Ziggy Marley didn’t have to ask the near-capacity crowd to read between the lines. There was no mistaking his intent. Marley and his nine-piece riddim machine played for unity, peace, and love. 

On this late September Thursday evening- more tropical than first blush of autumn- Marley bounded onstage at the portside, open-air venue. Warm, sticky breezes carried the first notes of “Three Little Birds,” a classic from Marley’s iconic father, Bob. Every little thing was going to be alright.

Marley’s never been one to preach to his faithful. His music is the message. And the message, mostly, over his 90-minute set was as forthright as the song titles, themselves. There was the optimism early of “I Will Be Glad,” and “High on Life,” the latter explicitly rejecting the cynics and oppressors. Too, Marley went way back, nearly four decades to his days leading the Melody Makers, for “Tomorrow People,” probing for a better path forward.

He offered darker, slinking affection on “Beach in Hawaii,” then called back to Bob on “Positive Vibration.” For the performance’s middle-third, Marley’s tone shifted to his catalog’s more political selections. There was the pulsing bounce of “Be Free,” the more strident “Personal Revolution,” and in the incisive, indicting “See Dem Fake Leaders.”

Marley gave no pretext to the songs. He offered almost no introductions. He didn’t need to- the targets of his missives appeared obvious.

At the outset, Marley did address the anxious times we live in; one of the few times he said anything to the Boston mass packing the pavilion. Midway through, he did string together a trio of tracks from his father that required no further footnotes: “Get Up, Stand Up/War/No More Trouble.” During “War,” Marley gripped his forehead, almost hypnotized by the moment, locked in the sway.

Out of the heavy, Marley shifted again, to more peaceful resolutions. He rallied with “We Are the People,” delighted with Bob’s “One Love,” and held proverbial hands with his faithful on “Circle of Peace.” Musically, his band was as sharp as ever, anchored by legendary timekeeper, Santa Davis, and the melodic, twin-guitar stings of Takeshi Akimoto and Adam Zimmon.

Still, Ziggy is the focal point- magnetic, vibrant, and sure. He dazzled, vocally, behind the beat on “Jamming.” He swiveled playfully on “Look Who’s Dancing.” He seduced on “Drive,” a cover of The Cars nugget (and cap-tip to that revered Boston band).

For the finale, he honored Bob, and the message, one more time, with “Is This Love.” It’s an impeccable choice for a closer. Ziggy danced offstage before the song ended, slipping into the shadows, wanting only to love and treat you right, every day and every night.