BRATTLEBORO-When the Valley Moonstompers Society takes the stage at Marigold in Brattleboro on Friday, Nov. 7, at 8 p.m., the band's leader and founder, Dan Thomas, said the night will be "a celebration of Jamaican music."
The band, which primarily plays a Jamaican genre of music know as ska, holds a monthly residency at the Main Street venue on the first Friday of every month, coinciding with the town's Gallery Walk.
Ska originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and gained popularity through bands like the Skatalites. A precursor to rocksteady and reggae, ska combines Jamaican and Caribbean rhythms with American rhythm and blues and jazz and is defined by its vibrant horns and infectious rhythms. Simply put, Ska is upbeat music made for dancing.
In addition to playing ska, the Valley Moonstompers Society likes to mix it up at their shows, incorporating dub, rocksteady, and reggae into their sets.
"It's all Jamaican music, but we like to focus on the origins, which would be the ska music that came out in the '60s from the Skatalites and Prince Buster," said Thomas in a recent phone interview.
Thomas has played various musical styles, including reggae, in numerous bands over the years, but did not come to playing ska until he played in a Western Massachusetts–based band, Green Island, which formed in 2016.
"I have been digging into reggae and Jamaican music for the last 10 years, learning about the culture and its lineage," Thomas said. "But when I first played ska, and I'm talking about the old-school Jamaican ska, it was such an infectious feeling that it was like a eureka moment for me. Ska is just great music."
He explained that old-school ska refers to the original ska that came out of Jamaica. There would later be a ska resurgence in the '80s with bands like The Specials and Madness out of the U.K. that was known as second wave or 2-tone.
A third-wave ska came out of America in the '90s, also known as ska-punk, was played by such bands as Reel Big Fish and Sublime.
Putting a band together
Thomas moved to Easthampton, Massachusetts, a couple of years ago, around the same time Marigold Theater opened its doors in the western Massachusetts town.
"I was no longer playing ska with Green Island, and I missed it, so I was talking to Glenn Alper, owner at the Marigold, and said, 'How about I put a group together and focus on this style of music and play once a month?'" Thomas recalled.
Thus began the Valley Moonstompers Society, an eight-piece collective from the Valley and beyond. The Moonstompers consist of some core members, but it is primarily a group of rotating musicians.
The monthly residency in Easthampton proved a success, providing the band with the chance to hone their sound and build their audience.
"When Glenn talked about opening the Brattleboro venue, he said we should bring the show up there, too, and do the same thing," Thomas said. Earlier this year the band began their monthly residency in Brattleboro.
"Brattleboro has been great; we have a good crowd that comes out on our first Fridays, and it's growing steadily," said Thomas. "They love to dance."
He went on to say that people have come out of the woodwork for both residencies, driving from as far as from Worcester to attend the shows in Brattleboro.
Keeping the show fresh
Thomas noted that one of the advantages the Moonstompers have is that very few bands play old-school ska.
"People who like ska and know what it is, love it, and there's not a lot of it out there," he said.
"When you say Ska, people think of bands like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, who came out of America in the '90s, or bands like the Specials, which were popular in the '80s. All ska is great and fun music, but there is a vacuum for this traditional style," Thomas said.
"Part of our underlying mission is to promote awareness of traditional ska, especially from a jazz point of view," he added. "We're all jazz musicians that have gotten into playing popular styles."
The use of a rotating lineup is practical in terms of scheduling busy working musicians, but it has other benefits as well.
"It keeps the shows fresh and brings in new approaches," Thomas explained. "One drummer may play it this way, and the other drummer plays another, and it keeps it fun for us."
The band currently works with trumpet player Gershon Rosen from Brattleboro and also welcomed pianist Eugene Uman, director of the Vermont Jazz Center, at one of its shows. The Moonstompers are looking to tap into more local players.
The Moonstompers are currently expanding their schedule and playing more gigs beyond the regularly scheduled dates at the Marigold theaters. They are also working on establishing a presence on streaming platforms and have released three original songs, as well as a Christmas song.
"We recently recorded another Christmas song that is coming out in a couple of weeks and a version of the Italian folk song 'Bella Ciao,' which is an anti-fascist song which seems relevant at this point in time in the United States," Thomas said.
He encouraged everyone to come check out the band, and stressed that it's free (although tips are appreciated).
"This music is 100% danceable," Thomas said. "And the more dancing, the better."
Sheryl Hunter is a freelance writer from Easthampton, Massachusetts. Her work has appeared in various regional and national publications.
This Arts item by Sheryl Hunter was written for The Commons.