The Sounds of Soul Ska Will Put a Spell on You! Soul Ska at SweetWater Music Hall
Soul Ska 2025—all photos by John Greenwood
If you ever get the opportunity to catch Soul Ska live, bike, drive, or fly to take it. I happened to attend a show of theirs at Sweetwater Music Hall last October, and it was like walking into a dream; costumed characters welcomed me into a legendary space. For a Halloween show, this was an absolute blast!
If you’re not familiar, the location is only a few miles north of San Francisco. The highlight of the evening was Soul Ska, who on this occasion would be fronted by the renowned Fishbone soldier #1, Dr. Mad Vibe himself, Angelo Moore. The multi-talented ball of energy that has burned brightly in Fishbone for going on half a century.
The folklore of this venue
Sweetwater Music Hall originally opened in 1972 and ran for around 35 years as a 90-seat tavern catering to a roots rock crowd and featured some incredible names on its humble stage, including Van Morrison, Aaron Neville, Big Mama Thornton, Carlos Santana, Clarence Clemons, Elvis Costello, Etta James, Gregg Allman, Huey Lewis, Jerry Garcia, John Hiatt, John Lee Hooker, Maria Muldaur, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Richie Havens, Robert Cray, Sammy Hagar, Townes Van Zandt, and Bob Weir.
In the 1980s, Sweetwater was hailed as one of the best nightclubs in America by The Times of London. After the original venue closed in 2007, the present version reopened in 2012, about a block away from its predecessor, and now hosts around 300 people.
I was impressed by the friendly, welcoming nature of management and staff". The venue also has a great restaurant, which was useful as I was pushing to make it on time and needed sustenance. This might be a “best-kept secret,” truly a wonderful space in a fantastic location, and it is obviously run with a lot of care and pride. I just can’t say enough about it.
The musical attraction of the evening…
Soul Ska.
Formed in 2014, they are a nine-piece San Francisco Bay Area ska/rocksteady collective dedicated to keeping ska music alive. They are comprised of Jonathan Korty (keys), Lex Razon (drums), Ryan Scott (trumpet), Gardner Goetze (guitar), Tommy O'Mahony (bass), Liz Larson (trombone), Patrick Byers (baritone sax), and Aaron Saul (sax), with a vocal trio of Sean “Stymie” Sharp, Jethro Jeremiah, and Noelle Glory.
A high-energy mix of original first- and second-wave Jamaican/UK ska classics, Soul Ska is also known for ushering in the occasional guest star. The band has an established working relationship with Angelo Moore, and with him driving the Soul Ska train for the evening, 100% commitment, action, and entertainment were guaranteed.
With the spectacle of most of the attendees in Halloween costumes, the competition came down to a crowd-vote playoff between the Sea Pigeon and the Queen of Hearts. I can’t actually remember who won, but I am pretty sure the pigeon left the venue with its head still where nature intended.
The anticipation was high as Angelo entered the stage bedecked in an extravagant pack-of-cards-themed suit and eye-catching wig, fitting perfectly with the overall carnival atmosphere of the night, leading off with “The Suffering,” from the 2000 Fishbone album Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx.
Angelo Moore, Fishbone 2025—all photos by John Greenwood
The highlight of the night was a glorious cover of the 1956 Screamin’ Jay Hawkins classic I Put a Spell on You.
If ever there was a song tailor-made for Angelo Moore, he just took it and ran with it. Perfect for Halloween night, his vocal skills and persona are wild enough to match the song. Absolutely stunning.
Over the course of the rest of the evening, Soul Ska tore through a ska version of The Munsters theme, a killer take on Dawning of a New Era, and a fresh interpretation of The Guns of Brixton with Angelo putting in some outstanding Dr. Mad Vibe work on the Intonarumori. Next up was the Soul Ska treatment of Uptight (Everything's Alright) by Stevie Wonder before finishing the evening with Ghost Town and Gangsters by The Specials.
Angelo Moore, Fishbone 2025—all photos by John Greenwood
Regardless of their guest singer du jour, Soul Ska puts on a tremendous show.
Look out for Soul Ska playing events near you soon.
I’m genuinely looking forward to future shows at Sweetwater, which is just a fantastic venue. And whether you happen to be as lucky as I was to go in a sea of costumes or whether it’s a standard night of skanking, you will be so glad you went.
