Streetlight Manifesto, New Jersey's beloved third-wave ska band, will play Wednesday at Common Grounds. The show, which also features A Wilhelm Scream, The Swellers and The Stitch Up, begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are for $14.
Taksier interviewed Tomas Kalnoky, the band's creative leader, who first gained fame as a member of Catch 22.
Tell me about third-wave ska.
Third wave ska? I don't know. We're just musicians. We're not really concerned with the histories of genres and whatnot. We just make music and throw in everything we've grown up with: ska, punk.
What do you like to write songs about?
Day-to-day, month-to-month, life. I try not to write too much about girls, drinking, generic stuff, because it's all been done so many times. There's no set plan for writing a song. We just write whatever comes out.
Do you have any favorite songs you've written throughout your career?
That's like asking a parent who his favorite kids are.
