Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Ska-Core Is Really Really Gaining Popularity

At age 31, Dicky Barrett is already a grandfather - of sorts.

As the lead singer of the 12-year-old band the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, he is the old man to a sound he personally christened “ska-core.”

Part Jamaican ska, part hard-core punk, part a lot of other things, ska-core is feisty uptempo stuff that, until recently, enjoyed a small cult status rather than widespread popularity.

“The way I describe ska, it’s like no interest, no interest, no interest - all of a sudden a lot of interest,” Barrett says in a husky voice that seems ripened beyond his years.

Indeed, with the much-ballyhooed demise of grunge, bands that play punk/ska-with-a-twist have recently become the recipients of unprecedented public interest.

And although it was the Bosstones who really pioneered the sound, it is whippersnappers like No Doubt and Sublime who were the first to catch big-time exposure.

It would seem, however, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones have finally gotten some of the appreciation due them.

Their fifth album, “Let’s Face It,” sits at No. 27 on Billboard’s list of top 200 albums. And this summer, the Bosstones are taking a headlining spot on the Warped Tour, a musical festival scheduled to make its first-ever appearance at The Gorge this afternoon.

Twenty or so bands - nearly all of whom have stitches of ska or punk in them - will swarm over four stages.

There will be the classic California punk bands like Social Distortion, Pennywise, the Descendants and the Vandals.

There will be the pop-ska-punk bands like Reel Big Fish, Hepcat and Buck-O-Nine. And there will be plenty of others - like, say, the swingin’ Royal Crown Revue.

Although many of these bands have a heavy edge to them, they carry it off without giving up a good time. And to Barrett, that seems to be the key to ska-core’s current fashionableness.

“I think that coming off of grunge and all that depressing rock and roll, I think it’s natural that people want something different, something a little more fun,” Barrett says.

In that spirit, the Warped Tour will bring not only a bevy of bands to the region, but more than a dozen extreme-sports athletes as well.

A kind of skate-surf circus, there will be an animation festival, a climbing wall and demonstrations from in-line skaters, skateboarders, rock climbers and BMX bikers.

The tour - sponsored by the Vans shoe line and now in its third installment - was conceived in part by Kevin Lyman, who helped produce the first four Lollapalooza festivals.

Organizers say the event is designed to offer “the best in extreme music, sports and lifestyle.” But it’s also got heart.

A portion of ticket sales will be donated to a summer camp for children with HIV and AIDS.

The band Pennywise will hold a food drive. Concert-goers are encouraged to bring a can of food in exchange for a band sticker.

The Surfrider Foundation will be on hand to lead the “Water Down The Whitehouse” campaign, designed to show politicians that kids these days want clean water for recreational use.

Concert-goers are asked to send water samples from their local beaches, lakes and rivers to the Surfrider Foundation, which will then forward these “visual petitions” to the White House and Congress to support clean-water legislation.

Here are some of the highlights:

Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Dicky Barrett actually prefers the title “godfather of ska-core” over grandfather.

“There should be a statue in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and I should be on it,” he said with a touch of sarcasm during a recent interview.

A springing dance beat, smiting guitar licks and natty horn morsels all share the Bosstones bed as Barrett and band offer up messages of racial and sexual tolerance.

The eight-piece Bosstones first came together in 1985 in Boston. A group of friends who had a common bond in the hard-core scene, they spent years building a strong fan base through rabid touring and dedication to their fans. Some weeks, Barrett personally answers 400 fan letters.

On their latest album, the Bosstones range from the purer ska sound of “Rascal King” and “Royal Oil” to crackling bites on “The Impression That I Get” and “1-2-8.”

As for the current popularity of their sound, Barrett says he’s none too preoccupied with it.

“If it goes away, we’ll still be the Bosstones. If it stays around, then we’ll still be the Bosstones. Being the Bosstones is both our work and our pleasure.”

Social Distortion

This four-man Southern California crew plays a thickly guitared punk dipped in urgent melodies.

Mike Ness and Dennis Danell formed the band in 1979, drawing influences from both the Clash and the Rolling Stones.

Their sixth album, “White Light White Heat White Trash,” is edgy and clamorous, finding its primary fire in the American punk rock of the mid- to late ‘70s.

“Every record I write usually is an example of what I’m listening to,” Ness says. “What I’ve been listening to the last couple years is back to Johnny Thunders and the Clash and Ramones and Dead Boys. That stuff all has so much more soul and substance than what’s called alternative now.”

The Descendents

This influential foursome formed in 1978 when they began swirling catchy pop melodies with spazzy punk energy.

Known for sonic-speed love-lorn ditties, The Los Angeles Times called their tunes “perfect for the little guy who was ever called a nerd and never got the girl.”

Royal Crown Revue

Calling their sound “gangster-punk-swing,” this zoot-suited seven-piece winds up and lets go with a swing/jazz/boogie freneticism that is anything but old fashioned.

Expect to dance and expect to sweat.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: CONCERT The Vans Warped Tour arrives at The Gorge today. Show starts at 2 p.m. Tickets are $22.55, available through Ticketmaster outlets. For locations call (509) 928-4700; for tickets by phone, call (206) 628-0888.