MNSKA supergroup Secondhand Ska Kings have announced they will be ringing in the New Year in South Minneapolis!  The show is Saturday, December 31st at the Driftwood Char Bar (4415 Nicollet Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN) and has absolutely NO COVER.  You’d be hard pressed to find a NYE party with no cover in this day-and-age, but this one is completely FREE.  The show will start out with James Loney and the Midnight Troubadours from 9-10:30 and the Secondhand Ska Kings will take over until the ball drops and 2012 begins!

You can RSVP for this event on Facebook HERE

Ska night in Uptown Minneapolis this Wednesday!  Cause Spirits and Soundbar are hosting a 21+ showcase of MNSKA bands!  Doors at 9pm and it’s only $5!

Blue Waffle are a recently formed female-fronted third wave ska band.  Although they are new to the MNSKA roster, they are veterans in the music community and have proven that it is still possible to have fun at a ska show! Made up entirely of music teachers from the School Of Rock, this band brings the goods in their upbeat set, which may include a peppering of 2-Tone covers along with their original dance tunes.

Secondhand Ska Kings are longtime veterans in the Minnesota music scene.  Their members played in a lot of the popular local ska bands in the 90′s (3 Minute Hero, Suspect Bill, Ten Cent Fun) and have boiled those experiences down into a fantastic party-styled live show.  Come and raise a glass with the ‘Kings.  If the drinks don’t take the edge off, the scorching horn section will.

The Dropsteppers are the fast-rising stars of the world of reggae and ska.  Influenced by the Northern soul artists of Motown and the Jamaican sounds of early reggae and ska artists like The Upsetters, The Dropsteppers bring an authentic and unique sound, honed in their Nordeast Minneapolis rehearsal space.  The band will be releasing a 7″ split with Royal City Riot on Megalith Records this summer!

You can RSVP the event on Facebook HERE

MNSKA band Secondhand Ska Kings celebrated a CD Release on Wednesday for their album Cocktails Before Funerals at Cause Spirits and Soundbar in Uptown Minneapolis.  Here’s a video from their set of the guys playing their song “400 Miles.”  Be sure to check them out on Saturday at Club Underground in Minneapolis with fellow MNSKA band Blue Waffle.

You can check out the video on YouTube HERE.

THIS SATURDAY!  Check out the Twin Cities newest female-fronted ska-punk band Blue Waffle at Club Underground (355 Monroe NE, Minneapolis) on Saturday, February 12th with special guests the Secondhand Ska Kings.  The doors are at 9pm and the cover is just $5.

You can check out some tunes and videos from Blue Waffle HERE

Be sure to pick up a copy of the new Secondhand Ska Kings album Cocktails Before Funerals at the show!

MNSKA.com presents The Prizefighters, Umbrella Bed, and Secondhand Ska Kings at Cause Spirits and Soundbar (Lyndale and Lake, Mpls) on Wednesday, February 9th.  Doors are at 9pm for this 21+ show.  $5 cover.

The Prizefighters are fresh off the release of their debut album Follow My Sound and will be bringing their own version of rough and tough reggae and soul to the crowds at Cause. The band will also be featuring a brand new lineup!

Umbrella Bed are MNSKA’s elder statesmen and will be bringing their big Two Tone sound featuring their “Horns Of Mass Destruction,” making them one of the most fun bands to see in the Twin Cities.

Secondhand Ska Kings are back! Pieced together from the ska bands of yore, the members of SHSK bring a fresh take on ska and funk. This band is dripping with talent and always brings the goods. Grab their new album Cocktails Before Funerals

MNSKA third wave band Secondhand Ska Kings played a very energetic set last Saturday at The Red Sea.  Scattered throughout their set were some great Two Tone covers, like “Too Much Too Young” by The Specials which is featured in this video.

Be sure to check out the Secondhand Ska Kings on Wednesday, February 9th at Cause Spirits and Soundbar (Lyndale and Lake, Minneapolis) where they will be playing with Umbrella Bed and The Prizefighters!

You can check out the video on YouTube HERE

Music columnist Ross Raihala posted in the St. Paul Pioneer Press his latest story about all the hot concerts happening this obscenely cold weekend, including a mention of this of Saturday’s Green Room Rockers show:

The small but dedicated Twin Cities ska community will be out in full force Saturday at the Red Sea for an all-ages show. Indiana’s Green Room Rockers headline with support from Ohio’s Pinstripes. Both acts recently teamed up for the split release “Midwest Soundclash.” Local bands the Dropsteppers and Secondhand Ska Kings are also on the bill.

A reminder that doors are at 5pm with music starting at 6pm for the show.  We may be a small, dedicated community, but I have good reason to believe that it will grow significantly in 2011.

You can read the entire article in the Pioneer Press HERE

The first big MNSKA show of the year is happening THIS SATURDAY at The Red Sea (316 Cedar Ave S.) in Minneapolis!  It marks the triumphant return of Green Room Rockers, the first MN show by The Pinstripes, and will feature 2 outstanding MNSKA bands The Dropsteppers and Secondhand Ska Kings.

Here are the details:

• Doors open at 5pm
• Secondhand Ska Kings: 6:00 – 6:45
• The Dropsteppers: 7:00 – 7:45
• The Pinstripes: 8:00 – 8:45
• Green Room Rockers: 9:00 – 10:00

Host of the Flyover Ska Show and contributor to MNSKA.com, Courtney Klos, will be the MC for the night.  There will also be door prizes!  Everybody loves those!  Also, if you have until Thursday to win a pair of tickets to the show.  Just email mnskanews@gmail.com with ‘GRR and Pinstripes’ in the subject line!

In lieu of the upcoming concert featuring the Green Room Rockers, DJ Reverend Evan took the time to review their self-titled CD for MNSKA.  Evan was the DJ of the long-running Rude Radio show, but has since passed the torch to a new DJ.  The Green Room Rockers show is happening on Saturday, January 22nd at The Red Sea in Minneapolis and will be featuring The Pinstripes, The Dropsteppers and Secondhand Ska Kings, to which you can win a pair of tickets.

You can check out the review after the jump.

(more…)

You can never sing out of tune if you don’t have a singer!  Which brings me to our guests this week Bob Timm and Jacob WakeUp! from instrumental NYC reggae/roots/soul band The Hard Times.  They tell Courtney the story about how the band was formed out of ska and reggae musicians from New York, Connecticut, and Florida.  Living up to their name, a down economy has prevented the group from touring outside the five boroughs but thanks to veteran bands like The Slackers and The Toasters, the band is able to take advantage of playing in a rich musical community.  Make sure to check out their hot new EP Two Bucks For Bob (which is oddly available for 3 bucks).

If you’re in the Minneapolis area, be sure to check out our first live event at The Red Sea, featuring performances by Green Room Rockers, The Pinstripes, The Dropsteppers and Secondhand Ska Kings.  Head to mnska.com for more information.

The fine folks at Copycats Media have a deal for you, the loyal listener.  Mention the Flyover Ska Show and they’ll add 100 FREE 11X17 full color posters to your order.

The Flyover Ska Show is now available on Stitcher, the free podcast radio app for all your better smartphones. It even has shows with no talking.

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.