Syracuse Ska Forum

Okay, this is a first for me ... I'm actually typing this AT a show. We're on Main Street in Webster, which looks a lot like downtown Skaneateles. Very, very nice area, really nice coffeehouse, about 3x bigger than Coffee Pavilion. It's pretty full right now, maybe 75 so far? No bands have played yet, but 7 are scheduled, with Magic Goat on 2nd. I'm guarding their merch, which handily is next to the free wireless internet stations.

The average age here is 15. Lots of checkers, but when I ask kids if they're into ska, they kinda look at me like, "huh?".

Also, I agree with the guys in Magic Goat ... it's obviously fashionable in Webster for guys to wear long hair. At least the guys at this show.

The first band is playing right now. There are definitely 100+ people here now, but everyone is seated and almost everyone is talking. The music is barely above the sound of the 3 piece jam band (drummer, bongos and guitar). Gawd, this is how bar shows sound. At least they're not singing. You'd never hear them.

It'll be interesting how this crowd reacts to Magic Goat. They're easily the oldest band here (all the others are in high school), but at least they've been here before and I hear they went over really well. Anna is dressed for the season (lots of red and a Santa hat).

Okay, now it's time for Magic Goat (this is so bizarre, the live reporting I'm doing -- but I'm bored guarding the merch, ok?). I think MG will have an easier time than the 1st band, because their energy should get everyone to take notice ...

It's just getting more and more crowded ... so now more people are standing than sitting ... I'm guessing 200+ now? Well, they're finally playing ...

Where's the color commentary for the show? I need to know if anyone's jukin' left or right!!!

Bite me.

I was wrong. It's so crowded and the vocal mic so weak, the room noise level is still quite high. The kids got up, but they're still talking over MG and no one is really dancing. This looks like outside the Westcott during a show there, but not the inside. At least inside at Westcott shows, kids don't talk over bands like this.

It's "Come On Eileen" and kids clearly WANT to dance, but no one is going to be the first, how lame.

This is clearly a case where all the 14 and 15 year olds in Webster have nowhere better to be. Far more visiting going on than band watching, which is a shame. I'm sorry, but this makes me miss Syracuse shows. Even the 14 and 15 year olds in Syracuse do better than this.

What I think is killing this "show" is the fact it's free admission. A good excuse to hang out, but if you pay nothing to see the bands, then maybe you're not really here to see them?

Now they're playing "Just A Girl" (when did they add this cover to their set?) and still the kids are far busier socializing than watching the band. And the vocals are still waaaay too low (where is Mike Larkin when you need him?!?!).

I'm just glad the set is almost over and we can head over to the Eastman Lounge. I'll take 20 ska real ska fans there over this mass of high schoolness run amok. Sorry.

And they'll be playing the same set and I guarantee it'll much appreciated. I feel badly for the band, because Anna is singing her heart out and it makes no difference ...

It sounds like a crappy crowd.

place this exact coffee shop in a suburb outside of syracuse and im sure the exact same thing will happen. besides, after the glow left webster, there was nobody left that played or listen to ska. it's all just "emo" kids there now.

i didnt intend any hostility in this reply danny.

Not really true Danmunier........Magic Goat got a coffee house in manlius (a suburb in syracuse) to get a lot of people to dance. Of course the coffea shop is a lot smaller, but still, depends on the crowd.

i was in on that
me and spencer got it going

yea, the annex show last june was real cool. weve got another there on January 7th, its sure to be awesome. i think the details are on syracuseska.com.

anyway, yea the crowd wasnt really that great at joe bean, the PA was weak and the 7 of us had no room at all to move. despite all this, i still had fun playing there and i hope some of the kids there had fun watching us.

Wow! What a night! I can safely boast that I'm not going to be singing for the next few days that's for sure. Two shows in one night was insane...but in the best way haha.

Joe Bean was really crowded but people seemed a little shy. I wanted to walk out and get them more into it, but there wasn't really any room to move around. Anywho, I had to stay still so I wouldnt break any equipment...even then, I'm not quite positive I didn't

The Eastman Lounge was kickass. That's all I gotta say. Tiring, exciting, stressful at times, but overall freaking awesome. We took pictures outside, which hopefully came out well, and an old guy wished me a dirty merry christmas after i did my marilyn monroe pose over the steam grate on the road in my skirt. On that note, happy holidays everyone and happy new year and all that good stuff!

Since when is there a coffee house there?

Its kinda new, maybe a year and a half. its called The Annex

Look, I was frustrated when I wrote this thread. It's frustrating to watch a big crowd largely ignore a talented band.

That was not an indictment of Webster or the kids of Webster. Magic Goat was one of 7 bands there and presumably the other 6 bands all go to Webster HS (or whatever its called) and thats probably the main interest those kids had.

The front third or half of the kids did at least watch Magic Goat and seemed to like them. Just no one danced, except for some kids out on the sidewalk, where you can argue there was at least some room.

I really don't like all the Rochester vs Syracuse talk and I'm not trying to prompt that here. You can have good or bad shows in either. The ska scenes are definitely not the same in both, but I don't see any value in exploring the differences.

Magic Goat had fun playing at Joe Bean in Webster and at least some of the crowd enjoyed seeing them there. 'Nuff said.

So we're not gonna make the finals this season. It's a building year.

LOL. Fortunately there are no awards for ska scenes. At least none other than the personal joy of attending great shows like last night.

Incidentally, I consider 2005 a building year for Syracuse as well. We've done a lot more and we will do a lot more in 2006.