a reminiscence

Flogging Molly was here doing a signing at Skip's Records. Speed Of Darkness had just come out, like 2 or 3 days prior. This show was at McDonald Theater, and it was the same night as a Skatalites show at WOW Hall. Skatalites had only one living original member at that time, Lloyd Knibb their amazing drummer, passed away only 2 months after this show!
I picked up Nathen at the signing, and my son James rode in the back seat. I had just picked up the Beastie Boys' HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE and I was cranking B Boys SANTEEGOLD 'Won't Play No Game That I Can't Win' with maximum bass. Nathen took James and I backstage and Nathen introduced James to most of the band. We drank Guinness and Jameson in the green room, then I took James to a spot where he could see the whole stage. The Skatalites had not yet taken the stage, so I made the choice, watch FLOGGING MOLLY! I as I ran back into McDonald Theater from the front, FM were finishing their opening number SELFISH MAN.

THEN! I ran over to the WOW HALL to try and catch a number or two from the Skatalites, which honestly was no longer the Skatalites with only one remaining member... although Lloyd Knibb, my god! We used to watch the way he'd randomly syncopate his hi-hat, we called it 'spreading the butter' because of the way he held the drum stick, very jazzy style.