[Sidebar] The Worcester Phoenix
1999
[The Worcester Phoenix]
| the winners |


Best Local Punk/Ska Artist

Special 79

Special 79 Winning the Best Music Poll award for Best Local Punk/Ska Act can be a bit of a Pyrrhic victory, since recent winners like Gas Food Lodging and Thinner all but disappeared after picking up their accolades. Does this mean that we'll soon be seeing Special 79 on a milk carton? "Hopefully not," chuckles drummer Jay Brown. "As far as I know."

But it's not like Special 79 are strangers to these pages: last year the quintet (now a six-piece) picked up the BMP award for Best Local New Artist. Their self-described brand of "ska-ish punk-ish pop-ish heavy-ish stuff" made an immediate dent on the Worcester scene. But the music climate has changed from last year, when ska was deemed "the next big thing"; now swing (or is it Latin?) has emerged as the flavor of the minute. While the change in trends didn't stop people from voting for the group, have there been any repercussions for Special 79? "There's not as much of a ska scene anymore," laments Brown. "It seems as if it's gone downhill." No matter. Special 79 aren't about trends; these five guys and a gal, as the saying goes, just wanna have fun.

Last year they vowed to bring their madness to audiences outside of Worcester, and they came through, venturing into Connecticut and New York. Brown promises that Boston is next on the band's itinerary, "as soon as we get off our asses." But Special 79 certainly haven't forgotten their Worcester roots, as they continue to play frenzied live shows here.

Not bad for a band with just a smattering of recorded music (they've contributed tracks to East Coast Audio Entertainment and Espresso Bar compilations so far). But that should change in the upcoming year, as they hope to do some recording, possibly with Fork in Hand Records.

But Special 79 are taking things slowly for now. The band are still very young (the members' ages range from 17 to 25). Besides, youthful energy and a sense of humor are two trends that will never go out of style.


-- Joe Gagne


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