Formed on the Lower East Side of NYC in 1981 the band is the longest running US SKA formation. They bridge the gap between England’s 2-Tone movement and the American Ska explosion of the 90’s which they are rightfully credited with starting. During the 3rd Wave Ska revival The Toasters formed the famous Moon Records label and kick-started the careers of dozens of bands.
The Toasters are to ska in America the 1980s and beyond what The Specials were to ska in the U.K. in the late ’70s and early ’80s, and what the Skatalites were to ska in Jamaica in the 1960s. The Toasters were innovators, creators, shapers of the music, evolving it in a fresh direction, blending it with the cultural influences in a very American manner.
Just as Byron Lee & the Dragonaires brought professionalism and polish to ska, allowing others to benefit from the fruits of their labor, so too did the Toasters’ music allow numerous other bands to share in the spotlight of skill and success, many of whom have gone on to great heights.
In their 35th year the Toasters are hitting the gas, not the brakes. With an international all-star line-up their whirlwind global tour continues unabated across the continents with performances scheduled in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and South America.
By the numbers:
6000+ live shows
CBGB’S core top 20 artist
Mojo Magazine ranked #4 SKA band of all time
Bandsintown #5 hardest working band 2014