Ska/reggae punks Bumpin’ Uglies return to River Street Jazz Cafe in Plains on June 9
From a press release:
After performing there in February, Maryland ska/punk/reggae quartet Bumpin’ Uglies will return to the River Street Jazz Cafe in Plains on Saturday, June 9, this time with a new album in stores and online. Wilkes-Barre soul rock singer/songwriter Jordan Ramirez of Half Dollar and Fake Fight will open the show.
Doors at the Jazz Cafe (667 N. River St., Plains) open at 8 p.m., and the 21+ concert starts at 10 p.m. Tickets, which are $8 in advance or $12 at the door, can be purchased online via HoldMyTicket.
For nearly a decade now, Bumpin’ Uglies have been playing their brand of groove-heavy jams – a curiously fun mix of ska, reggae, and good old punk rock – all while putting strong lyrics at the forefront of the music. It’s a formula that quickly took them from local favorites, playing around Annapolis, to a national stage. With a wildly infectious sound, tattoo-worthy lyrics, and an itch to take their music to the masses, the band piled into the van years ago and have rarely seen home since.
The Bumpin’ Uglies’ origin story begins with singer/guitarist Brandon Hardesty playing open mics around Maryland. He met bassist Dave Wolf not too long after and Bumpin’ Uglies was born. With a proper set of wheels and TJ Haslett on drums, they went off to spread their music across the country like modern day Johnny Appleseeds. The group later added Chad Wright on keyboards, expanding on their sound.
Raised on everything from Bad Religion and The Beach Boys to Sublime and Reel Big Fish, Bumpin’ Uglies have managed to take inspiration from some of the best out there, run it through their own distinctive filter, and end up with a truly original take on the various genres, creating an original hybrid. With a unique sound that’s nearly impossible to ignore, the band has gotten everyone from dreadlocked kids to PBR-fueled tattooed punks moving their heads to their music at festivals and on headlining tours across the country.
When they aren’t on the road, they’ve been camped in the studio, churning out four full-length albums, two acoustic albums, three EPs, and a live record. Their latest, “Beast from the East,” was released on April 6 via Space Duck Records and is proof that the band has found their groove. The album consists of a dozen stand-out tracks, any one of which could be considered instant classics for the band. The album also features some big names in the East Coast reggae rock community, including Ballyhoo!’s Howi Spangler, The Movement’s Gary Dread, Passafire’s Ted Bowne, Tropidelic’s Derek McBryde, Matthew Roads and Young James, Zach Fowler of Sun Dried Vibes, and Oogee Wawa’s Jesse Lee. Buzz magazine raves “‘Beast from the East’ is a carefully crafted punk reggae gem.”
Watch or listen to Episode 33 of the NEPA Scene Podcast with opener Jordan Ramirez’s folk funk band Fake Fight, which also contains some exclusive acoustic performances:
