The Mighty Mighty Bosstones performing at The Fillmore in San Francisco, CA. June 27th, 2018. Photo Credit: Jared Stossel.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
w/ Buster Shuffle, Los Kung Fu Monkeys
The Fillmore
San Francisco, CA
June 27, 2018
Photos and review by Jared Stossel.
The summer of ska may very well be upon us, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the legendary ska act from Boston, are out to prove it. The nine-piece act made a stop at the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco, CA in promotion of their newest record, While We're At It. What followed was a ninety-minute show that stretched throughout the band's decades-spanning catalogue, filled with moshing, smiles, and numerous sing-along moments.
The show began with two great opening sets from the UK's own Buster Shuffle and TIjuana's Los Kung Fu Monkeys, all setting the tone for a high-energy set from The Bosstones. Kicking things off with "The Old School Off The Bright" from A Jackknife to a Swan, the nine-piece Boston ska act brought the energy up exponentially. With all members donned in white suits, and vocalist Dicky Barrett decked out in a pair of sunglasses through a portion of the show, everyone was all smiles.
While The Mighty Mighty Bosstones did play a set that included tracks from throughout most of their collective discography, a majority of songs managed to make their way in from While We're At It, while Let's Face It and Pin Points and Gin Joints made the second-highest number of appearances throughout the evening. The band also threw in two covers in the middle of the show: "Simmer Down" by The Wailers and "I Can See Clearly Now", all with their own unique twist.
As expected, all hell broke loose (in a good way) when "The Impression That I Get" was performed, which led into a high-energy encore set comprised of "In Honor Of" (While We're At It), "Bad News And Bad Breaks" (Pay Attention), and "A Pretty Sad Excuse" (Pin Points And Gin Joints).
There's no getting around it; ska music is simply just fun. It's always managed to get a weird reputation after the nineties came and went, but ska shows are vastly fun and highly underrated. Not to mention, the musicianship from bands like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and acts like Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake, prove to be immaculate time and time again. The Bosstones are an act you should always catch if you're in the mood to feel great. Their energy and stage presence alone is enough to get you dancing.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Setlist
The Old School Off The Bright
The Rascal King
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Dr. D
Graffiti Worth Reading
Someday I Suppose
Everybody's Better
You Left Right?
The Constant
Let Me Be
Play Video
Hell of a Hat
Mr. Moran
Simmer Down (The Wailers cover)
Wonderful Day for the Race
Royal Oil
Let's Face It
Hope I Never Lose My Wallet
Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah
Unified
They Will Need Music
Don't Worry Desmond Dekker
I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash cover)
The Impression That I Get
Encore:
In Honor Of
Bad News and Bad Breaks
A Pretty Sad Excuse
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
www.bosstonesmusic.com
www.facebook.com/themightymightybosstones
@mmbosstones
Los Kung Fu Monkeys
www.facebook.com/LosKungFuMonkeys
@loskfm
Buster Shuffle
www.bustershufflemusic.com
www.facebook.com/bustershuffleofficial
@Bustershuffle