Revisiting My Younger Days (Thanks to a local Ska Band)

I'm essentially a 90's kid.  I graduated High School in 98, which means the most artistically influential years of my life were filled with a wide variety of music.

The first Single I ever purchased was "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mixalot.

My friends and I would ride around the neighborhood on our bikes singing "Brass Monkey" and "Supersonic."

The first CD I ever purchased was Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em.

But my biggest musical collection of all from the 90's was my ska collection.   Save Ferris, The Aquabats, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Goldfinger, and my favorite, Reel Big Fish.

Turn the Radio Off was the first CD I wore out.  I didn't know you could wear those bad boys out, but wear and tear (and scratches) made this album die after a while.

RBF was also the first band I saw live in concert.  They were performing at an outdoor festival in Riverside, CA one year, and it was a great time.  First live band, first time in a circle pit (and my first chipped tooth...).

Good times.

So when my sister in law asked if I wanted to go to a venue to see a local Idahoan ska band, I jumped at the chance.

I meet her at this warehouse location off the beaten path, and had to pay a $3 cover to get in (yeah, one of those joints).  We get there, and we're the oldest two in the place (and she's 22).  A bunch of kids are here to see the band, and are loving 'the underground scene.'

*snrk* ok kids, calm down...

The opening band starts, and didn't check their sound system first.  I see the front man shouting, but can't hear a word.  Only guitar and drums, raping our eardrums.

Finally someone tells him, and the equalizer is adjusted.  Now the rape is accompanied by unintelligible shouting.

Meanwhile, sis and I are texting back and forth, making fun of the scene and the horrible band.  She keeps assuring me the REAL band is much better, and to just endure the pain a little longer.

Finally, the intro act stops, and the real band comes on.  They check the sound system (good job) and whip out their instruments (brass = real ska band, and the first act was NOT).  They hype up the crowd, and off they go.

And they were pretty good.

They're called The Opskamatrists, and they have a pretty good beat.  What they lacked in F-bombs and sexual innuendo they made up for great energy and playing to the crowd.

Their style was so good, I bought the album.  Which is saying something, because I haven't purchased a CD in years.

Best of all, they were my age.  They were referencing and covering bands that most of the kids in the crowd haven't heard of (because they were crawling around back in those days) and their original tunes reminded me of the bands I loved as a teen.

If they're in town again, I'm going to check them out.  Until then, I have their CD and a slew of other ska tunes on my iPod now, and will be living it up on the road.

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