Where's The After Party?

Biography

The Parka Kings (and the Reuben Sandwich Horns) were a ska band from Michigan that were on Jump Up! Records. The Parka Kings formed in 1993 in one of the Midwest's legendary music cities and one of the hotbeds of 3rd wave ska, Detroit. Early appearances on the first two American Skathic compilations endeared the band to thousands of fans worldwide and put them center stage on the growing but still fledgling ska scene. The band produced two successful albums, "23 Skidoo" in 1995 & "Bienvenido...

The Parka Kings (and the Reuben Sandwich Horns) were a ska band from Michigan that were on Jump Up! Records. The Parka Kings formed in 1993 in one of the Midwest's legendary music cities and one of the hotbeds of 3rd wave ska, Detroit. Early appearances on the first two American Skathic compilations endeared the band to thousands of fans worldwide and put them center stage on the growing but still fledgling ska scene. The band produced two successful albums, "23 Skidoo" in 1995 & "Bienvenidos" in 1997.

The Parka Kings featured singer/guitarist Brett E. Warren, bassist Matt "Boose" Van, and drummer Tony Barragan. The Parka Kings included some impressive brass and the horn section was known as "The Reuben Sandwich Horns." The Reuben Sandwich Horns were -- tenor saxophonist Milton Gray, alto saxophonist Brian "Hank" Steinmetz, and trumpeter Doug Woolsey. They originally consisted of an organist, Dave Holle, who later departed from the band for personal reasons. Not entirely uncommon among ska bands, the organ lent a unique and full sound to the band through the formative years and considerably later on.

The Parka Kings were a diverse band. Not just in instruments but more importantly in influences. The band had overtones of not just ska, 1st wave ska and punk, but undertones of soul, funk, blues, and dub. Because of this, their line up, specifically the horn section and originally the organ, gave them a musical versatility many bands do not enjoy taking the band's songs and live performances far beyond traditional ska songs and ska shows.

The band was above all a potent and visible participant of not only the national 3rd wave ska movement and sound but the Detroit ska scene for six years. The time finally came and the band decided to hang up the horns and played their final performance, captured live for an album. This last show on May 29, 1998 at the Magic Stick next to the Majestic Theater on Woodward in Detroit, MI was recorded on a live album entitled "Wherestheafterparty". As they used to say so often, "If you didn't leave sweating, you were never there to begin with." Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.