By: David de Young
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Local ska band Umbrella bed was doing a great, full-length warm up set for Neville Staple when I arrived. (With only two bands on the bill Friday, each act had the opportunity to play for well over an hour.)
Speaking of ska, where have all the great local ska bands gone?
Recently, a band member from Umbrella Bed had commented in an About.com forum, "We've been around since 1995. We were popular locally when the 3rd wave hit its zenith, but have since just 'stuck around' and tried to stay true to the ska. We have a new disc coming out this fall and I must say, after all of these years I'm very proud of how it turned out. It hits a little bit of all areas from 1st, 2nd to 3rd wave but is definitely rooted in the second wave world of Madness, the Beat and the Specials. Hoping to rebuild the ska-world in Minneapolis -- we are about it right now."
Umbrella Band's website includes what I can only think must be fictitious info, as none of the members of this group that professes to hail from "tropical Minneapolis, Minnesota" and claims to have been formed in 1961 appeared to be the octogenarians their website says they are. (If they are, I'd like to get a hold of their exercise program.)
I must rely on my own eyes and ears and tell you how energetic, fun, and authentic this band is. With Lee's sorely lacking in audience members, it was to their credit that these guys (and their female trombone player) were doing a great job of keeping the energy as high as possible. Neville Staple and crew did the same later on, though the latter group seemed to lose a little steam towards the end.
One stand out track was the fun and witty "Zillionaire" from Umbrella Bed's 1996 CD "King Size." It lyrics feature a story of Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs and have a definite, yet funny, criticism of the often unfortunate results that occur in a free market economy. (Alas, I produce my web pages entirely with Windows based programs.)
I can't really imagine a venue or occasion that Umbrella Bed would not take and turn into a party. Do your part and get out and support local ska music. Though it really never went away, there's no time like the present for a revival. Call me if you need a slightly rusty trombone player, who still has his own instrument that he loves dearly.
Location Info:
Lee's Liquor Lounge
Artist Info: Umbrella Bed
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