Alright, more shows need to have a marching band with amps strapped to their backs to get things started. Big Bus Go Bang comprised of members of SKaface and Frankie Foo. You can be hating a band that has a banjo! It was fun to watch and listen to. Hopefully they will make more appearances at more shows.

The Donuts are always a fun band to see. They played as well tonight as they did on any other night I've seen them. Rico made another guest apperance. Every time I see him with the band, it makes me wish he was still in it. It was good to see them starting to build up their fanbase. I know a few people in the crowd hadn't seen these guys before and were quite impressed.

Ever since seeing One Night Band three times this past summer, I couldn't wait for them to return to Toronto. Their sax players were absolutely amazing tonight. I don't know what it was, but they were just so powerful and just really caught my attention.

I hadn't seen The Makeshift Heroes in like 5 months. Going from seeing them like twice a month to not at all for almost half a year is quite the drastic change. Their return was as good as I thought it would be. I enjoyed every minute of it, and can't wait to see them again.

Lastly, where did all these 19+ ska fans come from? Sneaky Dee's was packed, and just made for a fun night.

This show was a little weird when it came to venue and opening band selection. With the Ska Brawl skipping over Toronto, Hamilton was as close as it was going to come to the GTA. This is not to say Ceremonial Snips or The Responsibles weren't talented enough to play this show, but their sounds were just so different from the two headlining acts. Another thing that was weird, was the amount of skinheads at the show. The ska scene of old, this wouldn't be of any surprise, but seeing more than one is odd. Since there was over 10, it was quite the shock to see.

I had seen the Ceremonial Snips once before, but it was a long time ago (The Flatliners CD release show). Since that show, they have played many with The Flatliners, but I just haven't been able to make it to one of them. They have a fast and heavy punk sound with a nice horn section. With their lead singer breaking the stage, you can't deny that these guys don't give 'er.

The Responsibles were a local Hamilton band coming from many different musical backgrounds. You could see that in the type of music they played, with punk rock being the base. Unless I'm mistaken, they didn't play No More Philthy Hippies, which is posted on their web site. It was a song I was hoping to hear on this night.

This was Go Jimmy Go's first ever show in Canada! The wait was definitely worth it. They have a soul/ska type sound. One that I absolutely love. They were amazing, and worth the trek alone. Go Jimmy Go is a band that you should all check out, and beg profusely to come back to Canada soon. They were also really nice guys. I long for their return, as it won't be soon enough.

The Toasters played a great set...as always. If you have seen these guys more than once, you know what to expect. They even played a few new tunes, which was a nice surprise. Although I will miss Jack Ruby Jr., I'm really liking the new line-up. It brings more of the members into the spotlight, with each one stepping it up a notch. Who couldn't love Bucket anyways?

It had been far too long since I had seen Angry Agency last. This show was put on trying to raise funds for the homeless. For those of you that don't know, Angry Agency have very political lyrics, so it was quite fitting to have them play this show. Since their set time was pretty late, it wasn't as packed as it could have been, but they still played their hearts out. Playing their "staples" of You Look Sweatshop Good, North American Greed, and A Pyramid Scam Called Democracy; made for a good time.

For those of you that don't know, Ottawa has a ska scene. A really good one. The boys at Skattawa.com decided to put together a skafest of their own. They told me they usually only get about 30-60 kids at a show, but on this night, they brought out over 425! This show ran surprisingly smooth for the amount of bands on the bill.

The first band to start off the show was Bad News Bears. They are meant as fun band that doesn't sing about political issues. They were pretty good. They could use a bit of work, but that will come along with writing more songs. I enjoyed their set and like many bands on this night, wish I could see them again some time.

Black Curtains hailed from Quebec, and brought a French flare to their punk/ska sound. They definitely were more on the punk side of things than ska. They were pretty good as well. Like many bands that played, they were young, and could use a bit of work.

After having many techinical difficulties, and then starting and stopping the same song 5 times, B-Squad struggled through 2 and a half songs. Then complained about having their set cut short. To prevent a long rant, I'm just going to stop myself now.

The Possums were fucking amazing. Definitely one of, if not the, best bands of the night. These guys were 15 years old, and it was their first show! I couldn't believe it. It was all instrumental funk/jazz with a hint of ska elements in some tunes. If these guys don't make it in music, I'll be mighty surprsied. With age, they will only get better.

Fleeba was a band you could tell had either been together awhile, or its members had been writing music awhile. I found the vocals fit nicely with the sound they were striving for.

Finkelstein Shit Kids was more of a poppy-ska type of band. I found their vocals a little weak, but it was probably just due to the age of the lead singer. With age, will come a stronger voice. I thought their songs were catchy, and could see them being together awhile.

Clock Strikes were more of a punk/reggae band than ska. They have one song of theirs that is not like any of their other ones, but it is definitely a "hit" song. That song being Feet on the Ground. It just so good. I wish more of their material was like this.

The Rude Dudes finished off the long night very nicely. Everyone left at the show was out there dancing it up. You could tell these guys have been together awhile through the quality of their music. They were actually the only band I had heard of before seeing the show listing. It is a shame they live so far away, as I'd love to see them again.