Despite the overcast weather, Victoria Ska Fest succeeded at drawing a good-sized crowd to their Friday-night show. The beer tent was packed, the crowd was excited, and Fishbone was playing.
A full-throttle band that mixed ska, soul, and punk, Fishbone were a hit. And even though there were plenty of kids in the crowd, frontman singer/sax player Angelo Moore did not keep it PG.
Although I shouldn’t repeat anything he said, I will paraphrase what some guy in front of me said: “Dude, this guy is crazy! Like, what the heck, man?” With his jokes, energetic performance, and crowd-surfing, backed by the very solid music from the rest of the band, Fishbone made for a very good time.
Ending off the evening was Barrington Levy, an artist who has worked with everyone from Snoop Dogg to the festival’s headliner, Shaggy. The reggae legend brought his Jamaican flair and passion into his performance, getting the whole audience singing and dancing.
Another thing to mention about Ska Fest is the community vibe you might not get in a larger city.
I met Kytami, who performed on the Wednesday night, and I also ran into Jonny McCormak from Rude City Riot, who was kind enough to let me know that not only is Ska Fest an awesome festival to watch, but an awesome festival to perform in.
Until next time, keep on skanking.