Skanking with the best of them: Groove Stain, Taj Motel Trio, 50:50 Shot

I have to admit, I was not feeling my best last Friday night, but music waits for no one! Just in time for the show, I grabbed my downtown bag and headed over to the Caledonia for my second taste of the crazy joy and brass-infused style that is ska. After all, music has healing powers, right?

Once the first band, Groove Stain, began to play, I knew I had made the right decision. These guys were undeniably amazing! A mixture of ska, hard rock, and rap, their sound was like nothing I've ever heard. I don't think anyone in the crowd was expecting to experience such a showing of sheer talent. They had everyone skanking, rocking out, and jamming so much that I just had to join in the fun myself. And Groove Stain's stage presence was unbelievable as well. The lead singer/rapper, in particular, drew in the crowd with his magnetic performance personality and wild skills. What an uplift in spirits! I really hope I have a chance to see these guys again.

Taj Motel Trio was up next to give us Athenians another serving of their sound. I first heard their classic ska style during their January show, and I was quite happy to see their return to our scene. Man, the crowd was so into it, the skanking reached near dangerous proportions during the end of their set! Hm, I suppose I should give a short explanation of skanking for those just joining us since I've already mentioned it twice so far. Skanking refers to being loose (with your movements, in this case). That definition just works in so many ways! But anyway, it's sort of a mixture between flailing and moshing but with a sense of joy and freedom that I've never seen in any other form of dance. And Taj Motel Trio's tunes even got the crowd skanking in a circle around one of the band members. Pure awesomeness!

Unfortunately, by the end of their set, the sickness that I had been feeling earlier overtook me, so I had to reluctantly step out. Luckily, my friend Kole was there to catch the ever-amazing 50:50 Shot. Here's his take on their set:

Playing with a still fresh line-up, the seemingly immortal ska entity that is 50:50 Shot gave the best performance at the Caledonia tonight that I have ever had the pleasure of hearing them play. The turnout could have been better, but the crowd was going absolutely crazy for the music, old and first-time listeners alike. 50:50 Shot, like any good ska band, can use its magical energy-filled music to make a worn-out and tired crowd flail and skank in pure bliss and adrenaline. Drummer Bradley Gandy and guitar/singer Ryan Clark played a fantastic last show ever (yea, okay, it's been said before). They will be missed greatly and I am more than enthusiastic to see what 50:50 Shot's future will bring.

Oh wow. Really, I wish that all of life was as carefree as a ska show!

Kristen's Concert Picks: April showers us with tunes

Wow, this year is going by so fast I can hardly keep up. It's already April! Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote the very first Kristen's Concert Picks and put it up on my facebook page. Now the month that started is all is back with a very nice menu of bands and acts. I can't wait to jump ears-first into this spectacular selection of shows!

Fridays in April: Local Bands Live @ 10 AM to 2 PM @ Tate Plaza stage
Bands, bands everywhere! How exciting! No news yet who's playing, but I've heard a whisper that Doctor Squid just might be on the lineup one of those Fridays. Who wouldn't want to get a nice, FREE taste of some local tunes every week?

• April 16: Doctor Squid
  
• April 23: Blueswater Bridge
  
• April 30: Burns Like Fire
  

Fri, April 2: Bambara & Gift Horse @ 9 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge
Gift Horse is a band I've been dying to see, and Bambara's a band I just can't get enough of. Mmm, I can't wait for this show!

Fri, April 2: Hope for Agoldensummer @ 9 PM @ 40 Watt Club
Opening for Corduroy Road, Athens' soft-sounding songstresses are back! Don't be shy. Check out their tunes for yourself!

Sat, April 3: Sursievision @ 9 PM @ Tasty World Uptown
Yay, it's a CD release party! Rumor has it, Sursievision's smooth electronic funk will take you back through time. Ah, yes! Sounds like a party.

Mon, April 5: Arctic Monkeys @ 8 PM @ 40 Watt Club
I truly hope you've already got your tickets for this show because, word is, they disappeared as quickly as they came! Here's to all the lucky ones who get to see these famous guys in action.

Thurs, April 8: The Whigs @ 9 PM @ 40 Watt Club
This is indeed the month of famous bands. Athens' big time rock band The Whigs is coming back to town to give our ears a treat!

Fri, April 9: Ska show! @ 9:30 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge
Remember the wildly fun skancert this past January? Well, ska bands 50:50 Shot and Taj Motel Trio are coming back to Athens to get us dancing again. Come shake every part of your body at this show!

Sat, April 10: The Black Lips @ 9 PM @ 40 Watt Club
What did I say about all those famous bands coming here? Notorious rockers known for doing everything and anything onstage are back to wreak havok on the Athenians. The insanity awaits you!

Fri, April 16: Blueswater Bridge @ UGA Night at Six Flags
I was ever so excited to go to UGA's Six Flags night, but I have to admit I was a bit sad about missing an evening of Athens music. Well, blues rock band Blueswater Bridge is here to save the day! Take your ears on a rollercoaster ride of awesome tunes while you frolic through the park on your way to the next attraction. I know I will.

Fri, April 16: Reptar & Deaf Judges @ 9:30 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge
If you're not going to Six Flags, you just HAVE to go to this show. Reptar and the Deaf Judges at once? It's going to be unbelievable!

Fri, April 23: Novanauts @ 8 PM @ Outside UGA's Creswell Hall
Whee, just found out that Luke Galloway, creator of the purely spectacular band Kalvinova, will be playing a free show on the UGA campus to debut his latest electronic musical project, Novanauts! Great news.

Fri, April 23: Modern Skirts @ 10 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge
Modern Skirts at the Caledonia Lounge? Is that even possible? Apparently, it is! Be sure to get there early for this one since the place is pretty much guaranteed to fill up fast with this band's excited fans!

Mon, April 26: Stephen Lynch @ 8 PM @ Tate Grand Hall
Wanna be a superhero? University Union's bringing comedic musician Steven Lynch to Tate just for us! What fun!

Thurs, April 29: Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings @ 8:30 PM @ Max Canada
And they're back! It's been FOREVER since I've seen the Critical Darlings share their rockin' old school style tunes. Let's make the most of their triumphant return to our town!

Fri, April 30: Aman Amun @ 10:30 PM @ Ciné
It's Aman Amun time once more. Finish out your month with his tasty electronic tunes!

Don't forget. If there's a show in Athens you want the world to know about, comment below and let us know! And of course, I'll continue to keep you updated on all the local shows that you've just got to check out. There's no doubt about it. April's going to blow us away!

Time for a SKAncert!

It's nights like these that remind me that I'm still so new to the music scene. There's so much left for me to hear, so much more for me to experience, so much I have yet to learn. I mean, who knew skanking could be a good thing? It sounds like... well, you know what it sounds like! But Friday night, during my very first ska concert, I got a glimpse of what it means to skank, wildly, in public, and surrounded by tons of people!

For those of you who, like me, have been completely unaware of ska music and culture until this point, I'll tell you a bit about this skanking. See, skanking is the term used to refer to ska dancing. To skank, you must immerse yourself fully in the music, abandon all tension and control, and just let loose and flail about to your heart's desire. An odd sight for a first timer, yes, but a refreshingly awesome one too. Ska's listeners don't let fear of anyone's judgment affect their complete and utter enjoyment of the music. Ska music itself is like nothing I've ever heard either. A mixture of punk, reggae, jazz, and swing music with a splash of several other styles, it's got a happy, upbeat sound that effortlessly causes everyone to move their feet. You just can't resist! Major props go to my friend Kole for his infectious excitement about everything ska. I'm so glad he convinced me to come!

Taj Motel Trio, a band from Cornelia, Georgia, kicked off the night's SKAncert with what I would call a bit of classic ska. Their whole set had the crowd going skank-crazy! This audience had some mad energy, that's for sure. Then, a few songs in, the band managed to rework the always-awesome Darth Vader theme from Star Wars into a completely incredible and danceable ska tune. That definitely takes some major talent. Everybody loved it!

New York's band Royal City Riot brought a taste of more peaceful reggae to the mix next. Their style made me feel like I was just chilling on the beach in the warm sun, soaking in some nice tunes. Even though their music was a bit slower, the crowd kept on skanking up a storm and wholeheartedly immersing themselves in the moment!

Then it was time for Atlanta's own 50:50 Shot to play us on out. These guys had about eight people performing onstage at a time... quite the spectacle, particularly when compared to the size of the Caledonia stage! Each member had such personality that the band seemed to explode with passion and energy as they played. Their rock-infused ska had elements of the style I like to refer to as "doomsday," and it certainly kept the crowd skanking till the end. In fact, people were dancing so wildly, I'd swear the floor of the Caledonia was shaking. I'm not even sure that's possible, but wow, it was insane! My favorite part of their set had to be just moments in, though, when I heard the awesome tones of an instrument right beside me. I turned to find one of the band members standing in the midst of the sea of concert-goers, blowing away on his trombone. There's nothing like getting that true surround sound feel from a band. It was so undeniably cool!

Simply put, the whole ska scene blew me away. For me, it was truly like a trove of undiscovered treasure, a box of pure joy just waiting to be opened. Here's hoping there are plenty more ska shows and SKAncerts in Athens soon!