IT’S BACK!  Time for the second annual Ska-POW! Battle Of The Bands at the Triple Rock Social Club!  This is not your average ska show, it’s an event brought to you by Tallgrass Brewing Co.  and Rude Radio – Radio K.  Last year was a smashing success, where a near-capacity crowd cheered on the 4 competitors (and went through 19 cases of Tallgrass tallboys!), ultimately crowning Rocksteady Breakfast with the coveted title belt.  In 2013, Rocksteady Breakfast will take on all-new challengers: Umbrella Bed, Drunk History, and The Thundertones.  Who will win this year?

The show will be divided into 2 halves.  During the first half, each band will play 3 songs (1 instrumental, 1 cover song, and 1 original) before 4 guest judges, who will ultimately decide which band has what it takes to take home the Ska-POW! belt.  At the end of the first half, it’s HALFTIME, featuring a ska dance off while DJ Aaron Porter spins vintage Jamaican ska tunes!  That’s right, the crowd can get in on the action and show off your best moves!  The second half will feature each band playing 4 of their best tunes.  The judges will tally their scores and declare a winner.  The winning band will take the stage with one more time for a celebration encore and close out the night!

Along with the bands and the DJ kicking out tunes, there will be specials on Tallgrass beer all night long.  There will also be a $2 Prize Wheel, featuring all sorts of prizes from the bands.  This was one of the most fun shows all year so don’t miss out on this year’s shenanigans!  Saturday, February 2nd (Groundhog Day) at the Triple Rock at 8pm.  So much ska-related mayhem for only $5!

Related show

• Band: SKA-POW!
• Date: Saturday, February 2nd 2013
• Time: 8:00pm
• City: SKA-POW! in Minneapolis, MN
• Venue: Triple Rock Social Club
• Address: 629 Cedar Ave S
• Venue phone: 612-333-7399
• Country: US
• Admission: $5
• Age restrictions: 18+
• More information
• Notes: Ska Battle Of The Bands
  featuring Rocksteady Breakfast, Umbrella Bed,
  Drunk History and The Thundertones!
  DJ Aaron Porter spinning vintage Jamaican vinyl
  Tallgrass Brewing specials and Prizes!
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As we all know, ska music dwells in the underground.  Small pockets of communities and scenes around the country celebrate and promote this family of musical styles and actually broadcast this music over the airwaves.  Here in the Twin Cities, we have terrestrial radio shows like Rocket Ship Ska Trip on KFAI (Thursdays, 2am – 6am) and Rude Radio on Radio K (Sundays, 8am – 10am), but if you take the time to scour the internet, there are many other great programs and podcasts out there that put a spotlight on ska music and its relatives.

In recent months, I have grown fond of the weekly program A Perfect Mess, which you can listen to in podcast form on their website.  East Coast host Amanda spins 2 hours of ska, highlighting new bands, announcing tours and big time shows, and easing you into the vast world of Jamaican-inspired music.  Most of her show’s content comes from the modern era, featuring third-wave, ska-punk and the like, but will throw some traditional classics from Derrick Morgan, Desmond Dekker, and others in for good measure.  Recently, she has taken a liking to some of the bands in the MNSKA scene, including The Prizefighters and The Dropsteppers.  I hope that she continues to discover the rich ska scene here in MN and highlights more bands from our great state!

You can check out her blog and weekly podcast HERE

You can check out the recent review of The Prizefighters’ album Follow My Sound HERE

Twin Cities ska and reggae fans, listen up!  Long-running ska program Rude Radio has moved to a new timeslot!  The show now airs weekly on Sundays from 8AM – 10AM on Radio K (KUOM – University of MN, 100.7 FM), perfect for getting your Sunday morning started off right.  Taking over hosting duties is Radio K DJ Todd Crotty (Rock & Roll Over host).  This Sunday’s show, Todd will be joined by members of MNSKA band The Prizefighters to talk about their upcoming show with The Slackers on Sept. 21st as well as other news coming up.  Rude Radio is one of the only shows of its kind in the Twin Cities; playing ska, reggae, rocksteady, dub and dancehall every week.

