ctrl LIVE: The Toasters & Dead Ceausescus

The legendary NYC ska band The Toasters is coming to Control on October 29th. Opening up for them is Romanian punk band Dead Ceausescus.

In their 43rd year the Toasters are hitting the gas, not the brakes. The Toasters are "Ska Pioneers" (Billboard magazine) and boldly go where no ska band has gone before. Having been compared to the Ramones, due to their longevity and adherence to core principles, the Toasters are held to be one of most influential ska bands out there. Their lean, mean ska machine has galvanized audiences and musicians alike with their embrace of the Jamaica-born pop music style that overwhelmed England in the 1960's, migrated to America in the early 1980s, and went global in the 1990s. The hallmark Toasters sound sits at the nexus of Reggae, Jazz, Punk and Soul and is the musical equivalent of a brass knuckle-duster.

Formed on the Lower East Side of NYC in 1981 the band is the longest running US SKA formation. They bridge the gap between England’s 2-Tone movement and the American Ska explosion of the 90’s which they are rightfully credited with starting. During the 3rd Wave Ska revival The Toasters formed the famous Moon Records label and kick-started the careers of dozens of bands.

Dead Ceausescus was formed in 2006 at the initiative of Gabby (Molotov Cocktail NYC) as a project inspired by the "good days" of communism. The band offers exactly what you would expect from a punk band: dynamism, political satire, disorder and chaos! Their shows are sprinkled with interludes, video projections and hymns from the "golden era" but also with appearances by Coana Leana on vocals (Ina Shan).