The Witzard

If necessity is the mother of invention, then, it's no surprise that [TITLE HOLDER]'s creation was born at the height of The COVID Pandemic. Formed in 2020 by then-Queens-based singer/song-writer Matt Sullivan, his unique take on Ska & Pop-punk is an honest and earnest take on two genres that have seen their fair share of silly fads and trends. The result is [TITLE HOLDER]'s undeniable energy and Pop sensability that quickly gained the attention of Chris DeMakes (Less Than Jake, The Bruce Lee Band,) who produced and helped arrange several of the tracks from Sullivan's debut recorded effort, the six-song EP, The Story of My Life . Ready and eager to bring their energetic live show on the road, the band followed the release of The Story of My Life by sharing the stage and supporting the likes of CATBITE, J. Navarro & The Traitors (The Suicide Machines,) Mustard Plug, The Pietasters, Spring Heeled Jack, and more. Milwaukee-based Interstate Music even selected [TI...

Less Than Jake with New Drummer Matt Yonker (CREDIT: Paris Visone) Less Than Jake (LTJ) are without a doubt Ska Punk stalwarts, at this stage of their career, having been a non-stop touring machine for the past 30 years. LTJ have been one of my personal favorite bands for quite some time now and they're, honestly, one of the bands I've seen live the most. Way back when, in The Witzard's earliest aughts, we conducted an interview (better yet, a Twitter-view ) via Twitter, with long-time LTJ bassist and co-vocalist Roger "Lima" Manganelli. Plus, we've spoken with both guitarist/co-vocalist Chris DeMakes and former drummer/pseudo-frontman Vinnie Fiorello on seperate occasions, but never for an actual published interview. Less Than Jake are easily one of the most fun charismatic bands I've ever seen live and one time, in Philly at The TLA, they even invited the entire crowd (well, anyone 21+) to accompany them to the bar for post-show beers. Oddly e...