of Love. He and the band are based in Monterey county.

Gregg Ichikawa
is a graduate of the Guitar Institute of Technology('93). He performed with Melendez in San Luis Obispo's Rock Steady Posse ('94 -'97). He joined Boomystic in 2003 and continued on with the Militia of Love. Gregg plays rhythm and lead guitar and is a long time resident of the Salinas valley. He also formed Stir it up, a roots Reggae cover band.

 

Efrain Cantu
performed in drum corps for eight years, two of them in the Santa Clara Vanguard ('85 - '87), playing lead snare and instructing. He played the drumkit with Bed of Thorns ('87 - '95), and as a percussionist, he played in Mendocino county's Pura Vida ('95 -'02). In 2002, he joined High St., then Boomystic and remains the solid foundation of the Militia of Love. A native of the South Bay, he now resides in Monterey county.

 

Steve Sagrero
is a self taught keyboardist who has been playing since 1998, his first group was Salinas Valley's Dubwize. Within the last few years, he has branched out, performing with other local groups, including Stir It Up, along with Gregg and Efrain. He joined the Militia in August of 2009. He has backed Reggae veterans: Mikey Dread, Eek a Mouse, and Eddie Fitzroy and newcomers: Al Pancho, Gavinchi, and Messenjah Selah. Stevie is a long time resident of the Salinas Valley.

Lara Price
is Militia of Love's newest member, joining the group in August of 2011. Price started singing at the age of 12, after studying piano since the age of 6. She continued her vocal studies operatically at BSU, before arriving in the San Francisco Bay in 1997. By 1998, Lara began running her own blues jam at JJ's Blues in San Jose, and was featured in the September issue of The Blues Revue Magazine. The Lara Price Band, a rootsy, rockin' blues band, toured across the US and China and has released five cds, produced and co-written by Price. Lara also fronts and leads other musical projects: Lara Unplugged, an acoustic duo, Velvet Plum, a popular top 40 party band, and the Lara Price Blues Revue, a fantastic 10 piece R&B show band. With Militia of Love, she sings lead and harmony vocals, and brings her soulful stage presence to the group's live shows.

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