Ballyhoo! brings reggae ska to Pittsburgh

The Thunderbird Cafe

10 p.m.

Tuesday September 29th

$10 in advance and $12 at the… The Thunderbird Cafe

10 p.m.

Tuesday September 29th

$10 in advance and $12 at the door

21+

Ska-punk rock infused with reggae. Sublime? No. Ballyhoo!

The Aberdeen, Md., rock outfit frowns at the many links to the Long Beach punk band, citing other bands like Reel Big Fish, Bob Marley and Green Day as additional influences.

“Sublime did their thing, and now we’re doing ours,” lead singer, guitarist and primary lyricist Howi Spangler said.

Perhaps band members’ East Coast upbringing makes this a separate enterprise. All band members hail from Maryland.

The band formed when Spangler and his brother began high school. Spangler cited Green Day as his favorite band of those adolescent years, maintaining them as his all-time go-to band.

Ballyhoo! released its sophomore album, Cheers!, in May, following its 2008 release, Do It for the Money, which the band said put it “on the map.”

Spangler said this most recent album is a step forward as far as maturity is concerned, and he was a bit nervous about alienating the band’s core fans who enjoy tailgating at Ballyhoo! shows.

“We love our fans,” Spangler said. “They’re really who we’re doing this for.”

Embarking on a 70-plus show tour, Ballyhoo! said it tries not to get bogged down — the band members hang out, throws a few back with its fans and passesout its CDs, most of the time for free.

Speaking for the rest of the band, Spangler said he doesn’t hesitate to give out the band’s music for free. He said he appreciates the honesty when fans complain that they don’t have enough money or that, “My friend stole my copy out of my car.”

The band subscribes to good vibes and good fans. When writing his lyrics, Spangler said, he develops more of a “broad” and “general” facet, enabling his listeners to relate easily to the trials and tribulations of the music — like girls and beer.

The band plays Tuesday night at the Thunderbird Café in Lawrenceville, making its eighth Pittsburgh appearance in three years.

“Pittsburgh is great — a great town nestled between mountains and rivers,” Spangler said.

Ballyhoo!