Streetlight Manifesto Concert Recap – The End of the Beginning Tour
Sunday, October 20, 2013 – The Neptune – Seattle, WA
If you have never been to a ska punk (a.k.a “skunk”) show, just imagine a group of glorified jazz and marching band alums with a very strong influence in punk-rock. It’s possibly one of the happiest marriages in musical genres there ever was. Streetlight Manifesto is no stranger to this scene (active since 2002), and they never fail the crowd! Playing a great mix of old and new tunes, there was barely anytime to recollect yourself between songs — basically, be prepared to expire an amount of energy equivalent to a 5k (or more).
For ska n00bs, before leaving the house to attend a Streetlight show:
1. Bring extra t-shirts (you’ll be drenched in other people’s sweat via the extreme mosh pit)
2. Equip your car with water bottles (post-show hydration is a must)
3. Double-knot your sneakers (losing shoe(s) in the mosh is not uncommon)
4. Know that you will have major bruises and/or will be extremely sore the next morning
5. If a fellow skanker (someone that engages in ska concert dancing/moshing) falls in the pit, it is your duty to get them back up and revive them with a well-deserved high-five (click here to enter “High-Five City”)
For Streetlight veterans, check out their awesome setlist (although I wish they have played more tracks off Keasbey Nights & Everything Goes Numb):
The Three of Us
Down, Down, Down to Mephisto’s Cafe
We Will Fall Together
A Better Place, a Better Time
Watch It Crash
Toe to Toe
Would You Be Impressed?
Forty Days
The Hands That Thieve
A Moment of Silence
A Moment of Violence
Oh Me, Oh My
The Big Sleep
Encore:
Here’s to Life
Somewhere in the Between
Due to intense mosh pit action, pics were not gonna happen. But I managed to get a snapshot of the stage (& selfie with my ska-concert buddy, J-Wert — complete with photobomb by fellow ska-lover) beforehand!
Peace, Love, & Rock n’ Roll,
A-Tran.
P.S. Streetlight claims this will be their last tour (although I’m sure they will be back), so make sure you make it out to a show!
