Last Saturday night, The Bluebird Theater served up an eclectic line-up of local bands that once again proved how deep the talent is in the Denver scene. With Atomga, The Pink Hawks, and Roka Hueka throwing down in one of the best venues in town, things got funky and the crowd ate it up!
Last Saturday night at the Hi-Dive, Denver’s own Latin Ska ensemble, Roka Hueka, delivered a brief, but powerful set opening for legendary New York Ska outfit The Toasters. Playing to an enthusiastic and packed house, frontman Andres Gonzalez belted out original tunes in his native Spanish as the band raged behind him and dancers skanked at the lip of the stage.
This bill pairs the Latin Ska of Denver’s own Roka Hueka with legendary New York City band The Toasters. While Roka Hueka combines traditional and contemporary Latin ska with members from Mexico, Colombia, El Salvador, and the US, The Toasters have been called “Ska Pioneers” by Billboard Magazine and compared to the Ramones due to their longevity and adherence to core principles.
The local Chicano-influenced Ska group Roka Hueka lit up La Boom late night on February 7th after two opening bands and a couple of intermissions for couples to dance to Cumbia and Salsa on local radio station 1150-AM’s live broadcast. Skanking and mosh-pits included, the fiesta was well attended and well received. The audience consumed the band’s eight song repertoire and then stood hungrily waiting for more, the only downside of the show: the talented, young band didn’t have much more to give.