Mighty Mighty Bosstones / Pietasters / H2O

40 Watt / April 4

The eager, sold-out crowd arrived at 5 p.m. to the sounds of H2O, but as a nine-to-fiver, I didn't make it there until The Pietasters hit the stage about 6 p.m. Though little-known in comparison to the enduring reputation of the Bosstones, The Pietasters received a warm welcome from a noticeably younger audience with many singing (screaming) along to favorites like "Maggie Mae." The Bosstones' Dickey Barrett lent some vocals to the band, who have had better (and more sober) shows. Their enthusiasm and smooth execution of horns was The Pietasters' redemption from frequent squawky feedback. They did prove to be an interesting offset to the more punk Bosstones.

Barrett's claim in the Flagpole interview [April 2] that "It's a misnomer and a misconception that horns can't rock" was well supported by The Bosstones' swift and mighty brass section. They rocked old favorites like "Someday I Suppose" and "Simmer Down," as well as newbies from their latest album, Let's Face It, like "Noise Brigade" and "The Impression That I Get." Through the skankin' and crowd-surfers, there was little room to move. Clarke County's finest even showed up with an ambulance for one stage-diver's broken nose. (No major injuries were reported; no accident report was filed.) Nonetheless, it was neat to see ska's growing number of aficionados. This listener just hopes the growing size of ska fans won't speed the ebbing of ska from its Jamaican roots. That classic origin leads the thinking mind to question just how ska are the Bosstones really? Who knows? One to ten, this show was an eight.

Ellen Gladden