While I’m firmly in the “ska never died” camp, it’s safe to say the reputation and impact of ska music has been more subdued in America since the Third Wave crashed in the late ’90s. It’s also safe to say that ska and ska punk have experienced a sort of renaissance since 2020. That year saw the release of the Ska Against Racism compilation by Bad Time Records and the debut album from Bad Operation, the purveyors of what became to be known as New Tone. Together, those two provided the catalyst to the increased popularity, acceptance, and visibility of ska music today.
In 2023, Bad Time Records embarked on an incredibly ambitious summer tour.
It featured some of the label’s heavy hitters as co-headliners with a rotating cast of regional support. The event also provided for the recording of a future documentary and live album called This Is New Tone. It felt like this generation’s Dance Craze. Summer of 2023 was the “Summer of Ska” for my friends and me, and we’re all better for the chronicling of that special occasion.
I hoped it would become an annual thing, but the summers of 2024 and 2025 came and went without a new tour. Sure, the bands played shows across the country, but none of those split bills captured the full energy of the original.
As the saying goes, “Good things come to those who wait” because the Bad Time Records Tour returned in 2026.
The label stuck with the same formula of having three rotating co-headliners and a regional support band. I really wasn’t sure what band to expect for the Midwest, and to be completely honest, who we got was the last band I would’ve expected. Hailing from New Jersey, I never thought ska core legends The Best of the Worst would be even a remote possibility for our leg. Since they truly are one of my bucket list live bands, I knew this tour was already off to a good start. The Best of the Worst supporting JER, Bad Operation, and Kill Lincoln? That’s a line-up that’s hard to beat.
Knowing the venue hosting the Michigan date well, we pulled up about 30 minutes after doors because music always starts an hour after doors like clockwork. When we parked, the line was out the venue and at least two blocks down the road. The show was one ticket away from selling out, and the regular sound guy wasn’t available, so the venue called in an audible and got someone else on short notice. The delay meant the bands didn’t get to do pre-show sound checks and instead did them on the fly before their sets. It felt more punk rock in a sense, and I thought it set a pretty cool tone for the night.
I stepped into the venue as The Best of the Worst started their first song.
My wife stationed herself at the Punk Rock Saves Lives booth, and I headed to the front. This might be my only chance to ever see The Best of the Worst live, so I wasn’t going to miss it. Filling in on bass for the night was Kill Lincoln’s bass player, CJ Uy. Kill Lincoln’s drummer even came up for “Feedback Loop” to give drummer Joe Scala a chance to come out from behind the kit, hit himself in the head with the microphone, and deliver a devastatingly brutal vocal performance. The guest appearances didn’t stop there. JER saxophone player Em Williams and Bad Time head (and Kill Lincoln lead singer/guitar player) Mike Sosinski also made appearances.
You can really tell that the bands love the folks they share a label with because they watched each other’s sets and jumped up on stage for a few songs. Em, Esteban, and Jer hopped up with Bad Operation. Jer also helped out on trombone during Kill Lincoln’s set since Ume wasn’t there. To end the night, members of The Best of the Worst and Bad Operation sang a cover with Kill Lincoln of “I Am Like John Cusack…” by Michigan’s own We Are The Union. It was a ska punk summer family reunion up on stage and in the crowd. I hadn’t seen several folks in the crowd since that 2023 tour, so it was great to reconnect with them.
I would be remiss if I only mentioned The Best of the Worst and the guest appearances.
JER came on after The Best of the Worst, and their set was another first for me. My life and their tour schedule just never seemed to meet, so it was good to finally see them live. JER is fronted by Jer Hunter, and they’re backed by a group of tremendous musicians. The set was as energetic and engaging as it was informative. Ending it on “Nobody Can Dull My Sparkle” was the chef’s kiss because the song is an IDGAF anthem that puts me in a great mood. It gives me the confidence to continue living my life how I want without worrying about how others will feel.
Bad Operation absolutely crushed their set. As the band with the most recent release on the tour, they played a mix of past favorites and new songs that sounded amazing and were welcome additions to the set. The energy between the stage and crowd was infectious, as everyone was dancing and engaged. Bassist Greg Rodrigue even did a stage dive and crowd-surfed the length of the venue. Even when the band dialed it down a little with “Simple Melody,” the room kept dancing.
Kill Lincoln closed out the night.
The DC ska punk band always brings it, and tonight was no different. In classic genre tradition, they have a hype man named Drew, and hype up the crowd he did. Whether dancing on stage or starting a circle pit, he was the Energizer Bunny. Kill Lincoln performed a mixture of their best tunes and some that they don’t play as often anymore. It truly was a set list that old hats like me and newer fans could enjoy equally.
Everyone should feel the excitement and energy of a (nearly) sold out ska show at least once.
There is no better live concert experience in my eyes. Everyone dances, sings along, and leaves the venue drenched and exhausted. It’s the only kind of tired I like to feel. In fact, I was so tired after this concert that I hung back and didn’t go as hard the following night when I saw The Impossibles reunite. That’s the sign of a good show, if I can say so myself. The magic of that weekend can only happen when fans are involved with their scene and actively participate. As one of my dearest friends once said, “If you want a scene, you need to be the scene.”
All Photographs by Dane Jackson
