Syracuse Ska Forum

Saturday, March 7, 2020 was Pilfers, The Abruptors and Some Ska Band at Flour City Station in Rochester and it had been awhile since I'd been to a ska show and it felt really good. I went to shake Coolie's hand and he jokingly bumped elbows instead and we both had a good laugh. Little did we realize that night that a week later the humor was long gone and our collective worlds changed forever.

Ska has survived a lot through the years and we will all eventually get back to how we used to enjoy shows. But the key right now is keeping bands together making new music, getting ready for when real touring can begin again. The Slackers are trying to book as many outdoor shows as possible, which is really smart. Some venues like Funk'N'Waffles are doing live shows again, which is super encouraging. Beak & Skiff has booked a lot of bigger live shows, which is awesome (and The Slackers are trying to get booked there) and it appears Lakeview Ampitheater shows are back on, as is the New York State Fair.

Not sure about you, but I just got my 2nd Covid vaccination and I'll be travelling again this summer to Chicago and some other cool places including to Virginia in September for what promises to be an absolutely AMAZING ska festival. The last two were super well organized with great bands and performances and many wonderful memories. This year the lineup is even more impressive, as is the setting on the shores of Chesapeake Bay. In the meantime, I keep checking out all the new releases - Bad Operation is making me especially happy at the moment - and all the superb mashups and collaborations online that ska has always been really good at making happen.

Better days are coming soon, so let's open things up as quickly and safely as we can and celebrate life with the best dance music around!

You'll hopefully notice that shows are finally coming back, though a bit slowly and cautiously. Can't blame most major bands from not touring right now, because you have to plan way in advance the bigger tours and those are the same bands that got burned hard when Covid hit. But it's super encouraging that shows and venues are coming back.