Kalistani Major History

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Second leg of "Skankin Kali" picks up Vrassan band Interrogators
Tour rolls on for 26 more dates
Port Swedes, Vrassa
February 19, 4897


Vrassa City Ska band The Interrogators join the Spring leg of the Skankin Kali Tour

The Fans demanded it, and the Bands agreed: Skankin Kali, an incredibly tour featuring Red Tone opening for The Gang has added 26 shows to their tour schedule this Spring. The Tour, sponsored and promoted by ARC records, has also added a new and upcoming act to share the bill: The Interogators, a two tone and skapunk outfit from Vrassa City will be joining the tour, during the Spring Leg.

"Really, its kinda like a second tour," said Red Tone's Monica Pella. "We thought we were done, and then fans were coming up to us after the show, when we were just out in the crowd and listening to The Gang, and they were like 'Oh, uh... My brother wanted to come see the show, but he's in the NSP right now training, so like he can't get to the show...' And I was like 'Look guys we gotta do something about this... So many people wanted to check us out, but sell out shows kinda keep a lot of people from coming in and just having a great time! What can we do, f--kin... ARC. What can you do?' I was talkin to [The Gang's lead singer] Budnig, and he was like 'Yeah, we'll work, they get us shows, and we're there.' and Red Tone was like 'We're there too.'"

In the end, ARC was happy to add 26 additional dates, with larger venues booked for show in places where multiple shows had been sold out. "This last tour was mostly clubs, though some Arenas like at Yoshimi," said Pella. "Now its all these major venues in like every city across the Republic. And like this will be the Interrogators' First tour too. Like these Big shows. But like we met Amy [Interrogator Amy, the lead singer of the Interrogators] when we were playing up in Vrassa and she was like hella cool with us and we hung out and they were just these fun beer drinking ska kids, doing it in their own scene and their shows had like 50 people at them, and so we checked them out and then introduced them to... uh who was that dude... Frank from A&R who listened to their demo... It was cool and he was like 'Put them on the damn tour.' So they opened for us in Port Swedes when we played up there, first time they were ever on stage like that and the got the crowd bouncing!"

The Gang, as always were amenable to continue the tour. "I mean, we are still writing new songs and trying out some new stuff," said Kevin Budnig of the Gang, "but people like our hits, so as long as we are able to get these kids jumping up and down and pogoing around, and getting paid for that? Who wouldn't want to just do this forever." When asked if he wasn't getting bored playing the band's old hits, he answered matter of factly, "Well, I mean, all these guys know every word to our songs. They give it all when we ask them to sing, so if they can do it, night after night, that sort of energizes us too." The Gang is not worried about being relegated to the Nostalgia circuit though. Their new Album, "Death And Taxes" was a major seller in the third quarter, fueled largely by concert exposure. "We sold a lot of records at the shows, but like all these kids... (Hahaha, listen to me, I, like, so totally sound like Monica now...) all these fans went out and bought their friends copies too... It was wild," said Budnig.

The concert will carry on through the Republic, revisiting a lot of the same ground. The Addition of the Interrogators has inspired both Red Zone and the Gang to come up with a new Set list that includes more straight up Ska and less skapunk, to keep the aesthetic similar to the Interrogators. "We look at it like we are all hella supporting each other on this tour," said Pella. "We got the Rookies with the Interrogators, The Replacements who's Red Tone, and the Elder Statesmen of Kalistani Ska right now, The Gang. That arrangement basically means that we share the limelight and all the ups and downs of the tour." Interrogator Amy agreed: "These guys are so sweet, they took my band right in. Our first night we went out drinking and bonded like a family, and argued a little about politics..." (Interrogator Amy describes herself as a devoted liberal, and definitely not a socialist), "and basically really got to know each other, our style, our influences that kind of stuff. They just took us under their wing and me and Mon call each other 'Big Sister' and 'Little Sister'. It's really cute."

The first date for the Spring leg of the Skankin Kali tour is set for Vrassa City Metroplex on March 3, and the show will run until June 10, where it will finish up just before Sulari Subsplash, where The Gang and Red Tone will both play sets.

Here's "Next to Me", from the Skankin Kali Tour's newest members, The Interrogators