Since the weather has been so nice, this week’s episode is entirely outdoors.  Courtney journeys to the South Minneapolis backyard patio of Eric Johnson, a ska-musician turned music teacher.  Eric has been in several ska bands in the Twin Cities including 3 Minute Hero, Panel Of Experts, and the Secondhand Ska Kings.  This extended episode has the guys talking about the brand new SHSK album Cocktails Before Funerals, why Middle School was a nightmarish hellscape, and how everyone’s secret desire is to be a rockstar who gets paid.  Get out the lawn chairs, crack open a cold one, and enjoy!

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.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

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

Patrick Larson from MNSKA caught up with Tyrus A, singer and bassist from the MNSKA band 2 Tone Runts, for an interview about the band’s 2010 plans.  Make sure to catch the 2 Tone Runts on January 29th at The Red Sea in Minneapolis, MN when they play with Voice of Addiction (Chicago), Panel of Experts and Skaliticians.

You can check out the interview after the jump.

(more…)

What would happen if the devil started a sleazy ska band in his garage?  I’m not quite sure, but it would probably be awesomely sinister.  Today’s band comes pretty close.  Enjoy the music of Minneapolis, MN’s own Panel Of Experts…just make sure you bathe in holy water afterward!

Track of the Day: “Double Crossed” by Panel Of Experts from the album Cocktail of the Apocalypse

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

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

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

This video was taken at the October 22nd show at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis, MN by our own Patrick Larson.  The show was a great time for all that showed up and it featured the bands The Toasters, Sajak, Rocksteady Breakfast and Panel of Experts.

You can check out the pictures Patrick snapped at the Toasters show after the jump!

(more…)

The local Twin Cities chapter of The Onion’s AV Club recently posted an article about the upcoming Toasters show at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis, MN on Thursday, October 22nd.  The 18+ show starts at 8pm and also features the MNSka bands Sajak, Rocksteady Breakfast, and Panel Of Experts.

You can read the article HERE.

Just a reminder that we have a HUGE ska show happening this Thursday, October 22nd at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis, MN brought to you by MP Shows.  NYC ska veterans The Toasters are back again along with the sweet local sounds from MNSka bands Sajak, Rocksteady Breakfast, and Panel of Experts.  The show is 18+ and doors ar at 8pm.

You can buy your tickets online HERE.  You can also pick up a FREE copy of the MNSka Mixtape Vol. 1 if you don’t already have it!

Big thanks to Emily for creating this skanktastic poster!

There’s a big old-fashioned Oktoberfest celebration happening over at Gasthof’s Zur Gemutlichkeit in NE Minneapolis, MN!  Come down and celebrate on Wednesday, October 14th with some of MNSka’s finest ska bands Secondhand Ska Kings, Sans Pants, and Panel of Experts.  The music for this 21+ show starts at 9:30pm and the cover is only $3.  Heck, this isn’t Oktoberfest…it’s SKATOBERFEST!

America’s longest-running ska band, The Toasters, will be returning to Minneapolis, MN on Thursday, October 22nd for a big MNSka party!  The legendary NYC band will be playing at the Triple Rock Social Club with MNSka bands Sajak, Rocksteady Breakfast, and Panel of Experts.  The 18+ party starts at 8 pm with tickets going for $12.  You can pickup tickets ahead of time at the Triple Rock or order them online HERE.

The MNSka Mixtape Volume One will also be available at the show, so pick up a copy if you don’t have one yet!

MNSka rude boys Rocksteady Breakfast are playing a show this Thursday, June 11th at Eclipse Records in St. Paul, MN.  The ALL AGES show features 5 bands for $5 at 5 pm…pretty easy to remember.  Be sure to check out local ska-punk band Panel of Experts as well as Bloody Turncoats, the Thirty Sixties, and Warburton Syndicate.

Head over to the MNSka SHOWS page for more information on all the upcoming MNSka shows!

Hey there MNSka peeps!  It’s a relatively quiet weekend for the ska round these parts (although Panel of Experts are supposed to be playing at the 7th Street Entry tomorrow night, I haven’t found any evidence to back it up).  Plenty of MNSka kids are road-tripping to Chicago for The Slackers show on Saturday.

Next weekend, though, is gonna be filled with fantastic shows!

It all gets going Thursday night with two great shows.  At 9 p.m., local ska/reggae/soul septet The Prizefighters play at Stasiu’s Place in Minneapolis alongside ska-rockers Panel of Experts.  The cost is $5.  At 9:30, then, at the Uptown Bar, ska-punk trio Hardcore Crayons takes the stage alongside Guzzlemug, Bouncer Fighter, and Anders Ponders.  This show is FREE, so check it out if you wanna see four great bands and don’t have much money to spend.

If you’re in the Mankato area on Friday night, then, you can see the Crayons again, this time with The Style Biters, The Body Politic, and Gumbi at the What’s Up Lounge.  The music starts at 6 and the cost is $5.

If you’re in the cities on Friday night, then you are also in luck!  Mike Park, of Asian Man Records and several great California ska bands, is playing an All Ages show at the Triple Rock along with Classics of Love (consisting of Park and several members of seminal ska-punk band Operation Ivy) and The Evening Rig.  Music gets going at 5, and tickets are $10.

There are no shows on Saturday, but there’s one last one on Sunday.  In place of the originally planned Ska Prom 2009, Duluth ska-rockers Mikey Talented are coming to the cities to play.  The All Ages show at The Red Sea Bar also includes The Brilliant Beasts, The Oh Eeks!, and Licker; while these bands aren’t ska, they are a nice collection of indie and rock bands.  Doors open and 5 and cover is $5, so come on out and check the awesome variety of this show!