Ska Patrick’s festival brings out bands, fans

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    By LAUREN COMSTOC

    Twenty-one ska bands from all over the West played at this weekend’s Ska Patrick’s Day Festival. Over 500 people turned out for Friday night’s show at Orem High School.

    Attaboy Skip, a ska band from Las Vegas, was the best received band at Friday’s show. The band has been together about a year and most of the members are LDS.

    “Mealticket was great, but Attaboy Skip was the best,” said Steve Beltwieser, 19, a civil engineering major at the University of Utah from Orem.

    Fans came from all over California and Nevada to see groups they had heard before.

    Scott Barrett, producer of a Los Angeles music television show, ARE-OH-VEE, came to the festival to see Reel Big Fish.

    “Well, I was curious about the whole festival, but I saw Reel Big Fish at Disneyland and I wanted to see the reaction they got here.”

    Reel Big Fish played on Saturday the Salt Lake Fairpark Coliseum: “Our music is all about trying to relate to kids our age,” said Scott Klopfenstein, 18, trumpet player for the band.

    “We sing about girls and being in a band,” he said. “It’s something these kids can relate to.”

    “They’re an incredible band,” Barrett said.

    Some of the bands had never played in Provo before. “We heard about the festival through our friends the Aquabats,” said Chris Clawson, band member of My Superhero.

    “We’ve never played here before, but from what I saw, everybody liked our stuff.” This was My Superhero’s first trip out of California.

    Bands like Mealticket and Attaboy Skip have played in Utah several times before.

    “We like the scene out here, everyone’s really nice,” said David Ferreria, bass player for Mealticket.

    “The Mormons are the nicest bunch of kids I’ve met in my life. They’ve offered us a place to stay and to eat,” he said.

    The festival was spread over four nights. The last show is tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the UVSC Ballroom. Mephiskapheles, Mustard Plug, Model Citizen, The Shriners, The Shakes and Creeps by Night will play. Tickets are $7.50

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