Curious what notable personalities in the scene think was great this year? So is TGEFM! So we reached out to some of our favorite luminaries ranging from musicians, label personnel, and more for their “Best of 2023” lists. Now, listen: TGEFM is not a taskmistress. Contributors can write these out however they want. So if it doesn’t actually look or read like a list… and sometimes it really is just a list with no other observations! Who cares?
After releasing Necessary Evil in 2022, NJ ska-punks Joker’s Republic have spent 2023 growing their fanbase thanks to word of mouth and their lively performances. The trio joined TGEFM to share some of their favorites of 2023.
10: Roof Bag
Joker’s Republic always pulls up to a venue in style. We see your Valentino and raise you our Mockins Rooftop Storage Bag. It’s big, it’s waterproof, and frankly it’s the only reason we’re able to tour without a van. Our morning routine on the road usually consists of Billy doing half the work before either of us are awake. We then shamefully put on pants and bring out the remaining cargo before commencing the Ritual of the Bag™️, wherein said bag is meticulously placed atop the vehicle, loaded to the brim with merch bins and duffel bags, zipped up, ratcheted down, and secured with the world’s smallest combination lock. Mockins is the third in an ever-growing lineage of Joker’s Republic roof bags, and we are forever in its debt. Roof bags for lyfe (until we get a van and then hopefully never again).
9: Letterkenny
If you got a problem with Canadian sitcoms then you got a problem with us and we suggest you let that one marinate. See? What better way to introduce prospective viewers to a new show than by making a reference that by definition will not land? Anyway, we’re talking *aboot* Letterkenny—the most entertaining thing to trickle down from our Northern neighbors since Ryan Reynolds… or RUSH. Under the direction of comedic genius Jared Keeso, Letterkenny is a quirky, clever, and quick-witted glimpse into the day-to-day goings on of the fictional Canadian farm town, Letterkenny. The show wastes no time establishing its tone, as characters launch into long-winded explanations or carefully crafted jabs at one another’s expense—complete with authentic Canadian slang, accent and all. While at times on the cruder side there’s no absence of thoughtfulness in the dialogue, and every character, no matter how disdainfully depicted, grows and develops in such a way that you have no choice but to love them. I would go as far as to call it Shakespearean, with less murder and only slightly more “horn” talk. It’s become a band favorite to throw on before bed, often accompanied by Taco Bell, or whatever happens to be open at that hour. We like it, and you should, too. Now pitter-patter.
8: Tour Dogs
This is a no-brainer. All three of us love dogs. Two of the three of us own dogs. Dogs are an immediate dopamine boost, and while we’re slowly running ourselves ragged driving six hours at a time, playing another sweaty 45-minute set, or staring dead-eyed at our dwindling bank accounts, the mere presence of a dog can erase all of that, if only for a few sweet seconds. This time around, we were fortunate enough to stay with several friends and acquaintances who owned one or more dogs, and it was a genuinely therapeutic experience. I’m going to break from speaking in the royal “we” just to say that I (Pat) experienced a very special bond with a very special pup named Sirius. He farted a lot and I think that’s what brought us together. He will be displayed below.
7: Wyndham Rewards
A huge part of our touring expenses (next to gas, time off work, and Patrick’s massive beef jerky budget) is hotels. Wyndham Rewards is, quite literally, the best rewards program for poor ska folks with questionable cleanliness standards like ourselves. As long as you don’t care about things like clean floors, having enough towels in the bathroom, or occasionally breathing in black mold, the Wyndham family of brands truly delivers on the rewards. We usually rack up 5-10 free hotel stays a year, and this is a big part of the reason we can afford shorter tours and weekend festivals. So consider this our damp, cigarette burned, carpet stained endorsement of the best cheap rewards program around. So thank you Wyndham rewards – you’re just good enough to remind us that we do deserve a hot shower sometimes.
6: Kum & Go Merchandise
Our endless hours traveling the interstate can be quite monotonous. Often we’ll spend 10-12 hours a day in the car with stops only for gas (and sometimes a brisk piss on the side of the road). Naturally, these little oases filled with exotic energy drinks, actual toilets, and sweaty hot dogs are highlights of long travel days. Kum and Go is no exception – its off color name is just too good to pass up. While the contents of a Kum & Go franchise are unremarkable (they have neither the hot food offerings of Sheetz, nor the excellent snack selection of Buc-ee’s) their name stands out for obvious reasons, and we wear their full line of branded clothing with pride. They are either in on the joke (gross), or are so gosh darn proud of their little gas station chain that they just had to make everything from socks to bucket hats. Either way, we’re all for it, and we plan to sport their cool gear for years to kum….. (and go).
