What a pairing of bands! The Slackers, who as most people probably already know, have been around over ten years as one of the leading ska bands in the scene today, melding aspects of reggae, soul, swing, rocksteady, and jazz together, to assure their take on the genre is not just a bland reiteration of something familiar. Nor does this band rely on the pop-punk-ska gimmickry that once heated up the charts and made 13 year-old girls swoon. Instead, what you get is seven talented musicians doing it their way, taking leads from such diverse influences as the Skatalites, Bob Marley, Lee Perry, Bob Dylan, and Curtis Mayfield. Knowing them to be from New York City, I was pretty confused hearing Organist/Vocalist Victor Ruggiero mention something about being from Medina, which is a small town Southwest of Cleveland that happens to be where Lisa works. I’d be interested to know if that is true, just as I wonder about their claim that their trombonist, Glen Pine, is in May’s issue of Playgirl. Damn, just as our subscription ran out… (haha!) Anyway, this band has been getting lots of attention in recent years, even appearing on National Public Radio’s "All Things Considered," and it seems the attention is well-warranted. Their show in Cleveland this Sunday night showcased some of the diverse and original songs from their new CD, “Wasted Days,” as well as several tunes from their past releases. They not only treated the crowd to some excellent traditional Jamaican ska during a long and riveting instrumental, but also threw in a Calypso tune that kept the crowd in motion. At one point the whole band dropped to their knees to observe the mock sermon delievered by their vocalist, who goes by Q-Maxx 420, with all the inflections of a Southern Baptist, about having faith in yourself. Apparently the gospel penetrated the obdurant crowd, because the next song made a sea of heads bob in the choppy waters of the syncopated rhythms. Vocals were shifted around during the evening between Q-Maxx, Victor, and Glen – each with their own style and range, helping to keep people from becoming too habituated to the soothing Rocksteady sounds. I dug T.J. Scanlon’s almost Chuck Berry guitar tone, and actually each musician was quite talented. However, my hat goes off to their saxophonist, David Hillyard, most of all. He got some sounds from that thing I didn’t know were possible, and really soloed with a great feel for jazz. Being the first time I’ve made it out to see The Slackers live, I have to say that I left the Agora rather impressed, and somewhat depressed I hadn’t checked them out before during one of the many times they’ve played the much smaller Grog Shop. The last time I saw Flogging Molly was over a year ago at a small venue in Columbus, (Little Brothers), and it was a show I will remember for years as one of the best I’ve experienced. I wondered if this show would match the effect of that one, being in a larger, less-intimate venue with worse acoustics, but my fears were laid to rest as they hit the stage running, and most sound problems were worked out after the first song. Actually, they translated easily to the bigger venue, even having a blackout before they came on, coupled with some riling intro music the way the Ramones used to do. After that, they dominated the stage for the next two hours with their special brew of traditional Irish folk and blazing punk rock kick. Robert Schmidt went back and forth between mandolin and his banjo, Bridget Regan on the fiddle and tin whistle played exceptionally, and Hensley squeezed fresh notes out of his accordion. They also had trumpet player for “Delilah,” which had huge crowd singalong response… “why, why, why… Delilah?!” He also came back to the stage for their last festive tune of the night, “Sentimental Johnny,” which has a sort of Mexican party sound to it. Dave King, (vocals, acoustic guitar), fronts the band with equal parts charisma, energy, and charm as they went through many of the outstanding songs from their new album “Drunken Lullabies,” interspersed with tunes from their debut CD, “Swagger." While the crowd relished it all, the more familiar old favorites really had the biggest response on the floor. Crowd favorites were songs like “Selfish Man,” “Devil’s Dance Floor,” “Worst Day Since Yesterday,” and of course, “Black Friday Rule,” with its cruching guitar solo and rousing fiddle breakdowns. From the new album, “Rebels of the Sacred Heart” also whipped into the crowd like a self-flagellating Catholic. Everyone got a kick when the lyrics came to “now bless me father for I have sinned” and he added an aside, “but then again father, so have you…” When King was not singing and strumming the guitar, he’d pick up a bodhrán and keep the beat while high-stepping all across the stage. This night he wasn’t drinking from a pitcher of Guinness like last time I saw him, but rather drinking straight whiskey from a plastic cup. As always, they seemed to have a great time playing, which infects you by proximty. Flogging Molly have a dynamic performance made intense not just by musical skill and passion, but their ability to write empathetic songs with depth and meaning that are pieced together perfectly with the music. Plus they also go from dead quiet to explosive energy outburst quite often, giving you a little adrenaline injection. As a couple of the best bands out there in a sea of banality, you really have to see Flogging Molly and the Slackers live to fully appreciate them, although their discs are quite fantastic too (see below for reviews). Avoid One Thing had opened this show with some Massachusetts mid-tempo melodic punk rock. They are apparently an all-star band with members of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Darkbuster, Pilfers and the Raging Teens. I never heard of them prior to this brief exposure, but what I caught of them wasn’t bad despite missing most of their set. The CD Reviews The Slackers ”Wasted Days” Hellcat Records This latest offering from New York’s finest Ska emissaries further dips their latitude into not only the warm waters of Jamaican Reggae, but also into the sweltering Bible Belt of the American South with their offering of “Sermon” to lift your spirits high above the self-effacing schlock of humdrum religion. You do not simply receive the gospel according to the “Reverend Q-Maxx and the 420 Short Bus Tabernacle Choir of E. 3rd Street,” but it is delivered to you in true Southern preacher style, complete with rallying “hallelujahs” and cheesy church organ sure to elevate you to a point where your soul can commingle with lofty ideals of self-affirmation and inner-peace. Along with this enlightenment comes some songs illuminated with a remarkable inter-weaving of some pedal steel guitar and violin, further challenging the extant boundaries of where Ska can go. In fact, while this disc retains the classic Ska feel, it also fluidly incorporates some dub, country, soul, and even a touch of 40’s jazz influences, which simultaneously relaxes and keeps you interested throughout (a tricky balance to be sure). You get the sense that there’s no rush, and often songs are allowed to expand beyond the typical three minute mark so you can really get involved, whether dancing or reclining. “Pets of the World” and “Tales of the Mongoose” dish up the delicious dub, while “The Nurse” issues some good trumpeting and pretty odd lyrics: “God isn’t coming, Sweet Jesus has told me, says if you lost him to please send a basket, fire your musket over my casket.” The jazzy “Old Days” comes off so smooth and mellow, with great sax and trombone soloing bundled with velvet vocals, that it will soothe your arthritis acquired from the tension of years spent clutching lesser CDs. Elsewhere, “Dave’s Friend” wanes serious, dealing with the topic of sticking by a friend stuck on drugs; “I may not be a friend you want, but I’m a friend that you need.” While it is doubtlessly difficult to pick a favorite cut off this release, perhaps the pinnacle of Slackers accomplishment is the cover of Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive” done with their ultra-suave Ska stylings, of course. Flogging Molly “Drunken Lullabies” Side One Dummy Records Following their phenomenal debut, “Swagger,” I was curious to see if Flogging Molly would again hit that high mark, and indeed they have composed a sophomore album equally worthy of praise. “Drunken Lullabies” continues in their tradition of pairing earnest, emotive, and often poetic lyrics with their inspired rendering of the celtic/punk rock hybrid. Whereas contemporaries such as the Dropkick Murphys proudly weigh in heavier on the punk rock, Flogging Molly are foremost Irish, fully armed with all of the Irish folk musical amenities (barring perhaps the bag-pipe). Singer and primary song-writer Dave King sings songs that tell stories of love, death, struggles, days past and lessons learned… and delivers these lyrical gems with a tenacity and passion that raises the blood-pressure. The last track, “The Son Never Shines (On Closed Doors),” is a beautiful melancholy acoustic number about an aging mother’s longing to see her son. She said the son never shines on closed doors I open to find only hurricanes blow Take me away back to the green fields of May Because the son never shines on closed doors Death Comes like a thief in the night To steal while you sleep Your soul’s flickering light Well maybe it’s then She said, I’ll see you again Because the sun never shines on closed doors Elsewhere, the lyrics on the title track poses the question “Must it take a life for hateful eyes to glisten once again / Cause we find ourselves in the same old mess / Singin’ drunken lullabies.” From there, “What’s Left of the Flag” touches on the death of King’s father when he was ten, and also personalizes political strife in Ireland (he grew up in Dublin), while “May the Living Be Dead (In Our Wake)” reveals a appealing sentimentality as he sings of a girl: “Her breath pure as whiskey my heart fell in love / Now the devil is courtin’ a different tune / And I laugh as his tears wash the rain.” Actually, pulling quotes out of the context of the song somewhat weakens their impact, and it’s hard to decide where to make the incisions, but you get an idea. King does not write all of the songs here, however, as there is a cover of “The Rare Ould Times” by Pete St. John. Also Nathen Maxwell (electric bass) has written and sang one of my favorites on this platter of plenty, “Cruel Mistress,” a coarse sea-faring tune that has perhaps a bit of a Spanish feel. Another stellar song on this release, “Another Bag of Bricks,” brings the Pogues’ “Turkish Song of the Damned” to mind. However, they do enough to embellish this exotic gypsy-inflected track so as not to appear overtly derivative. In fact, I’d say Flogging Molly has carved a niche for themselves, not only as top notch musicians and song-writers, but as a band with their own distinctive sound and style… and perhaps best of all, enough heart to fill that vapid arena housing the majority of modern music. Back Home