Ska bands rock HUB Ballroom in 2nd annual weekend fest

Decked out in plaid suits and porkpie hats, hundreds of students and other observers danced the weekend away in the HUB Ballroom.

The 2nd Annual Penn State Ska Fest came and went in a flash, as the HUB Ballroom overflowed with musicians, fans and a diverse mix of ska music.

Karen Skomorucha (freshman-international politics) said she enjoyed all the bands, but one particular group stuck out in her mind.

Natives of Long Island, Edna's Goldfish used every opportunity to liven up the crowd, shouting out to audience members to dance during their performance. Although the band garnered a lot of popular support at the festival, the group many said they came to see was MU330. The band's popularity was growing, many said, because their songs were fun to dance to.

Ska music in general has enjoyed a rise in popularity during the last few years, boosted by mainstream bands such as Reel Big Fish, Sublime and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

But only a few musicians at the event were well known in the ska circuit. On Friday night, the most anticipated acts were Ruder Than You and MU330. For many, Saturday's biggest attraction was The Scofflaws.

Jeremy Myers (senior-telecommunications), co-organizer of the event, said he was pleased with the show, and cited standout bands from the two-day festival.

"MU330 and Telegraph are tied for the most fun bands of the show," he said, adding that The Articles had the best sound.

An energetic guitarist, saxophonists and a funky upright bassist were the source of the jazz-influenced ska The Articles produced at the show. The dancers kept bouncing when the band launched into the Thelonious Monk classic "Well You Needn't," and the seven musicians kept the groove going with a jazzy song devoted to the bass great Charles Mingus.

The Articles sandwiched these songs with standard ska fare, keeping vocals to a minimum and letting the brass section do the talking.

"You sure know how to make us boys from Detroit feel happy," the frontman told the appreciative crowd at the end of the set.

The crowd fluctuated throughout the two-day event. Myers estimated that about 2,400 people attended, and of those people, 70 percent were students, he said.

The total was less than last year's turnout, which Myers attributed to the combination of the new door charge and fewer well-known bands.

However, the lowered attendance did not reflect a lack of entertainment for some concert-goers.

"This year is more exciting than last year," said Maria Velez (sophomore-art history). "It's great to just waste energy on something so fun."

Although most came for the music, many others said they enjoyed the camaraderie of the annual ska festival.

"Everybody here is different," Skomorucha said. "But we're all here for the same reason, and that's awesome."

Collegian Staff Writer Jason Fagone contributed to this report.