Tune in to Radio K online HERE

First Ave and Rude Radio (Radio K) presents the Summer of Ska Tour 2012 featuring Reel Big Fish, Big D and the Kids Table, Suburban Legends and The Maxies!  The 18+ show is Wednesday, July 11th with doors opening at 6pm at the First Avenue Mainroom.  Reel Big Fish, making their second stop here this year, will be releasing a brand new album called Candy Coated Fury later this month.

In other cool news, Rude Radio, the long-running weekly ska radio program on University of Minnesota station Radio K (100.7 FM, Mpls) is back on the air!  New host DJ Brian is bringing all sorts of ska, reggae, and rocksteady music to your ears every Sunday from 12pm-2pm.  Tune in this Sunday for a chance to win tickets to the show!

Related show

• Band: Reel Big Fish / Big D & The Kids Table / Suburban Legends
• Date: Wednesday, July 11th 2012
• Time: 6:00pm
• City: Reel Big Fish / Big D & The Kids Table / Suburban Legends in Minneapolis, MN
• Venue: First Avenue Mainroom
• Address: 701 1st Ave
• Venue phone: 612-338-8388
• Country: US
• Admission: $20
• Age restrictions: 18+
• Notes:
  Radio K’s Rude Radio presents
  Summer of Ska 2012
  featuring special guests The Maxies
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Constant touring partners Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto are making a stop in Minneapolis on Thursday, December 8th at The Cabooze.  The show is the rare 16+ variety, with doors at 6pm and music starting at 7pm.  The bill also includes guests Lionize, Rodeo, and Ruby Love.  Tickets are $20 in advance and $23 at the door.  Rude Radio (Radio K) is sponsoring this event, so listen at radiok.org for your chance to win tickets!

If you just want to order tickets now, you can buy them HERE

Rude Radio is the place for ska, reggae, rocksteady, and dub, Sundays from Noon to 2pm on Radio K (KUOM 100.7 FM, University of Minnesota).  Here is last week’s playlist:

9/18/2011

Morwell Unlimited Meets King Tubby’s / Morpheus Special
Joe Gibbs & the Professionals / Tribesman Rockers
Augustus Pablo / Zion is a Home
The Revolutionaries / T.N.T.
The Aggrovators / Storm & Lightning
Yabby You / Rally Dub (Upsetter Mix)
Bunny Lee / King Zion Dub
The Mighty Diamonds / Right Time
Toots & the Maytals / Bam Bam
The Skatatlies / Ska Reggae Hi-Bop
Lord Creator / Don’t Stay Out Late
Dandy Livingstone / Rudy, a Message to You
Ken Boothe / The Impossible Dream
Oliver St. Patrick & Phyllis Dillon / Tulips (From Heaven)
The Upsetters / Ten Penny Nail

The Dropsteppers / Foolish Pride
Bandulus / Ska Reggae Soul
Kalles Kaviar / The Train is Leaving
Green Room Rockers / Conqueror
The Prizefighters / Outside My Window
Pama International / It’s Going To Be Beautiful
Square Roots / Ground Zero
Dub Station and Sonbeam / Friend For Life
Straw Cats / Stereo
Firebug / On the Move
The OC Supertones / Hallelujah
Madness / I Chase the Devil AKA Iron Shirt
The Pietasters / Nothing Good to Eat
Five Iron Frenzy / Every New Day (live)

Head over to RUDE RADIO and stream the 2 most recent episodes!  Check out Rude Radio on FACEBOOK

Rude Radio is the place for ska, reggae, rocksteady, and dub, Sundays from Noon to 2pm on Radio K (KUOM 100.7 FM, University of Minnesota).  Here is last week’s playlist:

9/11/2011

Midnite / Pagan Pay Gone
Bad Brains / the Meek
the Congos / Fisherman
the Mighty Threes / Sinking in the Mist
Max Romeo & the Upsetters / Uptown Babies
the Gladiators / Rude Boy Ska
Ken Boothe / Set Me Free
the Gaylettes / Son of a Preacher Man
the Skatatlies / Marguarita’s Lament
Roland Alphonso / Look Away Ska
Jackie Mittoo & Ernest Ranglin / Jericho Skank
Granville Williams Orchestra / Honky Tonk
Jackie Opel / You Send Me
Coyabalites / Eastern Standard Time
Lloyd Brevett / Japan Special

