Our coverage, previews and reviews, of ska shows and gigs in Boston and the Boston area.
Boston ska/punk band A Guy Named Guy will support 4 New England Days of Survay Says’ Record Release Tour
Rogue 617 and Middlesex Lounge in Cambridge will host a semi-acoustic evening with some of the best talent and musicianship in the Boston ska scene
TT The Bear’s in Cambridge hosts a Benefit for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) with Boston Ska/punk bands The Pomps, Stray Bullets, and OC45
Rock On! Concerts, purveyors of shows on a boat, have announced the annual summer concert cruise featuring New York City ska stalwarts The Slackers. The cruise will be Friday, August 22, 2014, is 21+ only, and will run you $25-$30 plus a $7 service charge. Tickets are already on sale. Supporting acts have not yet been announced.
Ska-tinged Boston punk band The Takeaways will release their new album “The City” on Friday, February 21st at Roggie’s in Brighton.
Spend a romantic Valentine’s Day with your favorite local Boston ska bands
Let’s get one thing out of the way: It is really hard to tour as a band playing any flavor of ska. The national hype has died down, the economy sucks, and all of this is exacerbated by having more than 5 people in a band. The more people, the more complicated it becomes to take time off from work or school, fit people into vehicles, fit instruments into trunks, and generally trek from point A to point B.
Cold got you down? Feeling overall frozen? Come by Midway Cafe in JP for a hot toddy (note: I have no idea if they make hot toddies).
Stray Bullets will be headlining a Moonstomping Snowstomping Matinee Saturday, January 18 starting at 4pm. The show is all ages and $10 also gets you well-rounded punk and ska bill with Jason Bennett and the Resistance, The Pomps, and The Warning Shots.
Get to know new Boston ska/punk band Meracula featuring members of FORT! The Band
It’s a little known fact that the fifth night of Hanukkah is the most important of all the nights, particularly among ska fans. Since medieval times, the festival of lights has been a time to gather, dance, and drink.
Actually that first part is made up and the second part could be true of any holiday. What’s absolutely true is that this year on that fifth night, the Middle East in Cambridge is host to 5 local ska and punk bands: The Takeaways, A Guy Named Guy, and Poor Jeremy from Boston, OFC666 from Turners Falls, MA and RF30 from Concord, NH. (The Stupid Stupid Henchmen were originally on this bill but had to drop off.) Will this evolve into an annual event akin to New Jersey’s Skanksgiving? We’re certainly not opposed to the idea!