What ever happened to suburban rhythms?

I just wanted to elaborate on Friday night's show a little more, I feel like I didn't do it justice. The crowd was huge, we got over to the stage about 20-30 minutes before they came on and it was already getting packed. It seemed like a lot of them were younger, which always sucks at concerts, especially when the younger crowd acts like they've never been to a concert, or only know the new songs. (yes, I've become one of those old codgers that say stuff like "I've been listening to these guys for 10 years" or use the phrase "old codger". It happens. I'm learning to accept it.) I was kind of the opposite, I only knew their older stuff, as I didn't really know they were still around as a band, and probably hadn't listened to any of their stuff since 1998's Why Do They Rock So Hard. I was a little worried that they'd play a lot of their newer songs, and leave me in the past. Luckily, right from the beginning, they played a number of their older songs, starting off with "Trendy" (which KP correctly predicted would be their opening song about 20 minutes before their set), then going into another older one, possibly "She Has a Girlfriend Now" or "Everything Sucks," but I could be wrong. I'm not necessarily that great at remembering the setlist of a show unless I write it down. I'm not that guy yet, but I may be soon. Maybe KP will remember and comment on it. . .

The crowd was good for the most part, aside from the youngsters, the drunk frat-boy moshers who were just there to run into people and maybe cop a feel, the high school couple that have probably already broken up by now but at the time were madly in love and going to be together forever, the couple that was probably in their mid-20's going about 2 bills apiece and wanted nothing to do with moshers even though there were standing directly behind the "pit" and would give angry looks to anyone who came near them, the girl with the kid that definitely wasn't alive when Keep Your Receipt came out in '95, and this large girl that stood directly in front of me, skanking most of the time, stepping on my feet and throwing 'bows like it was going out of style and taking ska along.

But honestly, the energy was good, the crowd was into it, and it was a really great time. I was one person (the aforementioned girl) away from the front, but to the side enough that I wasn't getting the crap beat out of me. KP was going wild, occasionally he'd stop over to say something or to put his shoes back on, but otherwise he was out in the pit causing havoc. There were a few times I would have liked to have joined in, but I was trusted with keeping Eric's camera safe, and I was fine with that.

The show was awesome, even if it it was slightly abbreviated by the rain. I heard most of the songs I wanted to hear, and was entertained for the entire night, what more could I want? Of course they ended the night with their super hit "Sell Out" which I could have actually done without, but didn't figure that they would not play it. The band sounded tight, which is the best thing a ska band can do.

Anyways, here's a couple of their videos for you to watch and hopefully enjoy, as they take you back to the mid- to late-90's!

One of my favorites, "Beer"



And one of their first videos, "Everything Sucks"



Now if you think that's the last you're going to hear about ska here on tPoL, well, you're wrong! In the next week or so, there should be a very special ska post, one close to my heart. Until then, I say Jah!

edit: ok, so I put the wrong video up for "Beer". The one that was up was "Suburban Rhythms", sorry about that. It should be all fixed up now.