SKAppleton is the largest annual

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

concert in the

Midwestern United States The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...

. It is held in early May each year in

Appleton, Wisconsin Appleton ( mez, Ahkōnemeh) is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. One of the Fox Cities, it is situated on the Fox River, southwest of Green Bay and north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the c ...

, and features ska bands from around the region. The concert has included such bands as

Mustard Plug Mustard Plug is an American ska punk band from Grand Rapids, Michigan, consisting of Dave Kirchgessner (vocals), Brandon Jenison (trumpet), Jim Hofer (trombone), Nate Cohn (drums), Colin Clive (guitar/vocals), Mark Petz (tenor saxophone) and Gr ...

The Toasters The Toasters are one of the original American second wave of ska bands. Founded in New York City in 1981, the band has released nine studio albums, primarily through Moon Ska Records. History Englishman Robert "Bucket" Hingley relocated to New ...

, Umbrella Bed, 1,2,3 Walrus!, The Invaders, Something To Do, Quazimodo and the Hunch, Hired Geeks,

Deal's Gone Bad Deal's Gone Bad is a band from Chicago, Illinois. Their sound mixes reggae, rocksteady, and ska music with American soul. They have been together since 1994, with numerous lineup changes over the years. The current incarnation has been mostly ...

, and

Bomb The Music Industry Bomb the Music Industry! (commonly abbreviated as Bomb or BtMI!) were an American punk rock musical collective from Baldwin, Nassau County, New York, United States, led by singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Jeff Rosenstock. ...

. The festival dates back to at least 1993. SKAppleton 2011 took place on June 5 at Tanner's in Kimberly, Wisconsin, and featured Something To Do, Car Full of Midgets, Shortstop From Tokyo, Crazy 88, Superluck and more.

headlined the festival. This also proved to be Car Full of Midgets last Skappleton, and their second to last show. They played their farewell show a few months later at Paperfest in Kimberly. In 2012, due to financial issues, Skappleton was moved to

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

after 19 years in Appleton and was sponsored by Horny Goat. In 2023, Fox Valley Music Festivals brought Skappleton back to Appleton at Dr Jekyll's on May 12 and Appleton Beer Factory on May 13, featuring

Mephiskapheles Mephiskapheles is a ska band based in New York City. Their name is a portmanteau of "ska" and "Mephistopheles", of the Faust legend. As their name suggests, their lyrics are often playfully satanic in nature. Career 1990–1994: Formation and ea ...

, Max and the invaders, The Crombies, Something To Do, Joystick, Space Monkey Mafia, Flying Raccoon Suit, Meskales, Courtesy of Tim, Local Legends, The Black and Blue Hearts, DJ Chuck Wren, JF Zastrow, The Chad O'Kennedy, Lefty Luci. Sponsored by Punk Rock Saves Lives, Heid Music, On the Upbeat, Relik Vintage and Oddity,

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skappleton Music festivals in Wisconsin Ska festivals Music festivals established in 1993