By the time Easy Big Fella hit the stage, the club was pretty packed. Ska is alive and well in Seattle. This was my second time seeing EBF and they were just as fun this time around. Between the high kicks and often choreographed moves of the horn section and a guitar player who’s almost a dead ringer for Pete Townshend (Rick Dybvad – who also plays in Natalie Wouldn’t), and a keyboard player who looks like Elton John (Mike (Mikey Shasha) Birenbaum), EBF create a fun energy on stage and this spills out into their audience who has an equally fun time.
EBF throw everything including the proverbial kitchen sink into their music. There was reggae ska, elements of blues, rock and a little jazz. For three songs Tenor sax player Shawn Brockman’s daughter Hannah took over on bass. All of sixteen years old, she can play as well as anyone twice her age.
The remainder of EBF are, Liam Barksdale – Guitar, trumpet, vocals
Jeff DeMelle – Bass, Kelly VanCamp – Drums, Ric Pentilla – Trumpet
Eric Ellsworth – Trombone.
Preceding EBF was The Skablins. These guys just never get boring. Singer/front man Gordy Whyte is an ultimate showman, leaping and running all over the postage stamp stage and even shedding his shirt (which sported the words “Skatamatic Weapon”), swinging it above his head, slapping the guitarist with it, and playing the second half of the show shirtless.
Meanwhile Buster (Daniel) Larsh blows the trombone while dancing practically non stop. The highlight for me, of course, was their singing the Kinks’ “Come Dancing.” For anyone who hasn’t seen the Skablins yet, if you’re a ska fan, you just must. You will not see a more fun band. They’re opening for Pinata Protest September 28th at the Highline in Seattle.
Beginning the whole night was Portland’s Original Middle Age Ska Enjoy Club. Not the catchiest band name, but their music belies this. This seven-piece outfit consists of, Michael Diltz: Trumpet, Jed Jorgensen: Bass, Don Olsen: Upside Down, Left-Handed Mandolin, Casey Sims: Drums, Stephanie Thompson: Organ, & Brad Washburn: Trombone, & Michael Afentoulis: saxophone.. These guys played a more swing flavored ska sound rather than a reggae or pop/punk based ska. Some of their songs were reminiscent of Cab Calloway. I’m not sure, but I think this is the only ska band that plays an electric mandolin. They were superb.
Also superb was the sound mix. I could hear all the instruments individually and collectively and the vocals were never drowned out by the instruments. This was a wonderful night.