5: Barcades
One of our collective favorite pastimes both on the road and at home, the arcade bar combo has a certain nostalgic flair to it that harkens back to an interesting period in video game and entertainment history. Couple that with a decent selection of beer and cocktails (and occasionally some unexpectedly delicious food options) and you’ve got a fun, lighthearted, sometimes playfully competitive social experience that leaves very little else to be desired. If you’re at a barcade and see the high score on the Galaga machine has the initials “SKA” next to it, there’s a good chance Joker’s Republic was there after a show or on a day off to hang out and have fun.
4: Wicked Bears – Underwater
This year we played somewhere around 40 gigs, and with over 200 different bands across basically every genre you can think of. We only mention these (very middling) stats to offer some context when we say this: Wicked Bear’s release of “Underwater” on Wiretap Records is single handedly the best written album of the year. Seriously. If you haven’t checked it out yet, do so now. Go ahead, We’ll wait.
All done? See, wasn’t that worth it? The band’s combination of great musicianship and a near endless supply of catchy hooks earned them a special place in our hearts when we met them at SPI Fest in March, and nine months later the love affair has yet to die down. The entire album is a run on sentence of pop punk goodness that you never want to end, with near through-composed lyrics that ping pong around our (admittedly very empty) heads to this day. In a sea of excellent releases this year, this one stands out as one of the best, and you can expect to find it in Billy’s Spotify wrapped for years to come.
3: DIY Punk/Ska Scene
The DIY music scene is a lot of things; it’s a sweltering basement, it’s a can of cheap beer, it’s a drum set held together by duct tape and sheer stubbornness, but mostly it’s people. As such, it shares in humanity’s strengths as well as its flaws, and therein lies the beauty. This past tour turned out to be an exercise in what the DIY scene was capable of. We were offered places to sleep by people we had known only a few hours. Nearly every show was backlined through the combined offerings of other bands (because while we do love the roof bag, it won’t quite fit a drum set). Local bands bought us drinks, gave us merch, even gave up their cut of door earnings to help us out. Of course, it wasn’t all glamorous rockstar treatment. For every show that miraculously came through, another one fell apart. For every generous backline there was half a drum set, or no drum set, or three drum sets that nobody wanted to share. Sometimes you play an amazing show to a full, dancing crowd, and sometimes you play to the only other band on the bill. That’s just the charming, infuriating, fickle human nature of the DIY music scene. It’s as resilient as it is unpredictable, but it’s all in the spirit of a common passion. If you’re not too proud to ask for the help, you only truly have to do it yourself sometimes. Just ask our friends in Plastic Presidents and they’ll tell you the same!
2: Starland Ballroom
The Denny’s chants are already replaying in our heads just thinking about this show (IYKYK). Starland Ballroom holds a very special place in our hearts as big Streetlight Manifesto fans (they’re the whole reason Austen plays a red 335 in the first place), and to be welcomed into the venue opening for Save Ferris on a Saturday night was truly an incredible experience. The stage sound was so loud that we didn’t even notice that a lot of our songs were being sung back to us by the crowd, which is the highest compliment one could possibly give us as songwriters and musicians. Hopefully, we’ll be able to return to our favorite pancake-sponsored venue soon, and after re-watching this YouTube video of our closing song we hope they feel the same way too.
1: Ska Punk International
We really can’t express how awesome it is to be working with Ska Punk International. Easily the high point of our year, joining up with Cool Chris (who is *exactly* as cool as the name suggests) and the SPI Family has been nothing short of incredible. We’re stoked to be a part of a collective alongside a lot of our friends and amazing artists who are all pulling in the same direction: To bring new bands who are playing the music we love to both the forefront of our scene and into the public consciousness. You can expect a lot of great new things from Ska Punk International in the new year, but while you’re waiting our newest release “Necessary Evil” was pressed into vinyl through them and you can get one of the limited edition copies from us at the link below:
