The Mighty Mighty Bosstones

Boston natives the Mighty Mighty Bosstones are credited with coining the term "ska-core," a mixture of ska and hardcore punk music that the Bosstones brought to mainstream acceptance through relentless touring and a fan-friendly attitude. The Bosstones originally formed in 1985 and comprised Dicky Barrett (vocals), Nate Albert (guitar), Joe Gittleman (bass), Josh Dalsimer (drums), Tim Bridewell (sax), Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton (sax) and Ben Carr. Carr's role was and is officially described as "Bosstone;" in practice this means he dances around onstage with the band. Carr was a friend of the band at its inception, and, as he was underage, he was required to be a band member to attend shows at bars. The band added the "Mighty Mighty" to their name after learning of a Harvard a cappella group called the Bosstones. After an appearance on a ska compilation and a few gigs, the band went on hiatus until all its members finished high school. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones re-formed in 1989, issuing their first album the next year. Devil's Night Out was released on Taang! Records, a Boston independent label. After Devil's Night Out, Bridewell and Dalsimer left the band and were replaced by saxophonist Kevin Lenear and drummer Joe Sirois. The Bosstones also added trombonist Dennis Brockenborough, completing the lineup that has remained intact. The reconfigured Bosstones recorded another album for Taang!, 1992's More Noise and Other Disturbances, as well as an EP of hardcore covers, Where'd You Go. During these years, the Bosstones were also touring relentlessly, notching up to 300 shows a year. Although the Bosstones didn't sell many records, their live shows built a fan base with strong grassroots loyalty. The band's obvious gratitude toward their fans was welcomed in an era of humorless, standoffish grunge icons. The Bosstones earned a reputation for giving their all at each gig, dressing up in full suits (often plaid) for high-energy party shows. In addition, the Bosstones were continuing the tradition of political activism within both the hardcore and ska scenes. Citing the Clash as a political as well as a musical influences, the Bosstones performed several shows to benefit battered women's shelters and began to have the Anti-Racist Action Group set up informational booths at shows. As the Bosstones' fan base grew, the band sold more records and played bigger gigs. However, the band members weren't getting paid by Taang! Records. In 1993, the Bosstones left Taang! to sign with Mercury Records. Despite some fans' accusations that the Bosstones had sold out, they signed with Mercury only after being assured that they would retain complete control over their product, from cover art to opening bands for their tours. The Bosstones were the first American ska band ever to sign with a major label; their first album for Mercury was 1993's Don't Know How to Party. The next year, they released the acclaimed Question the Answers album and an EP titled Ska-core, the Devil and More, thus giving the mainstream media what it was beginning to want -- a label for a burgeoning music scene. In 1995, the Bosstones joined the Lollapalooza tour as a main stage act, albeit with the dubious task of opening each day's show. The band also made its big-screen debut, appearing in the movie Clueless. Cast in a role that must have been a big stretch -- the band at a party -- the Bosstones played two songs that also appeared on the soundtrack. Clueless was a major dose of exposure for the band, as was their headlining stint on the Northeast leg of the Warped Tour in 1996. At the same time the Bosstones were priming themselves for a breakthrough, the music they had played for a decade was finally becoming a trend, as bands like No Doubt and Sublime had blown the mass market open with multimillion-selling ska-influenced albums. In 1997, the Bosstones released Let's Face It, their most crafted, song- oriented album yet. The album's lead single, "The Impression That I Get," (also featured on a charity album issued by the Bosstones-founded Big Rig Records) received massive airplay on modern-rock and, later, mainstream radio stations. Let's Face It went platinum as the Bosstones kept up their constant touring, which spawned the 1998 live album Live From the Middle East. -Andrew Fraker

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