Syracuse Ska Forum

Hey,
This is Logan from Kicking Sicily. The line up for Ska Is Dead has been announced:
Catch 22 (so far the only tour date they will be on)
The Toasters
The Planet Smashers
Westbound Train
& us (Kicking Sicily)
Thursday September 22nd at 7:30. Saratoga Winners, Latham NY.
Tickets are $10 advance $12 at the door.
If you need tickets, please contact me at kickingsicily@msn.com or (518) 758-1838
Hope to see you there
Logan*KickingSicily
http://www.myspace.com/kickingsicily

Just out of curiosity Logan, is Catch 22 really popular in Albany?

Wondering, because they're definitely NOT popular in Syracuse. That's been proven over and over. I know for fact they are wildly popular in Buffalo (Kevin Gunther gushed to me once that Buffalo was their 2nd best market after NJ, which is saying a lot) and reasonably popular in Rochester. But they've never caught on in Syracuse, which I personally attribute to the Syracuse ska scene being less punky than most American ska scenes.

But I'm sure it'll be a good show ...

I've seen Catch 22 in Buffalo a couple times and it's pretty much always a sold out show whether they headline or not. They are very very popular in Buffalo. It really amazes me how popular they are out there, but they do play Buffalo almost once a month it seems. Catch 22 has always puzzled me, they seem to be the one ska band that hardcore kids can tolerate and even will admit to liking. My theories are either the types of shows they get put on, or something related to them being on Victory. I saw Catch 22 once in Syracuse at the Lost Horizon with Mest and Madcap, and saw the same show the next night in Buffalo at Showplace..what a difference as far as the crowd's reaction to Catch 22.
-Mike

Well, not to blow your theory, but the hardcore scene in Syracuse despises Catch 22 and was very angry that Victory ever signed them. But those same kids seem to like Voodoo Glow Skulls, which of course, is also on Victory now.


People involved in booking live music are quite aware of this phenomenon, as its quite common. A band despised in one city is hugely popular in another one. It really is tied to a ton of factors, including how the shows are booked, how the band is pitched (its easy to portray the same band in different ways in different cities) and how well a show goes over. It's no big secret that a hugely successful show builds interest in a band, deserved or not.

well, a few years ago when they were slightly less popular (playing knitting factory in NYC instead of irving plaza) they headlined the Victory records tour which was basically C22 headlining with a bunch of hardcore and post hardcore bands. And it seemed everyone there was into all the music that was played ranging from the ska-punk of C22 to the hardcore of reach the sky. (what's slightly more interesting about the show was who the first opener was: Taking Back Sunday. I was one of about 5 people there who knew who they were. weird.)

I think them being on victory both helps and hurts their hardcore scene appeal- which kind of ends up a wash over-all. I think it has more to do with the fact that on the fist couple albums they have a lot harder of a sound than most ska-punk bands.

I'd also venture to say that Streetlight has gotten to a point where the other scene are somewhat accepting of them. ASOB on Long Island draws hardcore kids, ska kids, punk rock kids... The same goes for VGS. I really think it has to do with the fact that these bands incorporate a number of different influences.