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.

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

More ska and reggae sound coming from Cincinnati’s The Pinstripes!   The band has posted another sample of a song off their upcoming album, which was mixed and mastered by Anthony Abbinanti (The Drastics).  Here’s a sample of their song “(Might Be Her) Fool”:

Be sure to catch The Pinstripes when they roll through Minneapolis on January 22nd at The Red Sea with Green Room Rockers, The Dropsteppers, and Secondhand Ska Kings.  You can RSVP the show by going to the Facebook event and even win a pair of tickets to the show!

Green Room Rockers have posted a video from their massive show in Chicago last month at The Metro.  The guys absolutely killed it!  This video is of them playing a cover of Sam Cooke‘s “Bring It On Home” with guest vocalists Todd Hembrook (Deal’s Gone Bad) and JC Brooks (The Uptown Sound).

The band will be bringing this massive sound to Minneapolis on Saturday January 22nd at The Red Sea with special guests The Pinstripes, The Dropsteppers, and Secondhand Ska Kings.

You can check out the video on YouTube HERE

Cincinnati’s up-and-coming ska and reggae group The Pinstripes have a new album on the way and boy are they excited to share it with you!  The album is called Out Of Many (UPDATE: I’ve been informed it is still untitled) and has been mixed and mastered by Anthony Abbinanti (The Drastics).  The Pinstripes have begun posting samples of the tracks off the new record, beginning with the sample of “Alright Baby.”



Be sure to catch The Pinstripes when they roll through Minneapolis on January 22nd at The Red Sea with Green Room Rockers, The Dropsteppers, and Secondhand Ska Kings.  You can check out the Facebook event and even win a pair of tickets to the show!

MNSKA and The Flyover Ska Show are proud to bring you the first BIG show of the New Year: Green Room Rockers (Indiana) and The Pinstripes (Cincinnati) on Saturday, January 22nd at The Red Sea in Minneapolis.  You can win a pair of tickets to the All Ages show by emailing mnskanews@gmail.com with “GRR and Pinstripes” in the subject line.  I will randomly select a winner on Thursday, January 20th.

Doors open for the show at 5pm and will feature special guest performances by MNSKA bands The Dropsteppers and Secondhand Ska Kings.  Just by coming to the show, you will be eligible for door prizes including music and merchandise from Green Room Rockers, The Pinstripes and MNSKA.

Tune in to the Flyover Ska Show every Monday on FancyPantsGangsters.com for additional information on this upcoming show!

MNSKA and the Flyover Ska Show are bringing two of the best up-and-coming reggae bands to Minneapolis on Saturday, January 22nd!

The Green Room Rockers just released a brand-new album on Jump Up Records and are gonna bring their driving soulful live show back to town. They’ll be bringing The Pinstripes with them, Cincinnati’s finest ska and reggae group; don’t miss their first show in MN!

We like to hold our own in Minnesota, so also on the bill are local dynamos The Dropsteppers and Secondhand Ska Kings! Four killer ska and reggae bands in one show, can ya dig it?

The show is ALL AGES, drinks with ID. Happy Hour until 9:00!
Doors at 5:00, $7.
@ The Red Sea – 316 Cedar Ave S.

Stay tuned to this site for chances to win free tickets!

Another big ALL AGES MNSKA show is happening this Saturday, July 17th at The Red Sea in Minneapolis, MN!  Kansas City band The Ruckus is sharing the stage with MNSKA veterans Umbrella Bed.  Other MNSKA bands on the bill include the politically-conscious 2 Tone Runts and the incredibly talented Secondhand Ska Kings.  The show will get started around 5pm and all you need is a $5 cover.  Since the cats at the Red Sea are such nice guys, they’ve extended their usual weekday happy hour specials (4pm – 9pm) for the show, so if you’re 21+, you’ll be able to wet your whistle AND save some money!

Be sure to pick up the latest CD releases and merchandise from all of the groups.  If you’re into the whole social media thing, let people know if you’ll be at the show by heading over to our Facebook event page HERE

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.

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

MNSKA pop-ska band Sans Pants has decided to call it quits and last Thursday played their last show in the Twin Cities at the Fine Line Music Cafe.  The band played an extended set, including new songs on their upcoming album.  They will be featured on the Flyover Ska Show podcast in the near future, but for the time being enjoy these videos from their farewell performance!

You can check out more videos after the jump, or over at the MNSKA YouTube Channel.

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MNSKA band Secondhand Ska Kings have released the digital version of their new album Cocktails Before Funerals on their ReverbNation page.  This long awaited follow up to Ale To The Kings contains 11 new songs!

Be sure to catch the Secondhand Ska Kings this Thursday at the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis, MN with fellow MNSKA bands Sans Pants and Rocksteady Breakfast!