Long-running radio show Ska Parade is in the midst of celebrating its 20th anniversary, which means the program is older than some of its listeners. It also means a birthday party is in order, so its head honcho, Tazy Phyllipz, decided to hit the road with the Ska Parade 20th Anniversary Tour, making a stop Thursday night at the Slidebar in Fullerton. Acts include the Skank Agents, Monkey, GoGo13, Warsaw Poland Bros and The Fudogs.
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OC Weekly (Ryan Ritchie): Are you planning on making the tour longer, or are these few shows it?
Phyllipz: This is to test the waters. We did a stage at a few Warped Tour dates and a show at the Glass House, and those went well, so we wanted to see if there were folks who would like this. The idea was to keep it Fridays and Saturdays because GoGo13 does not play on Sundays. We wanted to test it out in six cities. We just finished Tempe and Las Vegas, and those went really well.
What keeps you going after 20 years?
Passion and pure love of the music. At the end of the day, I love championing good music, especially ska music. That's always been my big thing. It took me a long time to come back to the role of that. Jamaican rhythms are firmly within my heart and soul. You can never take that out of me and the radio program. There have been times when people told me ska would never hit after the Two Tone movement. Boy, did I prove them wrong.
What is your involvement in the live show?
They are sort of like a live radio show. I'm mostly telling a little about the history of ska and intros and outros. We're teaching the audience the history of ska and giving them the best of the newer bands. Every band within their sets are covering historical ska songs. It's fun to celebrate the music I love so much. I've been pretty much established as the father of third-wave ska, with everything from launching Sublime, No Doubt and Reel Big Fish. I gave homework to all the bands to figure out what songs would fit them best.
You were vital in exposing Sublime to the world. What do you think of Sublime With Rome?
I'm totally cool with it. I'm grateful because they finally found a way to get back out there. It's not like Bradley's estate is mad about it. As long as that's cool, I'm cool with it. I saw them at the KROQ Weenie Roast last May. When the bands on the Ska Parade tour cover “Date Rape,” the place goes nuts. Bradley was a genuis collector. He could combine all these different rhythms and put them together. I always came through for Bradley, and he always came through for me. I miss my friend a lot. It's unfortunate, but I'm glad the songs have stood the test of time. Sublime With Rome is a good thing. Rome is a good singer, and the beauty is the audience will sing every single lyric of every single song.
Most important, how do you look so damn good?
I don't know. I married well. When you're happy, that really shows.
The Ska Parade 20th Anniversary Tour with the Skank Agents, Monkey, GoGo13, Warsaw Poland Bros, the Fudogs and MC Tazy Phyllipz at the Slidebar, 122 E. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton; www.myspace.com/theslidebar. Thurs., Feb. 3, 7 p.m. Free. 21+.
