New Ska-sations!
The Afterbeat delivers debut album to the masses this weekend
Jen Zoratti



The word ‘ska’ usually invokes images of bands with funny names and funnier hats. Or, perhaps Gwen Stefani, pre-bananas.

Whatever your conception of ska music may be, you probably also think it has taken a back seat on the Winnipeg music scene.

Enter The Afterbeat, Winnipeg’s very own ska sextet which is proving that ska is still alive and still very well, thanks, with the debut of its first full-length album, Personals.

“There’s still a ska scene present in Winnipeg,” says Afterbeat trumpeter Jenn Agnew. “There’s still a tight community.”

Bandmate Mike Reis (vocals, guitar) agrees but admits that the ska scene has hit a bit of a recession.

“All the bands are still there... SubCity Dwellers, The Barrymores, JFK & the Conspirators. We used to be able to sell out the West End, no problem, and get about 200 ska kids to a show,” Reis says. “Now we’re playing with bands of other genres, trying to attract other audiences.”

Gaining a new audience is never an easy gig, especially with a genre as specific as ska. But Reis says that a growing appreciation of live shows is exposing new people to new music.

“We’ve noticed that there’s been a resurgence in live music attendance. We’re trying to tap into that scene.”

The addition of some new places for scenesters to get their live music fix also helps. The first night of The Afterbeat’s CD release weekend is at Osborne Village’s brand-new hot spot, The Cavern, while the second night will be at the West End Cultural Centre with The Barrymores and Sick City.

“We haven’t played a live show since April,” Reis says. “We wanted this to be huge.”

“It’s a good opportunity,” Agnew adds. “We’re playing a bar show at a new venue, but we’re also having an all-ages show.”

Trying to move on from being strictly a ska band with ska fans has translated to the band’s new album. Personals stays true to The Afterbeat’s old-school ska stylings, in that it’s infectiously danceable and boasts a healthy brass section. But the album also lets the band’s many influences — including punk, rock ’n’ roll and reggae — shine through, something which Agnew says is just part of being in a sextet.

“Having six people makes influences interesting,” Agnew says.

Having six people actually function together has also presented challenges for The Afterbeat. Working in the ever-incestuous Winnipeg music scene

(Agnew also plays trumpet with Novillero while trombonist Denis Gaudry is in The Wedgewoods) means lineup changes and scheduling issues can be a pain.

“It’s hard to find people wanting to devote all their time to a ska band,” Reis admits.

When everyone in the band does get together, The Afterbeat is best-known for its energized live performances — Agnew and Reis say coming up with live show energy in the studio was a challenge.

“It’s hard to put what you do live onto a CD,” Reis says.

But after a long year of recording, The Afterbeat finally has a finished album.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Agnew says. “To have a finished project in hand and a booked CD release party — it’s really exciting and really relieving.”