Even with pop-punk—and pop-punk-leaning bands—seemingly having a hip moment (Spraynard in New Yorker? That happened. Cayetana on NPR? You bet. Title Fight in in Vogue!? Believe it.), a lot of ska is still seen as the genre’s red-headed stepchild.
It’s not that ska is unpopular, per se—Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish, and Less Than Jake (remember those bands?) were third-wave heavy hitters that still tour across the globe—it’s that those reliable, celebratory horns aren’t looking to be reinvented in today’s punk world, and the sound isn’t for everyone. Even pop-punk fans.
And that’s ironic to local musician Edson Hinostroza, who plays bass in the local ska band Thirteen Towers. That’s why Hinostroza helped start the Metro Area Ska and Pop-Punk Summer Bash*, which is gearing up for its third year on Saturday.
Born and raised in Arlington and a longtime follower of D.C. punk, he noticed a gap in the punk community’s charitable spirit: veterans. “After a decade of war,” he says, “this should be a priority.” Inspired by fellow bandmember and Army veteran James Tucker, as well as an article about the dwindling membership of his local VFW chapter, Post 350, Hinostroza knew he’d found the perfect location for the third annual MASPPSB.
The Takoma Park VFW (also known as Hell’s Bottom) was glad to open its doors to punk and ska fans for free. While they’ll keep revenue from snacks and booze, Hinostroza says they’re just happy to have patrons there (note: apparently the drinks are “super cheap”). For those unfamiliar, a VFW hall is a general-use space—this one’s decked out with a bar, an outdoor space, fire pit and a free jukebox—where local veterans come to spend time with other folks who’ve experienced similar challenges.
Saturday’s soiree is sure to be a good time with Backyard Superheroes, Survay Says!, Thirteen Towers, The Captivators, Six Foot Machine, The Split Seconds, and The Good Fight. And all the money from the door is split evenly amongst the seven bands—two are touring acts, while the other five are local.
Though most of the bands on the lineup are local, they operate outside of the often-incestuous D.C. DIY punk scene. Half of that could be the age of some of the bands at MASPPSB. Hinostroza feels that local punks can be “cliquey” with other bands in their mid-twenties—a phenomenon he understands and equates to being a “safety net.”
But there’s also an undeniable difference in the aesthetic of these guys versus the gritty underground. Distortion and reverb are minimal—ska punk bands are, for the most part, all about sharp, clear sounds, which, in addition to those blaring horns, set them apart from most punk bands.
The third annual MASPPSB gives passionate, talented musicians a place to shine, but it’s not impervious to the patriarchal dominance of punk scenes: there are no female musicians featured in the fest. Hinostroza lament’s this though, and notes that while he tried to book some bands with women, their schedules didn’t work out. “The more girls in music, the better,” he says.
The fest aims to highlight oft-ignored veterans and the VFW version of DIY communities, with a goal to be a welcoming community space inclusive to folks of all kinds. Bringing local ska fans (or, really, any punk fans) to Hell’s Bottom means coming face-to-face with the realities of the military construct subject of so many punk songs and flipping the stereotype on its head.
Here’s a taste of what you’ll hear on Saturday:
The Metro Area Ska and Pop Punk Summer Bash is this Saturday, July 11th. Bands begin at 4 p.m. Tickets are $10. The space is accessible. Check out VFW Post 350 here
*What’s with that name, though? A fest as good-spirited as this one deserves a fun and brand-able name. Also, as two of the fest’s bands are from New Jersey, “Metro-area” seems to mean “mid-Atlantic folks who know a thing or two about shitty traffic,” rather than “Metro-accessible areas”. Hinostroza says he simply wanted to give the fest a name that’s “as literal as possible”, and that “Metro-Area” would be the most inclusive for everyone involved. Eh.
