Where Have All the Ska Kids Gone?

Being at a ska-punk show in the early 1990s had its perks. For one, even the whitest of white kids could look like dance masters. Flailing arms and legs to the beat while skankin’ might have looked silly, but it was still a lot of fun. But as the popularity...

By Mike Sauer

May 1, 2008

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Being at a ska-punk show in the early 1990s had its perks. For one, even the whitest of white kids could look like dance masters. Flailing arms and legs to the beat while skankin’ might have looked silly, but it was still a lot of fun. But as the popularity of ska music hit its peak in ’97, skankin’ became the fratboy’s version of break dancing. The punks and hipsters went running, and the demise of ska had begun.

So it’s understandable that you’ve got mixed feelings about The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The Boston band’s 1990 debut, Devil’s Night Out, practically invented the ska-core craze. But then, their 1997 release Let’s Face It completely destroyed it. By ’98 Ska had become pop radio fodder, and soon most wrote it off as a novelty. The band broke up a few years later. But there is good news fellow skankers: The Bosstones are back for a few reunion shows, including a set at Sunfest (525 Clematis St., West Palm Beach) tonight at 9:30 p.m. So bust out the plaid, dust off your two-tone shoes, and go skankin like it’s 1994. Tickets start at $29. Visit www.sunfest.com.
Sat., May 3, 2008

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