For one long day and night, ska was back in force on Long Island. Boasting a powerhouse line-up that included the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the Pietasters, Voodoo Glow Skulls, and local favorites Catch 22, the Downtown was the place to be to get your ska fix. I had forgotten how lively, intense, and just plain fun these shows could be. And with the energy of all the bands at such heights, it was incomprehensible that they had each played sets during the afternoon prior to this "old folks" gig.

Ah, but here's the rub: with four bands who could easily headline any show, what would the night's line-up be? Voodoo Glow Skulls guitarist Eddie Casillas said that throughout this mini-tour the bands had been switching around the order in which they played. None of these bands should have to open, but this spot fell to Southern California's madmen the Glow Skulls, which was somewhat unfair considering they were the openers during the afternoon show as well.

Headlining their last show at the Downtown in March, VGS are quickly becoming a staple in Farmingdale, bringing their psychotic and fiery mix of punk, ska, and hardcore to the suburbs. They played a nice assortment from their ever-growing catalogue of maniacal songs, comprising six albums thus far. From the legendary opener "Insubordination" off their first LP in 1993 Who Is? This Is?. To their insanely fast rendition of "Charlie Brown" and the wonderful "Shoot the Moon" off Firme to offerings from their latest (and Victory debut), 2002's Steady As She Goes, including "One for the Road," in the small amount of time they were allotted, they really packed a big punch. As in March, frontman Frank Casillas came out in an elaborately decorated leather mask, which he later discarded, and the stage was tastefully decorated with strategically placed "glow skulls." To digress for a moment, you just watch any of these bands and it makes you smile - they're having fun onstage and the crowd is having a ball on the dance floor. It's great.

Of course we got a Spanish offering, "El Coo Cooi," as Frank waved his skull torch smiling, and the vocalist appropriately dedicated "The Devil Made Me Do It" off 2000's Symbolic to the Bosstones with whom they went on their first national tour ten long years ago. When I caught up with Eddie later on, he couldn't stop singing these guys' praises for staying so cool and true to the scene even after they have had so much success in the late '90s. VGS ended strongly with "The Band Geek Mafia" from the album of the same name. It's just too bad their set was so short, only consisting of about eight or nine songs in total. On the bright side, they seem to have taken a shining to New York and will be coming back soon no doubt.

Next up were the Pietasters, promoting their latest release 1992-1996, a three-CD set that features their first four full-lengths as well as rare and unreleased tracks - sixty-seven in all - on VMS Records out of Baltimore. This band has one of the most energetic and spontaneous sets imaginable, complete with keyboardist Erick Morgan handing out shots to the rest of the band mid-song. Jorge Pezzimenti is the strangest, quirkiest bassist I've ever seen, and singer Steve Jackson can belt out vocals like none other.

The crowd witnessed some offerings from their 2002 record Turbo, their most recent release of all-new material, like the mellow "Drunken Master" and the more upbeat "Set Me Up." The crowd seemed to get into these songs as much as Pietasters mainstays like the raucous "Out All Night" off 1997's Willis, as well as the bouncy live staple "Maggie Mae" and "Biblical Sense," which Steve said was "for all the beautiful girls out there," both from 1995's outstanding Oolooloo on Moon Ska Records. Still, the two highlights had to be the infectious rocker "Freak Show," during which the pit got going - kids just skankin' their asses off - and as always, their version of Oi! gods the Business' good time anthem "Drinking and Driving," which according to Steve, they "can't play a show anymore it seems without playing…It's a funny-ass song, it's pretty easy…and plus, it pisses a lot of people off." Right on. The Mighty Mighty Bosstone's trombone player Chris Rhodes came onstage for a while to help out too. The Pietasters have gone back to their roots on Turbo, playing extremely soulful tunes, yet their set was pretty upbeat for the most part, and closed with "Somebody" off 1999's Awesome Mix Tape #6. A fine set from a great band that's been putting out records for ten years now.

By the time Catch 22 took the stage, the place was packed. Yet most people I talked to didn't feel that this New Jersey ska/punk band should have gone on third. During the afternoon show they also went on during the latter stages of the show, but perhaps they were given the good slots because they're locals. No matter, the band - which was the first ska outfit ever signed to Victory, releasing their debut Keasbey Nights back in 1998 - played a highly energetic set that had the crowd going. Playing songs like "It Takes Some Time" off 2000's Alone in a Crowd, their rowdy, fun sound was right at home here. Only having heard their endearing debut record and seeing them one other time back in the day, I'm not that familiar with their newer material. Since then they have undergone some line-up changes, namely the departure of original singer/guitarist Tom Kalnoky with Pat Calpin moving from bass to guitar, and more recently, the exit of replacement Jeff Davidson, leaving vocal duties split between Ryan and Kevin, saxophone and trumpet players, respectively, as well as the addition of old Edna's Goldfish alum Ian on trombone. In any case, the six-piece offered some well-played, speedy, fun songs featuring some great horn parts.

And now the Downtown was filled with intonations of "Mighty Mighty…Bosstones!" Yes, my friends, it was time for Boston's best, who are still going strong after forming almost twenty years ago, to play their now-legendary fusion of ska, punk, hardcore, and metal. At this point the crowd was really alive and it was evident a vast majority had come for the ska-core kings, who are still promoting last summer's A Jackknife to a Swan - the band's return to an independent label. Dressed to kill in their stylish suits as always, they kicked things off with the troubled, tough "City" - undeniably the most hardcore offering on the new record - during which frontman Dicky Barrett pleads for his city back the way it used to be. They also played the title track from this album, which is a sunny, fun song right out of the MMB mold rife with horns as well as "Old School."

The band didn't disappoint as they played freewheeling party tunes from all their albums. We got some real early material in the form of "Hope I Never Lose My Wallet" and "A Little Bit Ugly" from their 1990 debut Devil's Night Out and 1992's follow-up More Noise and Other Disturbances including "Awfully Quiet" and "He's Back," which starts out slow and heavy, but then gets more upbeat with a mean chorus and a quick breakdown featuring vocals by sax-man Tim Burton, as well as plenty of other requisite live classics like the unbeatable "Hell of a Hat," "Last Dead Mouse," and "Don't Know How to Party." "Dogs and Chaplains," another one that starts out hard as hell and is one of their fastest offerings, was great live. Joe Gittleman's booming bass really came through, the brass section sounded crisp and sharp, and Dicky's distinctively husky/growling vocals harked back to the myriad times traveling to NYC to see them. About performing on Long Island, Dicky seemed rather happy, and in the process praised us and told us not to be ashamed…um, ok. A great part of the show was when two kids beat the system (and the Nazi-like bouncers) by managing to get over the barrier and onstage, getting a chance to dance along with resident skanker Ben Carr, the man credited as the "Bosstone" of the group. Well, they did receive a little bit of help from Dicky who held back a bouncer, thus knocking him down a notch in the process. Nevertheless, before the band went off they played that old radio hit "The Impression That I Get" and I couldn't help but think it's funny how things change - once loved by the record execs, ska is now back underground - and that's how it ought to be.

After the boys left the stage, the inevitable chants resounded once again throughout the room, and back they came to crank out a couple more songs including another new one "You Gotta Go" with its sing-along chorus and brutal mid-song hardcore breakdown. Once the band left the stage for the final time, Dicky stayed around for a bit, throwing an entire case of Heinekin into the crowd and then going around to shake hands.

So, to recap, it was a blast being at a riotous show again where EVERY band included a horn section. It just may be time to break out the old plaid and two-tone creepers once again…

See more photos here.