This past Wednesday night The English Beat performed to what appeared to be a packed house at Brighton Music Hall in Allston. This is one of the first times in recent years that the two-tone era ska band did not perform at Johnny D’s, their usual Boston-area tour stop.
Now, I say all this based on what I saw on Instagram because I couldn’t get out of work that evening. But, here’s what we’ve learned:
Toastmaster King Schascha can spit!
This role has long been filled by the highly skilled Antonee First Class in Dave Wakeling’s stateside Beat lineup.
Most folks know the cross-over hits, like “Save It For Later.”
And that other pop tune!
And “Mirror in the Bathroom” was on MTV so….
We’ve still got lots of education to do around ska history.
When you and @_claireify spontaneously go to a sold out concert, get in for free and you’re the only ones under 60 #vscocam A photo posted by Britt Chang (@breeetany) on
But those younger folks made the other folks feel good about the show!
https://twitter.com/minkrose/status/667186477521092609
I was pissed I couldn’t make the show and now I’m bummed on top of it. It looked like a party. It’s safe to say that with a new album due out in early 2016, The Beat won’t stop any time soon. Watch the calendar for their next visit.
Header Photo: Dave Wakeling’s American version of The English Beat, live at Club Nokia, LA Live. Los Angeles, California. 31 July 2009. By Mykal Burns [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