T.U.G.G. / Mexico
Dred I Dread / Travellin’ Soldier
Rude Bones / Short of Time
King Django / Rock and Come In
Twilight Circus Dub Sound System / Love Is What You Need
Skunks / Summertime 1969
The Specials / Jungle Music
Unsteady / Right Time
Catch 22 / Motown Cinderella
Byron Lee / Jamaica Ska
Voodoo Glow Skulls / New Jerk Swing
Less Than Jake / The Science of Selling Yourself Short
The Dead 60′s / You’re Not the Law
Skanic / Breed
Latterman / There’s Never a Reason Not to Party

Head over to RUDE RADIO and stream the 2 most recent episodes!  Check out Rude Radio on FACEBOOK

Good news, everyone!  One of MNSKA’s favorite radio shows is staying put!  I’ll give you a little background info about what happened and why this is important:

If you have followed this blog, you no doubt know about Rude Radio, the weekly 2-hour radio program (Sundays, 12pm – 2pm) devoted to ska, reggae, rocksteady, dub, and dancehall on Radio K (100.7 FM – KUOM University of Minnesota).  The show has a storied history and has featured several notable hosts over its long tenure, including General Moses (Brad Klein) who is the creator of the upcoming Legends Of Ska movie.  Radio K in the past year made some changes to their DJ requirements by requiring only current students be on-air, causing many of the specialty programs that had been hosted by alums for many years, including Rude Radio, to change hosts.  DJs Reverend Evan and Citizen D left the show in January and gave the keys to Dylan, who has done a remarkable job as the Rude Radio host this year.  A couple weeks ago, Dylan made the announcement of his diminishing role in Rude Radio this Fall semester due to his heavy course load, and without a direct replacement available was uncertain about the show’s future.

Fear not, ska fans! A few Radio K DJs and volunteers have come together to keep the show running.  Dylan will still be involved with the show in the first hour, focusing more on dub and traditional Jamaican music.  In the second hour, Radio K DJ Joey P will be playing more modern ska tunes to close out the show. This programming format is similar to previous incarnations of the show.

I cannot tell you all how much this means to me and MNSKA community as a whole.  We here at MNSKA volunteer our time to help build a scene and foster a community for bands and fans of ska music and Rude Radio has always played a part in that effort.  They promote the local shows, play music from MNSKA bands past and present, and give us a sounding board to get people interested in this music that means so much to us.

If you are a University of Minnesota student, please go to the Radio K studio tour on Thursday, September 15th from 5pm – 6pm (Rarig Center, West Bank Campus).  Get familiar with your college radio station.  Rude Radio and Radio K are always welcoming new volunteers!

Hey ska fans!  I wanted to take the time to remind you that our friend Brad Klein (aka General Moses) is still hard at work on the upcoming Legends Of Ska documentary.  His Kickstarter campaign is coming down the homestretch with only 16 days left, he is a little over $1,000 dollars short of his $15,000 goal.  We at MNSKA feel that this is a very important film and a piece of history, so we encourage you to please contribute HERE.

Back in 2000, General Moses was the host of Rude Radio (Radio K, KUOM 770AM/100.7FM/104.5FM, Minneapolis, MN) and he conducted a phone interview with ska legend Derrick Morgan.  Check out his 4-part interview HERE.

During this past year, we have seen a few changes on Rude Radio, the weekly ska radio show on Radio K (KUOM University of Minnesota).  We said goodbye to DJs Reverend Evan and Citizen D and welcomed DJ Dylan to helm the ship.  Now, after a long absence, you are able to stream podcasts of Rude Radio!

Right now you can stream the April 17th episode, which is the beginning of the station’s pledge-drive.  To mark the occasion, Dylan invited MNSKA’s own Aaron Porter (The Prizefighters) to spin his personal collection of Jamaican 45′s for an all-vinyl episode.

You can stream the entire episode HERE