REVIEW + PHOTOS: Cranking and Skanking Fest @ Palladium 08/25
By Danya Trommer
Photos by Zoe Salvucci
Walking through Worcester, it was easy to tell who was there to attend Crankin’ and Skankin’ Fest on August 25. Checkerboard, Hawaiian shirts, and Jamaican flags painted the crowd that swarmed into the parking lot of the Worcester Palladium where the festival was held. Food trucks from the area dotted the parking lot, as well as a beer garden that served locally brewed drinks. Fans from all over the Northeast gathered to see the fest curated by Boston’s own Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
Boston’s Big D and the Kids Table had an incredibly energetic set, with lead singer David McWane commanding the audience’s attention with his exuberant performance. A circle pit swirled around in the center of the crowd, full of fans belting the lyrics to hits such as “Shining Down” and “L.A.X.” At one point, trombone player Logan La Barbera stood up against the barricade and blasted notes into the crowd. Big D put on one of the best sets of the night, hyping up the crowd for the several other acts that were to follow.
Playing at the same time as Big D on the inside stage was Connecticut’s The Hempsteadys. The band’s set included songs off their new album, “Seance! Seance!” At the festival, nine members of the impressive eleven piece band performed. The band seemed to have genuine fun on stage, which made their set even more enjoyable.
Later on in the night, reggae legends Toots and the Maytals performed on the outside stage. Starting in 1962, the band has been around for more than 50 years. The lead singer, Frederick “Toots” Hibbert, showed no sign of his 75 years of age as he danced around the stage. Balloons full of confetti bounced around as the entire crowd danced to the many incredible songs performed, including “Monkey Man,” the first international hit the group ever had. Toots and the Maytals are a huge reason why reggae gained mainstream popularity, and are credited with coining the genre’s name. Without them and similar bands, the future waves of ska that came from outside the islands would have never happened. Essentially, all of the bands that played that night owe their existence to them. I felt incredibly lucky to have gotten to see such an important group play.
Closing out the night were the festival organizers, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Clad in pink suits, the Bosstones took to the stage to perform a career-spanning set. Despite it being 8:30 p.m., lead singer Dicky Barrett donned his almost ever-present sunglasses. As always, backup vocalist/dancer Ben Carr, also known as the “bosstone,” was a delight to watch as he skanked around stage as the rest of the band put their all into their performance. The band had a magnetic stage presence that the crowd thoroughly enjoyed and did an excellent job with closing out the festival.
Cranking and Skanking Fest had come at a very pivotal time for ska. With ska band the Interrupters gaining mainstream appeal with radio play, it is very possible that fourth wave ska may be coming back into the spotlight. Also, the politically charged roots of the genre are making a comeback, as heard on the Mighty Mighty Bosstones new album While We’re At It. This can prove to be beneficial for the genre, as the original ska message of anti-racism and anti-fascism holds relevance in today’s political climate. By showcasing the future of the genre–though I would have liked to see them on the mainstage rather than the sidestage–fests like these can try and facilitate the mainstream revival of ska.
