‘Bosstones’ To Bring Lively Sound To UI

“We weren’t a grunge band when grunge was popular,” says Dickie Barrett, lead singer for the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

It’s clear he’s proud of his band’s 12-year history, 12 years of sticking to its own sound and paving the way for a new era of ska music - music that combines the jumpin’ Jamaican rhythm with giant chunks of punk.

There have been many followers in the Bosstones’ wake, but none with this eight-piece band’s pizazz - heavy with Barrett’s cement voice and frisky with a three-piece horn section.

The Bosstones came together in Boston, 1985. This summer they took a primo spot on The Warped Tour, kicking out a kinetic performance during their July stop at The Gorge.

Their fifth album, “Let’s Face It,” currently sits at No. 34 among the Billboard chart’s top albums.

And, judging by the airtime given to their song “The Impression That I Get,” the Bosstones must be making a big … impression.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones perform at the University of Idaho’s ASUI Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho, Wednesday. Drop Kick Murphys, The Amazing Royal Crowns and Bim Skala Bim open the show, which starts at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for UI and Washington State University students and available at the UI Student Union, UI North Campus Center, WSU Cougar Depot and the WSU Beasley Coliseum. Tickets are $15 for the general public and available through G&B, 325-SEAT or (800) 325-SEAT.

, DataTimes