Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Still Toasting

World’s greatest ska band heading to Whistler

Who: The Toasters

Where: Garfinkel’s

When: Sunday, Sept. 26

With 24 years, 12 albums, and over 4,000 live concerts under their belt it’s safe to say you’ve heard The Toasters’ own brand of ska music by now, whether you know it or not.

Over the decades this New York-based band has gotten their share of radio play, both alternative and mainstream, and have had their music featured in television shows, motion picture soundtracks, and commercials – beer companies especially seem to love The Toasters.

And if you’re already into ska music, the dapper cousin of reggae and punk, then you probably already have a few albums at home and plan to be front and centre when The Toasters skank out at Garfinkel’s this Sunday night.

Since 1981 The Toasters have ridden the wave, watching their fortunes go up and down – along with the whole ska genre – at the whim of music critics and record labels. Popular one day and passe the next, at least when it comes to mainstream appreciation, ska has at last stopped trying to please the people upstairs and has focused its energy back on the fans.

The Toasters frontman, Robert "Bucket" Hingley says this approach is working and that a lot of new energy is building around ska music. As one of the founding fathers of the American ska movement, with 24 years on the road and no plans to stop playing anytime soon, "Buck" is living proof that there will always be a market for good music.

"It’s difficult to even conceive of giving it up right now, because we’re already booking tours through the fall of next year. We’re getting so much work at the moment," said Buck.

"I think that things are on their way back up (for ska). We took a big hit in the late ’90s when (ska) was exploited maybe a little too much, and in the wrong way. I think ska got associated with some bad bands and that hurt us.

"But what’s happened is that ska has really gone back to the underground, where in my mind it’s a lot better off. And it’s really coming back up through the efforts of the bands that are out there playing it, not through the record labels or the media. That’s what we, as musicians, should be most proud of."

The Toasters launched their latest North American tour three weeks ago in support of their first ever best-of album, In Retrospect . With 68 shows booked between their first appearance in Covington, Kentucky and their wrap-up in Strasbourg, France in December, it’s safe to say that there’s still a huge demand out there for The Toasters’ live performances. In fact, Buck says the band generally tours for about six months out of every year.

"As most bands go we’re pretty well organized, touring for six months and kicking back for the other six months with our families," said Buck.

"It’s a good balance for us because we tour a lot, and you want to be at your best. For us it’s all about playing the music live, that’s where we’re happiest," said Buck.

"For us the shows are something special. As a musician, ska is really fun music to play. It’s fast and people are dancing, there’s a lot of yelling back and forth. We improvise a lot, talk to the audience, that kind of thing. If it wasn’t fun, I wouldn’t still be doing it all these years later, spending all those months away from my home and my family.

"You’d think after 4,000 shows it would be a bit of a blur by now, but I was talking to someone the other day about a show and he and I were able to pinpoint the exact show we both at, who was there, what songs were played. It’s all up there on the hard disk somewhere. There are a lot of shows that stick out in our minds, but at this point I’d say it just feels like one long tour."

Being on the road has challenges, especially when it means being away from your wife, children and comic book collection – Buck has a pile of valuable editions – but he says it’s an experience that he wouldn’t trade for anything. It makes life difficult sometimes, but without mainstream support he says it’s the only way a band can make money these days.

"It’s hard to watch on one hand because people are getting spoon-fed crap by all the record labels, so we have to stay on the road to get our music out there. It’s hard to sell your CDs any other way these days – I reckon there’s never been a tougher time for music than now, but that’s not going to stop us from doing it," said Buck.

The fans make it possible these days with audiences that literally span three generations, from the hardcore fans who were around when The Toasters debuted in 1991, to the 20-somethings that discovered the music on their own.

"Our audiences are really widespread," he added, "but a large part of it is still the kids who are really coming into the music, mostly through the Internet. I’d have to say the most important tool we have working for us now is our Web site, and this whole community of punk and ska sites.

"There are some really motivated fans out there, and through the Internet they’ve found a way to communicate with one another about underground music that the mainstream media doesn’t want to touch.

"It’s working, and the music is getting out there without MTV and radio and all the big label money."

Ska is also popular around the world these days, with some of the biggest demand for The Toasters and other ska bands coming from urban Europe and South America. Buck says he’s looking forward to playing Whistler and other shows in Western Canada, where there is a lot of interest in live punk and ska music. Some of the local bands making inroads here, like Vancouver-based Los Furios, are even signed to The Toasters’ new label at Megalith Records.

As North America’s longest running and best established ska bands, Buck says The Toasters have worked together with other top acts and new talent over the years to help build up the fan base.

"A lot of people appreciate that we’re still out there doing what we do, and they also appreciate the fact that we’ve tried to give a helping hand to a lot of bands coming up the ladder.

"More than any other kind of music, we really stick together. We’ve had a lot of bands open for us over the years that have gone on to bigger and better things, and we meet up from time to time on the big double bills. When one of us does well it’s good for all of us because it gives the music exposure, and turns on a few new fans," said Buck.

The Toasters will be playing in Whistler at Garfinkel’s on Sunday, Sept. 26, and fans can expect a big performance – it’s one of the shows that’s being recorded for a new live concert DVD produced by STOMP records. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

The Toasters are comprised of Buck on the guitar, Jack Ruby Jr. on vocals, Ace on drums, Jason Nwangbaroa (of Strangeways) on bass. The brass section, which puts the exclamation point on Toasters’ songs, is comprised of Jeff on sax and Buford on trombone.

For more information on The Toasters and some samples of their music, visit the official Web site at www.toasters.org.