What do you get when you blend reggae groves, brass with a swinging style, and a punk rock tempo?

You get ska, or two-tone ska as bands like The Toasters like to call it. Ska music is mostly underground but is getting more play on radio and also in commercials. Skanking is the style of dance that is done to ska music. Just image if you have a mosh pit some with swing and style and everyone is just dancing, that is pretty much what skanking is like.

Buck (photo cred: Randi Fukunaga for cabbit media and design)

We even have two awesome Ska bands here locally in the seven cities, Jackmove and Rude Zombie. I myself have skanked at many of Jackmove’s shows. I haven’t seen Rude Zombie yet but look forward to seeing them live. You can check out some Ska for yourself at the Ska is Dead show at The NorVa tonight. On the roster are The Toasters, Voodoo Glow Skulls, Mustard Plug, Deals Gone Bad and locals Rude Zombie. The two-tone groove, the brass sway, and fast tempo from these Ska bands will defiantly have you skanking.

I was actually given the awesome pleasure of being able to interview Robert “Bucket” Hingley also know as “Buck,” founding member of The Toasters about letting the crowd on stage, his wife’s view of their career, and the future of ska.

AltDaily.com: One thing I love about you guys is your high energy shows. I saw you guys back in 97 at the House of Blues in New Orleans. You guys let people get on stage and dance with you guys near the end of your set. I myself got go on stage and skank my heart out. Do you guys usually let people to dance on stage with you guys?

Bucket: We do and we don’t, its all depending on if venue lets us and the crowd. You don’t just cause a ruckus like that in some places.

You are about to hit your 5,000^th gig sometime by the end of this year. Do you know where that might be?

We are at around 4,500 shows now. If you had to ask my wife that’s already too many.

Do you have kids?

I have 3. Two daughters and a son.

Do they get you see your shows?

I live in Spain now so my daughters have not seen any of my shows. My son got to be our roadie for The Warped Tour that we were on though.

You are in the Ska is Dead tour. How many times have you been on this tour?

We have done the Ska is Dead tour two times so far so this would be are third time. I really like playing with our friends Mustard Plug and Voodoo Glow Skulls. Being on this tour is really great and is like old times.

What newer bands are you digging on?

There are a lot of great bands coming out of areas not really know for Ska music, bands such as Pinstripes out of Cincinnati and Green Room Rockers from India.

Do you see another new wave of Ska music happening anytime soon?

Ska is a buzz word now; it has been tagged on a lot of bands that are not Ska, Smash Mouth and No Doubt are not real Ska music. But two-toned ska has a pretty good future and a revival is happening now.

For info on tonight’s show, check out The NorVa’s website.