Bim Skala Bim: They Came, They Saw, They Skanked

By Jim Norton

Bim Skala Bim, one of the nation's leading ska acts, came to town September 10th, with opening acts Gnip Gnop and the Crayons paving the way for an excellent performance of instrumental-oriented ska.

Most of Madison's ska scene turned out for the gig; local high school ska group Stinkfish was there for the show, as were the Pacers, one of Wisconsin's most popular ska acts. Opening for Bim Skala Bim were The Crayons, an underpowered act lacking even a single horn, who were greeted with a fairly indifferent audience reaction, but the twisted and psychedelic sound of Gnip Gnop got the receptive crowd on its feet and moshing to the modulating beat and distorted guitar riffs.

A short delay for equipment maintenance, and Boston's Bim Skala Bim opened to an enthusiastic welcome; the room had filled since the departure of Gnip Gnop, and the influx of well-rested ska fans brought a new vigor to the floor. The band, which consisted of a guitarist, a trombonist, two percussionists, a lead singer, and a bass player, was well received by the young crowd during its first number, but Loft technical problems soon brought the show to a temporary halt. Fans handled the delay quite well, with the exception of a small circle of people who spontaneously stomped up and down until Bim's lead singer told them to cut it out.

As the equipment problems were brought under some semblance of control (the Loft's technical and acoustic qualities are extremely weak at best), the evening progressed smoothly, with Bim hits such as "Good Dog Ska", "Wise Up" and "Better Get Out" filling the place with enthusiastic moshing. Bim's sound, sort of a moderated jazz/ska mixture, was mellow and bouncy; had the acoustics been better, it might have been first rate performance art. Sadly, the poor set-up at the Loft ruined any chance of a flawless live performance. During the concert, fans were generally polite and well behaved, (as far as is possible when slamming repeatedly into other dancers), but a few people seemed to be out on the floor just to knock people around. The same cop who hauled an innocent body-pass victim out during Gnip Gnop was conspicuously absent when giant preps were careening around the floor squashing helpless moshers.

The actual ska fans themselves (as opposed to the five or six Edgefest refugees who showed up) were quite well-behaved and good-natured; like most ska shows, people were there to have a good time and enjoy the music. Violence aside, the skanking vibes of Bim Skala Bim were well worth $7; if they come back to town and play in a REAL venue of some sort (like the Barrymore, or O'Cayz) make sure to get out and see them. Instrumental ska doesn't get a whole lot better than this.