"Hey guys what's up?" Dicky Barret asked us for the third time. "Is there something I can help you guys with?"

"Yeah we are supposed to be interviewing you around four." I said. "No shit, well let's go on inside and knock this thing out."

Dicky Barret for those of you who don't know is the lead singer for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. The band has been hailing from Boston since the mid-eighties playing their patented brand of ska-core which is often compared to the likes of the original funky ska-core greats, Fishbone. Dicky and I got to sit down and talk before one of the first shows on their tour, supporting their brand new album entitled 'Let's Face it'.

Cynic: Do you want to talk about the Safe and Sound compilation? Give the general story behind it.
Dicky: Sure, the general story is some asshole came to Boston and blew away two people who were working at separate women's health care facilities. After that a bunch of shows got put together to try and turn things around. The spirit and the feeling in the city was pretty glum at the time. The shows got done and people were feeling better, so we said well maybe we can keep this going and we (Bosstones) said, well we're trying to start a label and we'll donate any time, energy or efforts, or resources to get this done. A year and a half later the album came out. It's a bunch of Boston bands and all the money will go towards protecting the women at the facilities and to the actual facilities. You know only a small percentage of what goes on in these women's facilities is abortions and it's really ridiculous that people, like this guy can get away with this.
Cynic: On a less serious not one question that has really been eating at me is that you guys are the self-proclaimed "Plaid boys of Boston"
Dicky: And we haven't been wearing plaid lately?
Cynic: Yeah, are there any real reasons?
Dicky: It's always' in my heart my friend. Well let me ask you a question, do you wear the same clothes you wore five years ago?
Cynic: No, not really.
Dicky: Well there you go. I mean I look back on some old pictures of me and I look silly but I don't know, it was appropriate for the time, but now we just wear different clothes. It'll always be there though.
Cynic: One thing that stand out about the lyrics on all of the albums is you guys try and fight the wrongs of the world, you actually sing a line in a song off the new album that goes "Be racist, be sexist, be bigots we won't stand for your hate.", then the pietasters, don't get me wrong I love them, but they have been criticized as being sexist and they are the opening band for this tour. What are your thought on the matter?
Dicky: Well don't think they are sexist. I think that their lyrics are real and this is stuff that they are seeing in every day life. They also right about relationships. I mean they are heterosexual men and they like their women. I think it's also a reaction to the PC in this country that has moved to far in one direction.
Cynic: The new album, one thing that I've been hearing over and over again is 'Dicky actually sings on this one.' What do you think.
Dicky: I was hoping that wouldn't get out (laughter all around). I don't know, it just seems to fit on some of the songs. I mean the new album is different but we don't want to put out the same album eight times.

The new album is something different all right. The albums first release 'The Impression that I get' has been getting major airplay on the radio waves, as well as being a hot one on Mtv. The album is the first one in nearly three years for the boys. The sound is not one that we have heard from them in a long time. The first few tracks on the album seem to be headed in a direction more leaning towards a ska direction. The rest of the album is the same old band, mixing their hard driven guitar riffs with their talented horn section. The album could be 'More Noise and other distubances', the band's second album, with the big distinction that Dicky does actually sing on this one. On the first few tracks where the pace is more on the upbeat and there is a lack of that driving guitar it works, but on the rest of that album you are just left yearning to hear Dicky's gravel voice yelling his way through the verses. Overall the album isn't bad, I'd give it a solid grade of a B.

Now the new album live is another thing. The band tore it up during this show. I've never seen them put on such a performance. They were all in swing, and I think a huge part of it was they are glad to be getting out on the road again. They played an awesome set of all the good old songs and a little more than half of the new album, 'Let's Face it'. As usual the whole crowd was really into it. The Bosstones have one of the strongest fan bases of any band I've known. They've been around for a good period of time now and have always put on a good show for the dedicated. I've always said that I wanted to be at a show where the crowd knew the lines to the songs and drowned out the singer, with their chanting. Well this was the night. For a couple songs Dicky would only sing selected lines and the crowd just screamed them out, in his absence louder than he ever could.

The DC ska band, the Pietasters opened the show up, to a great reception. They put on a awesome performance. I got to chat with Steve the singer, and Todd the bassist for a few minutes before they went on and they seemed like really cool guys. One question that I had to ask was the one about the band being sexist. They seemed really fed up with being asked the same question time and time again, and having their music misinterpreted and attacked. Steve told me, "We see a lot of fucked up shit on the road and we are just telling a story. If you are stupid enough to only look at a song one way, and not see it from other perspectives, then you're a dolt." As the story goes during a show in Florida once upon a time a person in the crowd was yelling at the band members saying they were sexist and such and Steve leaned over to tell him that if the guy wanted they could discuss it after the show. Just as he said it the guy protesting actually maced Steve in the face. The band continued the show and Steve eventually returned to the mic, but the episode seemed to leave the guys scarred about people bitching about their music.

The Pie-guys definitely had great stage presence. Steve waded his way around on the smoke filled stage, belting out those sweet ska tunes. Dicky Barret actually got up on stage with the band to sing a couple of songs, which just got the crowd going even more. The Pietasters launched though an awesome mix of songs off each album as well as a couple of old songs done by traditional artists. For those of you who haven't heard the Pie-guys I greatly urge you to go out and buy one of their albums, because they are one of the best ska bands around, both live and recorded. They also have a new album in the works which will go into production during the middle of the summer. Overall I think this Bosstones show was the best I've ever seen. They seem to improve each time. This time they had a killer opening band. The Pavillion in Portland Maine, where the show was held was a very nice place, very classy. And most importantly the band was on. The Bosstones have been going at it for a decade now, but they never seem to tire. The songs still get your feet moving, and the lyrics carry as much impact now as always.