Bay Area Ska Buzz What did you think of the show? Check out the Bay Area Ska Board to see what others thought of the show. Friday the 22nd of December: Monkey, Chris Murray, Keyser Soze and ShitOuttaLuck at the Voodoo Lounge. It was a rainy, wet December night and I needed a pick-me up. So I called up a couple of friends and a short time later I was walking down a weird, San Francisco street with these friends of mine and one was mentioning something about pepper spray and the other something about hookers and stuff. But I was in need in neither pepper spray nor hookers, I just needed a good pick-me up. I only had two things on my mind, my friend: a stiff drink, and some kick-ass ska music, not necessarily in that particular order. Well, two out of three isn't bad at all, as it turned out. After my friend put away the pepper spray and we broke up that crazy fight between my other friend and some weird hooker (sex unknown), we came across an interesting little place called the Voodoo Lounge. People were seated at a few tables and at this long bar. It wasn't a bar for drinks, however, my friend, it was a bar for sushi. Mmmm. Or maybe not, depending on a few things. ShitOuttaLuck filled this room with happiness and joy... Curiously enough, music was being blared in the background. "This looks interesting," I said to my friends, who were fumbling once again for the pepper spray and any pocket change for some instant companionship, respectively. I decided to go into the place. And I was pleasantly surprised. Past the sushi bar, a lady was standing at a counter taking tickets. A large black curtain hung behind her. Some music played in the background, and I could hear voices. I was intrigued at the possiblities behind this curtain. My quest for a pick-me up could be over. I talked my friends into paying for tickets and we snuck behind the curtain. And we uncovered paradise, or at least as close as we would get to it on a rainy, sleepy evening. Past the curtain was a bar (which catered to as many long island iced teas as necessary). To get past the bar, we had the get past a load of people at the bar. Past the bar, in a large room was a stage. Past the stage, a few musicians were milling about, instruments in hand. I spotted a trombone. "This could be a ska band," I said to my friend, who then tripped over a Christmas tree that was standing against the wall next to a pool table. Reno, NV favorites Keyser Soze tore it up. Oh yeah, a ska band they were. They were ShitOuttaLuck, and we definitely were not S.O.L. With a soulful-sounding woman singing lead, and with a talented cast of musicians with her, ShitOuttaLuck filled this room with happiness and joy, a nice Christmas gift a few days prior to the holiday. Things started to get even better when my friends and I hit up the Voodoo Lounge bar for entertainment. I don't know if someone slipped me a mickey or not, but things from then on got a little sketchy at times. I remember catching a hat from ShitOuttaLuck's trombonist's free hand. I remember stumbling through a happy, bouncing crowd. I remember finding my way into a storeroom in an attempt to use my cell phone to call some more people to this ska-laden venue. I remember stumbling my way into a restroom, only to find Chris Murray surrounded by a captivtated audience of four next to the sink, warming up for another smooth set. Chris Murray had the audience singin' along. After ShitOuttaLuck finished up, much to the dismay of many, another worthy band took the stage. Keyser Soze, who had travelled to the Bay Area all the way from Reno, hypnotized an adoring mass of dancing, gyrating people with their infectious reggae-hip-hop-funk-ska groove. A few more trips to the various stops in the Voodoo Lounge (and possibly a few more long islands) preceded the next performance, one by the afore-mentioned Chris Murray. Murray, armed with a guitar and himself, took the stage and entertained the crowd during a brief lo-fi set, a break from the craziness and high energy levels of the previous bands. Murray, the former leader of King Apparatus, continued the Christmas joy with an enjoyable set of well-written and quality tunes. Rock steady, yo. Following another smart set by Chris Murray, Monkey bombarded the stage and pumped up the crowd at the Lounge with high-energy, soulful ska as only they can bring. Bay Area fun-lovers Monkey kept the audience moving well into the night. With Monkey finished, and my legs resting from an hour of steady skankin' during the long Monkey set, talk was exchanged about about late-night burritos, late-night lovin', late-night clubbin', or maybe some other late-night entertainment in San Francisco. I just followed along. We picked something to do, and I can't remember. All I remember is sushi, long island iced teas, and a large dose of kick-ass music. And that's all I needed on a rainy, wet December night. ~~~ You can contact the author at zack@agoutimusic.com