Mirror in the Mystic: The English Beat Bring Ska Petaluma CA
Dave Wakeling of the English Beat - Photo by John GreenWood
So here we are at my favorite local venue—the rustic, old-worldly, vaudevillian charm of The Mystic Theatre in Petaluma—for a sold-out show by the returning English Beat on May 9th, 2025. Dave Wakeling and the crew seem to love this venue too; I must have seen them here at least four or five times since the COVID epidemic, and they always deliver. There was a healthy buzz in the line outside, which I guess became too much for one potential punter—we had a medical emergency before the show even started. I hope they were okay and that it wasn’t anything serious. Sorry you had to miss the show.
Unnamed OG DJ - Photo by John GreenWood
Once inside, the first thing to notice as we filed into the great hall was the immaculate and pretty selection of trademark Wakeling Vox Teardrop guitars lined up onstage, waiting to go. As anticipation for the headliner grew, we were treated to a solid mix of punk, ska, and dance rhythms by OG DJ, who had some healthy selections to warm up the ’80s-influenced crowd quickly filling the old cinema hall.
Dave Wakeling of the English Beat - Photo by John GreenWood
Without too much delay, Wakeling and the English Beat hit the stage and kicked things off with “Rough Rider”—always a great opener for an evening of English Beat two-tone/ska energy. They moved straight into the swirling textures of “Twist & Crawl,” then on to “Hands Off… She’s Mine,” a song that spirited me back to my youth in a “time travel machine” only music can provide. I remembered buying that record as a teenager at the one record shop in the small town in the northwest of England where I grew up.
Photo by John GreenWood
The tempo slowed for their delightful cover of the Staple Singers’ “I’ll Take You There,” a song they’ve made an integral part of their live set. That was followed by the mellow General Public track “Tenderness.” My senses were whisked back again to those small-town record store days with “Best Friend,” which brought memories of all the high times and risks of my teenage years.
“I Can’t Get Used to Losing You” was dedicated to friends no longer with us—most notably the great Ranking Roger (RIP), whose absence still leaves a noticeable space in the band’s lineup. Their cover of Smokey Robinson’s “Tears of a Clown” came next, the first Beat song I ever heard, back when they were just The Beat in the UK and part of the Two-Tone explosion.
Dave Wakeling of the English Beat - Photo by John GreenWood
Then came “Save It for Later,” a song I didn’t fully appreciate when it first came out in 1982 but have since come to see as a standout English Beat track with beautifully layered textures. Another General Public song followed: “Never You Done That.”
Next up was the epic singalong “Wine & Grine/Stand Down Margaret,” which made me wonder how many people in the crowd actually knew who they were singing about. Back then, it was a brave protest against an oppressive authority figure. I was left wondering how many people still remember or understand that reference. It’s a bugger, this getting old lark.
“Too Nice to Talk To” unlocked memories of my own teenage awkwardness and shyness, while the smooth “Doors of Your Heart” slowed things down for a breather. Then it was time to sprint for the finish with the high-energy “Ranking Full Stop” and the track the whole crowd had been waiting to lose their minds to—“Mirror in the Bathroom.”
Photo by John GreenWood
They closed with the smooth saxophone and groove of “Jackpot,” a perfect mood to end the night on.
Everyone filed off into the night smiling, sweaty, and happy after their ’80s fix—another show that Dave Wakeling and the English Beat delivered with a cherry on top. I never tire of watching these guys. Long may they continue.
We wandered next door to McNears Bar for a few post-show beers with friends we hadn’t seen in a while—an excellent before-or-after-show spot with solid pub grub, not too quiet and not too loud.
