Get ready for an electrifying night as Nance Arte Productions and Grand Performances present Latin Goes Ska! Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra joins forces with powerhouse vocalists: Maria de Pilar (Los Abandoned ), Jackie Mendez, Charles Farrar ( Boogaloo Assassins, See Spot ), Luis ( Raskahuele ), JP (Viernes 13 ). Plus acclaimed Ska artists The Untouchables, Mobtown, The Elysians, Blanco Y Negro, The Delirians, along with sets by DJ Queline. Celebrate the vibrant fusion of Latin rhythms and distinctive ska energy at CalPlaza in downtown Los Angeles!
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Western Standard Time
Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra is a raw, powerful and in your face musical experience. This massive 20-piece group of All Star musicians is a spectacle to both watch and hear. With a horn section three times bigger than most other ska groups, WST breaks barriers and expands your imagination for what is possible. The groove is hard hitting and will definitely make you dance all night!
WST Ska Orchestra has wowed fans headlining festivals both domestically and abroad in Mexico, Canada and throughout Europe. It boasts a killer All-Star lineup from the fabled West Coast traditional ska scene with members from The Aggrolites, Beastie Boys, Hepcat, Gogol Bordello, See Spot, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s, Michael Bublé, The Allentons, Mobtown, Kingston 10, The Debonaires and many more. They have also collaborated with a number of vocalists over the years including Angelo Moore (Fishbone), Jesse Wagner (Aggrolites), Greg Lee and Alex Desért (Hepcat), Chris Murray, The Expanders, Gina Saputo, Karina Denike (NOFX and Dancehall Crashers) Queen P, Vic Ruggiero (The Slackers), Mr. T-Bone from Italy and many, many more.
WST just completed their 5th studio album at the famed East West Studios in Hollywood, CA and is due to be released later this year. Fifteen years since forming this super group and the band is going as strong as ever. They are scheduled to return to Europe once again in the Spring of 2026. This group of Jamaican Jazz gunslingers is rebranding the music of yesteryear and propelling it into the future!
The Untouchables
The Untouchables are a pioneering mod band from Los Angeles, widely recognized as one of the first American groups to influence the ska movement in the early 1980s. Blending elements of soul, ska, rock, and R&B, their multicultural lineup and electrifying live shows helped shape a unique sound that resonated across generations. Founding members Clyde Grimes, Jerry Miller, and Chuck Askerneese led the band to cult status with hits like “Free Yourself,” “I Spy for the FBI,” “What’s Gone Wrong,” and “Wild Child.” Today, Chuck Askerneese leads a lineup of veteran musicians from the American ska and punk scenes, continuing to headline shows, play festivals, and honor the legacy of one of the most influential bands in American ska history.
The Elysians
Formed in 2019 by drummer Lino Luna and trumpet player Dexter Krohn, The Elysians are a Los Angeles-based traditional ska revue paying tribute to the roots of Jamaican ska, bluebeat, and the American R&B and broader Caribbean styles that helped shape the genre. Featuring multiple vocalists and a lineup of veteran musicians with decades of experience in ska, rocksteady, and reggae, the band includes members from iconic groups like The Brian Setzer Orchestra, The Allentons, The Untouchables, and more.
Blanco Y Negro
Blanco Y Negro is a Los Angeles Based Ska & Reggae band that mixes Latin, modern, and traditional musical influences.
Mobtown
Mobtown is a long-standing staple of the Los Angeles ska scene, blending the soulful groove of 1960s Jamaican ska with the bold energy of the 1980s Two Tone revival. Since forming in 1991, the band has built a reputation for powerful live performances, tight musicianship, and a deep respect for ska’s roots.
Their debut album The Rhythm of Ska (1996) and follow-up Cactus Juice (1998) established Mobtown as a force in the West Coast 90’s ska revival. Over the years, they’ve shared stages with genre icons including Desmond Dekker, Laurel Aitken, The Skatalites, The Pioneers, Black Uhuru, and The Specials.
Now more than three decades in, Mobtown continues to energize audiences with a lineup featuring Malik Moore (vocals), Wally Caro (guitar), Derek Grace (second guitar), Jeffrey Govan (bass), Kat “Blue” Aguirre (keys), Alex Vargas (drums), David “Pepe” Porush (percussion), Chris Searight (sax), Brian Wallace (sax), and Robert Lagunas (trumpet).
Recent performances include a 2025 show with Mr. Roy Ellis backed by The Steady 45s and a celebrated set with the legendary Pioneers in 2024, both hosted by Skamania. With a legacy of unity, authenticity, and rhythm, Mobtown remains a vibrant presence in the Los Angeles ska and reggae community.
DJ Queline
DJ Queline is an open format DJ who takes you on a journey through the sounds that shaped her diverse musical tastes growing up in LA. From her humble beginnings as a DJ who started spinning at backyard ska/punk shows to sharing her music in venues all across LA county playing everything from funk, hiphop, reggae, ska, punk and more! She is now a graduate of the “Beat Junkie Institute of Sound” with 13 years of DJ experience under her belt.
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