Celtic rockers Flatfoot 56 headline punk rock show at Jazz Cafe in Plains on Aug. 12
From a press release:
The River Street Jazz Cafe will become a punk rock club for one night only on Friday, Aug. 12 when Chicago Celtic punk band Flatfoot 56 comes to Plains as part of their summer tour.
New Jersey natives Blanks 77 (total pogo punk) and Fat Chance (singing ska punk songs of real pain, loss, and a seemingly endless quest for redemption) round out the bill with The Mesos (influenced by the heroes of early rock through the 1970s punk scene of New York City) from Scranton/Dunmore.
Doors at the Jazz Cafe (667 N. River St., Plains) open at 7 p.m., and the 21+ show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets, which are $15 in advance or $20 the day of the show, are on sale now and can be purchased online via HoldMyTicket.
Playing a positive-natured brand of hardcore-tinged Celtic punk, Flatfoot 56 has been unleashing itself upon America and the rest of the world for over 20 years now. Formed in 2000, the Chicago band achieved nationwide attention with their first two label-backed records, 2006’s “Knuckles Up” and 2007’s “Jungle of the Midwest Sea.” These releases built on a heavy dose of previously established regional notoriety, helping the group gain steam early on.
While each record received its fair share of acclaim, the quintet exploded onto a new level with 2010’s “Black Thorn.” Landing them on a total of nine Billboard charts, Flatfoot proved they could consistently reach an expanding audience while treading in a genre not often associated with widespread success. This breakthrough was advanced even further with song placements in the hit FX TV series “Sons of Anarchy” and the video game “Watch Dogs.”
After the success of “Blackthorn,” they hit the studio yet again in 2012 to record their Paper + Plastick Records-backed album “Toil.” This would further solidify the band as a consistent force to be reckoned with.
Frontman Tobin Bawinkel (vocals/guitar) continued to lead Flatfoot 56 in their furious march forward with their seventh full-length studio album, 2017’s “Odd Boat,” produced by Matt Allison at Atlas Studios in Chicago.
“We decided that since the last experience at Atlas Studios was so beneficial, we wanted to repeat it,” Bawinkel said. “We have been friends with Matt for a few years now and we love the work that he and his studio engineers do.”
This became the band’s first self-released album in 10 years.
“We have been working with labels so long that we decided that we wanted to have more of a say in how our music gets distributed and promoted. We are excited about this next season,” Bawinkel noted at the time.
“As a band, we have all grown a lot over the years, and we wanted to stretch ourselves even further. Self-release is a good way to do this.”
For their latest recording, Flatfoot teamed up with fellow Celtic punks The Rumjacks to produce a split EP. Recently released on May 6, the album contains three new tracks from both bands, supported by national tours with select dates together.
Learn more about Fat Chance and their upcoming return to Northeastern Pennsylvania for Camp Punksylvania in Episode 151 of the NEPA Scene Podcast:
