Event Streetlight Manifesto
City Los Angeles
State California
Venue Key Club
Date July 12, 2010
I don’t think Ska will ever die, it cannot fade, it will never erode. If you have ever loved this music, it will hit you just in precisely the same way the 12 millionth time you’ve heard a song the same way it did the first time. I like my Ska like I love my whiskey, neat and clean, which is why I jumped at the chance to review Streetlight Manifesto at the Key club on Monday July 12th….
Ska is not dead. I don’t think Ska will ever die, it cannot fade, it will never erode. If you have ever loved this music, it will hit you just in precisely the same way the 12 millionth time you’ve heard a song the same way it did the first time. This reggae infused punk is not only indestructible, but has a gravitational charm to it that keeps it fresh.
A Ska concert is a nice big house party, and everyone in the room is part of the discussion. As long as people are still thriving to have a good time, Ska will be there to remedy a mundane evening. For my tastes, I like my Ska like I love my whiskey, neat and clean, which is why I jumped at the chance to see Streetlight Manifesto at the Key club on Monday July 12th.
Opening for the night were The Supervillains, who deserve an honorable mention for being a surprisingly solid new act. The Supervillains served up a fresh eclectic mix of Ska and Reggae that set the mood of the evening well. People had fun bouncing around to them and they were all too happy to oblige. There’s not a lot to say about them other than they had some amazing chops and connected well with the audience. There was nothing gastly distinctive about them, but they strike me as a band that could find room to grow into a unique voice of their own when they get the chance to headline. Hopefully, we’ll check back with them later.
Amidst the long and complicated history of the members of Catch 22, former singer and songwriter Tomas Kalnoky formed Streetlight Manifesto at the beginning of the past decade and kept his brand of music remarkably fresh. Since their inception, the band has released two full-length albums and an entire cover album of Keasby Knights, the album Kalnoky wrote for Catch 22. It’s amazing then, for a grand total of 3 albums worth of material, that the band’s hour and a half set list is crammed packed from start to finish with hits and fan-favorites.
The band used the first half of their set to play through the highlights of their most recent album, Somewhere in the Between, with hits such as ‘We Will Fall Together’ and ‘Would You Be Impressed’. Among the new material, old favorites such as ‘Point/Counterpoint’, ’9mm And A Three Piece Suit’, and ‘Keasbey Nights’ were sandwiched into the folds. Overall though, for a show like this the song selection is virtually irrelevant compared to the atmosphere of the night itself. Streetlight Manifesto never missed a beat and had the audience on the hook the entire set.
If you were in front of the stage you were dancing, if you were on the sides, you were singing along with every word to every song. As for the band, it’s refreshing to see a bunch of people who throw image to the wind and just enjoy themselves jamming on stage. This same show could happen in the Key Club, or a big outdoor festival, or in front of a couple friends in someone’s backyard, and it’d still be the same fun-time had by all. It’s one thing to pack in a concert, it’s another when that concert becomes the social event of the summer.
Check out the full set of Streetlight Menifesto concert photos.
Tags: key club, streetlight manifesto
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