Font Resize- Mar 19:
- SXSW 2013: Hot festival bands headed to the Bay Area
- SXSW Film 2013: `Big Ass Spider!' is creepy, crawly good time
- SXSW Film 2013: Stevie Nicks documentary should delight fans
- SXSW Film 2013: `Muscle Shoals' hits the right note
- Mar 18:
- SXSW Film 2013: Green Day `Cuatro!' is worthy documentary
- SXSW Film 2013: `Plus One' isn't worth adding to your viewing list
- Best shows at SXSW 2013: Justin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar, Nick Cave and more
- SXSW 2013 Friday review: Green Day, Alt-J, Patty Griffin, Laura Mvula and more
- Mar 16:
- Green Day at SXSW 2013: Billie Joe Armstrong back; band delivers glorious night of music
- Mar 15:
- SXSW 2013: 'Broadway Idiot' gets world premiere in Austin
- Billie Joe's ode to recovery
- Mar 14:
- SXSW Film 2013: `Good Vibrations' is a gem
- SXSW Film 2013: `Finding the Funk' is insightful look into genre
- SXSW 2013: Green Day looks to rebound at big Austin concert
- SXSW 2013: Natalie Maines setlist
- SXSW 2013: Natalie Maines
- Mar 13:
- SXSW 2013: Macklemore & Lewis and Motown
- Jim James takes search for connection to SXSW
- SXSW 2013: Japandroids
- SXSW 2013: Japandroids
- Mar 12:
- SXSW 2013 music lineup: The best big acts with Prince, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more
- SXSW 2013: A playlist of the buzzed-about musicians
The Specials
City: Coventry, England
Website: www.thespecials.com
Local show: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 23; Warfield, S.F.; $35-$47, www.axs.com.
Download these: "A Message to You, Rudy," "Too Much Too Young"
The skinny: Seemingly every band that had a hit in the '80s, and quite a few that didn't, is getting back together these days. Even Men Without Hats reunited, for crying out loud. Still, there are plenty of reasons to get excited about the reunited Specials. Most significant of the bunch, however, is that the Specials were responsible for many of the finest English 2-Tone ska revival songs of all time -- crazy good cuts like "Ghost Town," "Free Nelson Mandela" and "Gangsters." It was a blast to finally hear those songs performed live at SXSW. So put on your best "rude boy" gear and get ready to skank when the Specials come to town.
Follow Jim Harrington at http://twitter.com/jimthecritic.
