Although this podcast is based out of Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes, today’s episode is deep-rooted in the land of Brats, Beer, and Cheese.  Courtney connects with his good friend and fellow Wisconsinite Kenny Dinkis, guitar player for pop-ska band Something To Do, to promote the upcoming 17th annual Midwest Ska Fest known as Skappleton.  The two reminisce about former bands, chilly Wisconsin outdoor concerts, and how to turn a guitar into a deadly weapon.

Skappleton is taking place Saturday, May 22nd at Tanner’s Bar and Grill in Kimberly, WI.  The festival is All Ages and will feature bands like Something To Do, The Invaders, 2 Tone Runts, Car Full Of Midgets and many more!

This show is brought to you in part by MNSKA.com, Minnesota’s Ska Community and the Fancy Pants Gangsters podcast network.  Become a fan of the show on Facebook, follow Courtney on Twitter, or email him at FOSS@fancypantsgangsters.com.

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You can download this episode HERE or subscribe to the show on iTunes.

JUST ANNOUNCED! The largest and longest-running ska festival in the Midwest, Skappleton, will be taking place on Saturday, May 22nd, 2010 at Tanner’s Bar in Kimberly, WI.  The first wave of bands have been announced:

Something To Do (Waukesha, WI): A great mixture of ska and pop-rock who put on an unforgettable live show!

The Invaders (Milwaukee, WI): Veteran two-tone ska band that you can’t help but dance to!

Car Full Of Midgets (Appleton, WI): Young ska-rock band with a HUGE horn section!

2 Tone Runts (Minneapolis, MN): MNSKA’s own ska-reggae activist band!

Boss Rude (Milwaukee, WI): Energetic third-wave ska!

Skattsmen (La Crosse, WI): A refreshing and eclectic take on ska-punk!

Cold Feet (Appleton, WI): Great ska-punk band with a roaring horn section!

Orpheus (De Pere, WI): Rude ska vibes with hot pop-vocal hooks!

1,2,3 Walrus (La Crosse, WI): A perfect mixture of ska, reggae, and snotty, disaffected punk vocals!

More bands to be announced!  This is a great opportunity to check out some of the up-and-coming ska bands in the Midwest and is a great opportunity to meet up with fellow ska-lovers.  We at MNSKA will keep you posted on the details surround this year’s Skappleton!

A lot of times, if you see a band play live but don’t know any of their songs, the experience is lacking.  However, if that band has a gigantic talented horn section, you don’t need to have heard them before to have a good time!  Appleton, WI’s own Car Full of Midgets is lousy with horns, making their live show an absolute blast!

Track of the Day: “Same Old, Same Old” by Car Full Of Midgets

This episode is brought to you by the Fancy Pants Gangsters, a Twin Cities netcast network and MNSKA, Minnesota’s Ska Community.  If you are in a ska or reggae influenced band and would like to be featured on the show, email Courtney at MSM@fancypantsgangsters.com

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If you would like to download this episode or subscribe to this podcast via iTunes, please CLICK HERE

This weekend, our neighbor’s to the East (aka Wisconsin) are hosting one of the longest running ska festivals in the midwest: Skappleton.  This is the show’s 15th year in existence and will host a whole bunch of midwestern ska bands, including MNSka’s Umbrella Bed and 2 Tone Runts with Chicago’s Deal’s Gone Bad as the festival’s headliner on Saturday, May 16th in Kimberly, WI.

Since 1 day of ska-filled fun is never enough, they have expanded the festival to include a date right here in Minneapolis, MN!  Head on down to the Triple Rock on Sunday, May 17th for the All Ages “Minne-Skappleton” show, featuring the aforementioned Umbrella Bed and 2 Tone Runts as well as WI ska bands Something To Do and Car Full Of Midgets.  We want to pack the Triple Rock on Sunday to show those WI bands how we get down…we hope that they will continue to expand the festival to include more bands for next year’s Minneapolis date!

MNSka would like to think Miss Upsetter for creating the flyer for this show!