Mephiskapheles headlines ska punk show at River Street Jazz Cafe in Plains on March 22
From a press release:
It was announced today that New York City “Satanic ska” band Mephiskapheles will headline a night of ska and punk music at the River Street Jazz Cafe in Plains on Friday, March 22.
New Jersey ska band The End Times, Long Island ska punk outfit Skappository, and new Scranton punk rock trio Pucker Up! will round out the 21+ show.
Doors at the Jazz Cafe (667 N. River St., Plains) open at 7:30 p.m., and the music at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets, which are $15 in advance or $20 at the door, are on sale via HoldMyTicket.
Mephiskapheles, the band that helped define third-wave ska, then defied critics by exploring even greater possibilities with its darkly original ska fusion, still forges ahead with amazing shows and a new full-length record in the works.
Formed in the East Village of New York City in 1991 by a group of punk rockers/artists/ad guys/jazz musicians, the group played their first show on Long Island. From day one, they began attracting a diverse, dedicated fan base. Sold-out NYC gigs led to tours with the Buzzcocks and GWAR as well as hits on the Hawaiian Island chart with three singles from their first album, 1994’s “God Bless Satan,” produced by Bill Laswell (Buckethead, Herbie Hancock, Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, Peter Gabriel, Yoko Ono, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Afrika Bambaataa, Tony Williams, Buddy Miles).
While touring relentlessly, Mephiskapheles followed-up in 1997 with “Maximum Perversion,” a jazz-influenced work that didn’t take long to be hailed as a classic. A deal in 1999 with Koch Records resulted in their hard-hitting, exploratory third album “Might-Ay White-Ay,” which was followed up by the self-titled EP “Mephiskapheles” in 2015, featuring the single “Satan Stole My Weed,” another instant classic. In 2019, the “Never Born Again” EP brought them back full circle to their dark and melodic roots.
Fronted by lead singer Invidious, a.k.a. the Nubian Nightmare, along with the hottest rhythm section in New York and the Horns of Hell, Mephiskapheles spreads its evil seed with an ongoing reissue program, epic shows, and new music set to be released this year.
Skappository is a five-piece ska punk band from the dregs of Long Island. Influenced by Operation Ivy, The Specials, and The Suicide Machines, they give audiences a dose of total ferocity and fun at every show. As proof, they recently released a split live full-length album on vinyl via DCxPC Records.
Formed in 2023, Pucker Up! was created as a refuge from the hard times of three friends. Their songs contain themes of love, rage, friendship, and heartbreak all wrapped up in satin and duct-taped together. Think diary, but make it punk.
Starting out at the NEPA Scene Open Mic, Pucker Up! has quickly gained buzz and established themselves in the Northeastern Pennsylvania music scene with memorable performances at Burning Roses Music & Arts Festival, NEPA Horror Fest, Alejam, and a Planned Parenthood benefit show where they opened for Turnover.
Learn more about Pucker Up! in Ep. 177 of the NEPA Scene Podcast:
Photo of Andre Worrell of Mephiskapheles by Jason Riedmiller Photography/NEPA Scene
