A Good Ska/Punk Show

It is December and everyone knows what that means... The AquaBats! Ok, so maybe nobody knew that, but now you do :) I went to the Bats concert last night with some friends and had a LOT of fun. They had three opening bands of which we saw two (we missed Yo Gabba Gabba). They were pretty good. The first, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band was super unique... very earthy, folksy, eclectic sound. They incorporated numerous instruments into their band; violin, harmonica, mandolin, accordion, keyboard... along with the other typical rock band instruments. It made for a very interesting blend and I really enjoyed it. The crowd just watched and soaked it all in when they were playing.
Next came Suburban Legends. I loved them all over again. I saw them at last years concert, but somehow forgot about them. I don't know how because they are so much fun! They're a ska band so they still have the trombone and trumpet goin' on which I adore. The vocalist is amazing (and I've ONLY heard him live). He has a ton of fun up there and works the crowd so well. My favorite, though is their shweet dance skills. They've got stuff choreographed and everything... they're like Nsync with way better music! It's so much fun to watch.

After that it was time for the AquaBats at last. We were toward the front and in the middle when they came on and we were instantly in the concert surge when the music started. I was pushed around a ton despite my friends efforts to "block" for me. There was a time when I was so squished between bodies that I was having trouble breathing. Around this time my shoe came untied. I knew at the rate I was getting tossed around, that shoe would be gone forever if I didn't do something. I shoved my way through the crowd at the first available moment and took a break on the sidelines. After I got my shoe secured, I went back in, but avoided the messy area. Their show ran pretty much the same as last year. They had the villains and the heroes come on stage. They threw a pool party equipped with blow up beach toys. It was kinda funny; during the concert, the band had some sort of inside joke going on. Whenever the Bat Commander (yes, I'm a nerd) would say something that reminded the guitarist of a song, he would start playing that song. Most of them were classic rock songs. Many of them I didn't know, but it shook things up a little nonetheless. They played several songs from their newer album "Charge" but also mixed it up with a lot of old AquaBat classics. They even played The Chicken Song which is an oldie that you don't hear much. "CD Reaper Man" was also resurrected. I am grateful to my friends who let me tag along with them. Thanks to them, I came away from the concert unscathed... even after a Converse Allstar to the face (crowd surfer). I know it's crazy and it doesn't really fit the mold, but I sure do enjoy a good ska/punk show.