Toasters, Scofflaws teach Obies how to skank to the beat

For a minute there, it was just like any other "normal" ska show. But it was Oberlin. And here were a few hundred Obies who, by day, are too concerned with sculpture critiques and political agenda to do anything else. But last Saturday, when the Scofflaws and the Toasters visited the 'Sco, the scene was infested with up-beat rhythms, happy lyrics and, to quote the Toasters singer Robert "Bucket" Hingley, "It's all about unity."Ê

The octet of Toasters, who are notorious for energetic, tight live shows, proved that they could get a workout from even the toughest of crowds. At times, it was almost as if singer Jack Ruby, Jr. had to coerce the audience into hopping along. Sure, the die-hard two-tone fans were skankin' along to every up-beat, but the singer had more than his fair share of "I can't HEAR you!"s before the half-way point was past. However, the frequent breaks for hyping up the crowd probably made for a more vibrant energy in the 'Sco in the end.

One tactic to get the difficult crowd "in the mood" near the beginning of the show was initiated by Ruby and trumpet player The Sledge. Just after the second song, The Sledge played a single siren of a note for what seemed like minutes while Ruby warned that if the crowd didn't create an uproar, the trumpet would not cease. Of course, Ruby was half jesting, but the crowd played along, heightening the good vibes flowing from the horn into the ears of Saturday's 'Sco-goers.

The set was comprised of songs from their new album, Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down (released the same week as the band's Oberlin appearance) in addition to old favorites like "2-Tone Army" and "I Wasn't Going to Call You Anyway," plus an excellent cover of the Blues Brothers' "Gimme Some Lovin'." The latter was definitely a high point of the evening, not just because even non-Toasters fans could sing along, but because the particular take on the song was exactly what one would expect from a well-endowed ska band like the Toasters: they made an already great song sound better.

The rest of the repertoire ranged from slow, reggae-roots-inspired two-tone songs, to scary, dark traditional ska, to jazzy, swingy instrumentals. While at first, the crowd consisted of spectators, by the end of the night, 200 plus heads were bobbing in sync, bodies were hot with sweat, and no one wanted the show to end.

Nevermind the fact, to the not-so-hip ska fan, some of the songs may have appeared to be carefully reworked arrangements of eachother. The stream of music was consistent, tight and fluid for almost two rock-steady hours. And that was just the Toasters.

Sharing the headlining spot were the Scofflaws who, while not quite the veterans the Toasters are, held their own just fine for the first hour of Saturday's show. Breaking the initial pre-concert ice with his statement to the audience, "You're in the mood for ska," singer Tony Calarco, the Scofflaws' set had more of an old-style rock-steady feel to it than that of the Toasters' up-beat skanking numbers.

Like the Toasters, the Scofflaws chose to open their set with an instrumental number, setting the mood for the richly trad-ska to follow. The audience bobbed their heads along tamely at first, but began to be fully indulged in the rhythmic pace of the Scofflaws' style during the second number. Calarco's nearly lounge-like style drawls fit his character well; most of the Scofflaws' songs were about booze, women and having fun. But what's the harm? Half the audience last weekend fit into one of those categories, and the Scofflaws never lost control for a minute.

Keeping their crowd in check with catch phrases like, "Don't touch that dial, folks," the Scofflaws kept the beat steady for the duration of their set. However, it was evident after a dozen songs or so that most of Saturday's crowd were more excited about seeing the Toasters than singing along to the Scofflaw's tongue-in-cheek number, "The College Student." Nevertheless, the band had it's cake, especially it's take on the theme from "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," complete with pseudo dog-barking from the Scofflaws' front men.

The show was definitely a crowd-pleaser, and the music literally spoke for itself, dragging the crowd onto its feet and into the skankin' groove for a solid three hours. One Scofflaws song's lyrics could easily sum up the evening in four lines: "You got the rhythm/You got the beat/If you like dancing/You got to move your feet." And, thanks to an excellent dual-headliner last Saturday, Obies finally learned how.

Male bonding: Members of the Toasters do that duet thing while getting down at the 'Sco. A few hundred students and fans turned out for last Saturday's show with the Scofflaws. (photo by Lauren Rusin)