The Slackers - Ska and Punk still dancing away

Some of the earliest shows I went to in middle and high school were local punk and ska shows at The Boathouse. The Boathouse was a legendary venue of pure raw live music. It wans't very pretty and it wasn't the best sounding, but it was loud and mean. I really do miss it and I shed a tear every time I think about it.

So here I am a decade later still watching ska shows. The attendees stay the same age while I keep getting older. That's something really special, I hope everyone has a chance to experience music for themselves and get inspired. Looking around the crowd there are plenty of people with the underage "X" on their hands and thinking about how I hated those marks of shame. Enough nostalgia, onto the show itself.

Rude Zombie was a great opener, they definitely warmed up the crowd. They were the first to raise the energy level and never let it down. It's a huge band with a big sound, I wish I was able to capture more of it, but I was too busy enjoying the performance.

Here's a video of Rude Zombie from that night shot by another concert goer.

Next in the line up were local favorites Jackmove. They have been consistently holding it down in Hampton Roads for a while now. You can always count on them for a good time and great dancing. They are a genre bending band that play ska reggae funk punk and rock. Very very fun to see live.

And finally The Slackers are celebrating 20 years together! and bringing all kinds of class and sophistication to the ska experience. Everything about them says that these are professional entertainers who know what they are doing and love every second of it. They played to a packed house and were essentially held captive by the crowd. The stage at Jewish Mother backstage doesn't really allow for the talent to simply walk off. The Slackers took it to the next level by literally jumping off stage and playing their way out beyond the crowd. It was ridiculous.