thebeat

The English Beat tour dates & other upcoming ska shows

The Beat

As a former Boston skinhead with a former penchant for Ska and hardcore, it’s safe to say that The English Beat‘s music radiated from my car speakers more than a few times as I delivered pizza back in the day. Though they weren’t my favorite band of the genre, when they’re good, they are freaking amazing. Now as an older skinhead-via-heredity, it’s with mixed levels of enthusiasm that I announce that Dave Wakeling and the English Beat are embarking on a pretty serious Summer/Fall North American Tour, eventually skanking their way to Webster Hall on August 21, 2010. Bad Manners is supporting, which is AWESOME. Tickets go on sale July 9, 2010 (Amex presale begins today, July 7th, at noon).

Why the mixed levels of enthusiasm? Well, I am no purist, but I can’t really get jazzed about seeing a band, any band, with only one original member. And though it is a scientific fact that David Wakeling (English Beat founding member and currently the only original member) is an EXTREMELY awesome guy, I’m not sure he necessarily deserves his title of “Legendary King of Ska”. I can think of about 10 ‘ska legends’ before he would even enter the picture, and ain’t one of them a white dude from the UK. Legendary? Maybe. King? Hell no.

That said, between the Bosstones coming to Irving Plaza, The Pietasters playing on a boat (tickets), The Slackers also playing on a boat (tickets), and more Ska shows inevitably popping up, it’s gonna be a good season for skankin’ in NYC.

All English Beat dates (including a show in the Hamptons this Friday) below…

The English Beat – 2010 Tour Dates
Fri 07/09/10 Amagansett, NY The Stephen Talkhouse
Sat 07/10/10 Niagara Falls, NY Hard Rock Cafe
Fri 07/16/10 Riverside, CA Romano’s Canyon Crest
Sat 07/17/10 Irvine, CA Great Park
Wed 07/21/10 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
Thu 07/22/10 Apple Valley, MN Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater
Sat 07/24/10 Temecula, CA Wiens Family Cellars
Sun 07/25/10 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
Tue 07/27/10 Las Vegas, NV Crown Theater
Wed 07/28/10 Universal City, CA Gibson Amph. At Univ. CityWalk
Fri 07/30/10 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery
Sat 07/31/10 Napa, CA Uptown Theatre Napa
Sun 08/01/10 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Tue 08/10/10 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
Thu 08/12/10 Omaha, NE Slowdown
Fri 08/13/10 Chicago, IL Double Door
Mon 08/16/10 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
Wed 08/18/10 Foxboro, MA Showcase Live
Thu 08/19/10 New Haven, CT Toad’s Place
Fri 08/20/10 Providence, RI Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
Sat 08/21/10 New York, NY Webster Hall
Sun 08/22/10 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Tue 08/24/10 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
Wed 08/25/10 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
Thu 08/26/10 Orlando, FL Firestone Live
Fri 09/03/10 Del Mar, CA Del Mar Racetrack
Mon 09/06/10 Seattle, WA Seattle Center (Bumbershoot)
Sat 11/06/10 Irvine, CA Great Park