My Way Too Early Supernova Ska Playlist: By Leon Channer, ASOM '26
- George
- Sep 4
- 2 min read
The festival hasn't even started yet but Alpha School of Music final year student Leon Channer scoured the festival line up to share his 'Way Too Early 2025 Supernova Ska Playlist' for each day of the festival.
The Supernova International Ska Festival (supernovaska.com) returns to Hampton, Virginia Sept 12-14 with 3 days of music from 39 acts. The Alpha School of Music is very grateful to be attending with support from Jamaica Nice. (www.yesjamaicanice.com).
Drumming student Leon Channer is attending and will be hearing new ways of playing ska for the first time. These are Leon's daily picks from the festival line up...
Bands Playing Fri Sept 12
Eastern Standard Time “Lovely in Mad”
Leon: "Traditional ska with a clean, refreshing feel. This will be great live in concert."
Alpheus - “Nah Guh Tek It No More”
Leon: "Mr. Alpheus brings lots of energy to the stage and also sings about standing up for his rights which I appreciate."
Lloyd Parks “What More Can I Do”
Leon: "I have been invited to play with Mr Parks which is a huge honour!"
Bands Playing Sat Sept 13
Less than Jake “ Bomb Drop”
Leon: "Hearing just the trombone alone in this song and genre is very unique and I would love to hear more at the festival."
Out of Control Army - “Cat Nation Track 01”
Leon: "The band nailed the intro and the dub and ska elements keeps things lively."
Bands Playing Sun Sept 14
New York Ska Jazz Ensemble - “Boogie Stop Shuffle”
Leon: "I am loving the fusion of Latin and Ska and the solo work is very interesting."
New York Ska Jazz Ensemble - “Limecheck Samurai”
Leon: "For those who ever wondered what Eastern music and Ska would be like - check this out."
Rude Girl Revue - “Never Gonna Get It”
Leon: "The women in this band are some of the best I've heard. They have powerful vocals and the band is steady."
Chris Murray - “Summertime”
Leon: "The horn section is awesome and in sync and I love the funk groove that they are playing."
Dakar Skanks “You Can't Cancel This”
Leon: "Not often do I hear the melodica being played in Ska but when it does it sounds really good, its like adding seasoning to your meal."
Jokers Republic - “Break the Cycle”
Leon: "The lead guitar is playing some wonderful riffs and I also love how they transition into reggae."
Toasters - “Two Tone Army”
Leon: "It's the horns for me! They sound so tight and well prepared."
