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Unexplainable phenomenon for the eyes and ears in Oshkosh
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Oshkosh Northwestern, Unexplainable phenomenon for the eyes and ears in Oshkosh >>
BY Jeff Potts
There's a full moon in the sky tonight, but don't expect to see it for very long as the Earth's shadow is going to crash the party.
The total lunar eclipse is just one of many hard-to-explain events going on in the Fox Valley this weekend as a number of unlikely influences combine to provide memorable visuals and auditory experiences.
The sky show will start at 9:03 p.m., when the moon starts to pass through the earth's shadow. The full eclipse will begin at 10:14 p.m., with effects lasting throughout the night.
And then there is the unexplainable musical genre of Ska, which will be featured on Saturday at Lawrence University in Appleton for the annual Skappleton music festival.
The all ages, alcohol-free event starts at noon and runs at least 12 hours as 13 bands perform on two stages.
Fans of the Ska genre are sure to recognize headlining bands- The Skatalites and The Toasters- who helped found the genre in its first movement, but casual music fans might not even know what Ska music is.
"A definition of Ska really depends on which period of the music you are looking at and who you are talking to," said Lawrence junior, Zach Erickson, who helped revive the festival three years ago.
"It began with a movement for racial equality, tolerance and peace between people of different nationalities in the '50s in Jamaica. But it's grown from there."
Ska encompasses reggae, traditional Jamaican, some elements of jazz, and a bit of rock 'n' roll. But each band within the genre is as different as those select influences.
Erickson said most of the bands on the bill are from the third wave of Ska which features an up beat tempo, with a punk music edge, but all three waves of the Ska genre will be represented including some of the bands that founded the genre like the Skatalites, Toasters, and The Afterbeats.
What all the bands have in common is the uncanny ability to shake the floor and provide a beat that you can't help but dance to.
Tickets to Skappleton cost $10 and are available at the doors of the Lawrence Recreation Center Gym in downtown Appleton the day of the show or in advance by calling (920) 832-6749. More information on the bands can be found at skappleton.com.
Whether it's a disappearing moon or 12 straight hours of dancing, this weekend the Fox Valley is going to be one strange, and fun, place to be.
05/15/03
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