Syracuse Ska Forum

From my understanding of the history of ska in Upstate NY generally and Syracuse specifically, the strength of interest in ska music has always ebbed and flowed over time. And it's always done so very unevenly over Upstate NY through the years. Typically Buffalo has had the strongest interest followed by Rochester, and that seems to be the current situation. Albany, Ithaca and Syracuse have always had some interest, but it seems to be relatively low at the moment.

Over the years, one correlation I've seen time and again is the quality and quantity of local ska bands largely setting the pace and that seems true right now. But of course it's a two way street -- bring in lots of big touring ska bands and local ska bands pop up to act as openers. Buffalo seems to be like that right now, which is awesome. But without the local bands bumping up the turnouts, it's tough to book bigger ska bands and not lose money. The Toasters learned that when they first started touring and it had everything to do with the founding of Moon Ska Records. It's also always been super evident in Syracuse. When we had strong local ska bands, we had strong turnouts and when we didn't, it faded out. Too Hectic, Short Round, Straighter Than Pete, Razbari Sumthing, Magic Goat, 4 Point 0. We had some nice bands outside that group, but none that carried enough weight to make bigger shows work.

If the past is any guide, I expect another significant ska band to rise in Syracuse. I have no idea when or who or even what style they'll play, but I see no reason it won't happen again. In the meantime, we'll drive around Upstate NY and catch awesome shows that way!