Parker Jacobs

I caught up with Go Go 13's Parker Jacobs. Although Go Go 13 is located in Southern California, they got their start in St. George, Utah in the early 90's. Parker talked about seeing a Bad Manners show that made a huge impact on him. He said, "That show changed my life... they put on such an amazing show... I was like 'this is it, this is my thing, this is what I love'... ever since then I had to start a band with my brother Tyler... then my brother in California saw what we were doing and started The Aquabats... where I'm at right now in my life, it all happened from that one show."

Ska Bob

"Ska Bob" Walters' intereset in ska led him to the London International Ska Festival in 1989. He experienced the 2-Tone scene first hand and it made a lasting impression on him. He said, "I really liked the idea of these sharp looking kids, guys in suits and girls in mini skirts, riding scooters. [They] stuck to what they liked, and let themselves stand out by looking decent."

Fews & Two

Matney and Ecks play in one of Salt Lake City's finest ska and reggae bands, Fews & Two. We talked about how music has influenced their lives in a positive way. Ecks stated, "Cab Calloway survived the great depression with a wealth of money, class and style because he played music that gave people hope. That's what good ska and reggae does." Matney added, "As soon as a good beat kicks in, the off-beats are in the right place, the drums are perfect...You just know that everything at that moment is perfect."

Swim Herschel Swim

I had a good time with Jon Armstrong and Jeff Hibbert as they reminisced about the early days of ska in Utah. They played in the band Swim Herschel Swim. As they talked about their success, Jon said, "There was a drive for us to do a good job in whatever it was we were doing. Not just in the band, but in life in general. I think a lot of local bands don't have that same drive."

Steve Purves

Steve and I met up at his office in Sacramento. He sang for Logan based Model Citizen. We talked about his band being apart of a larger Utah ska scene. He said "Our first big show was with Skankin' Pickle at the skate park in Provo. I remember thinking, 'we get to go to a Skankin' Pickle show for free.' We where excited to play the show, but were just happy to be there. I think that was kind of our attitude throughout most of Model Citizen, we were just happy to be there. "

Toots

This week we were incredibly blessed with an interview with the legendary Frederick "Toots" Hibbert. He moved to Kingston at the age of 16, where here formed to gospel vocal trio The Maytals. Backed by The Skatalites, The Maytals saw much success in the early 60's. After changing their name to Toots and the Maytals, they recorded a number of albums which included a single entitled "Do the Reggay." In the interview, Toots said, "I started with ska. A few years after that, the good musicians in Jamaica created the rhythm. No one really knew what to call it, until I recorded this song called "Do the Reggay." People started to call me from all over the world and say, "I know what the music that you're playing is named. It's reggae and you are the inventor."

Skaquel

Raquel played a vital role in the local ska scene throughout the 90's. Under the name Skaquel Productions, she produced and managed numerous local shows. Notably, was the 4 day Ska Patrick's Days festival. Along with many local acts, the festival also featured performances from Buck O' Nine, The Aquabats, Reel Big Fish, Mephiskapheles, and Mustard Plug. She said, "Ska was getting pretty big in Utah right around that time. All these bands knew that Utah would be a fun place to play."

Along with doing promoting, she is also a talented photographer. We spent some time going through her large collection of negatives, which she was kind enough to share.