a.k.a:RUDIE - Ska, Rock Steady & Reggae

November 1, 2007
Wow! Update!!
A lot has happened since the last update, so let's recap!
On December 15 a.k.a:RUDIE celebrates its 14th year with a blow-out at Windows on the Cumberland with special guests 'The Monkey Men' - a tribute to Toots and the Maytals. Incidentally, Toots Hibbert's birthday is in December, so we'll be celebrating that as well.
Ska Weekend was very good to us! Friday night in Gnashville, we hosted King Django, Dr. Ring Ding and The Drastics. That would have been enough to satisfy anyone, but we were further treated to the return of Al Shropshire to Windows on the Cumberland! What a sight for sore eyes!! Saturday in Knoxville found us among our friends from all over the world sharing the best of Ska Music.
Rob did another European tour with Eastern Standard Time in September and October. Pics at Ska-Pics.de - