October 11, 1998, Bull Run Restaurant and the Shirley Club, Shirley, MA
All images (c)1998 by Christopher Russell
For a variety of reasons, we found ourselves in the rugged environs of Massachusetts' north shore-- Shirley, to be exact. There were a couple of weddings, but more to the point, there were some rather surprising bands to be seen and enjoyed. The first was a superb trio doing business as
Sweet, Hot & Sassy. These gals churned out a Texas swing with heaping helpings of Andrews Sisters-type harmonies. And they did it flawlessly, thank you very much. Aside from the vocals, they shamed you with
instrumental abilities that left you panting for more.
With what do you follow such a fine act? Why, a ska band, of course. I can't say for certain how many ska bands are in Shirley, Mass., but there is certainly at least one--
Dion Knibb and the Agitators. Just what is ska, some of you ask? After driving through the rolling hills of New England, this clever blend of Jamaican-British reggae/pop/jazz was the last thing I expected. But the local boys juked the joint with faithful covers of tunes by their heros, the Skatellites. Bride, Groom, parents, grandma-- everybody wiggled their butts in time to the evenings festivities. Then the party shifted up the road to Shirley Club, where yours truly sat in with house band, The Bobo Links. (I don't name them, I just plug in and start playin'....)
No web pages for these folks, but lots of good memories.[HOME]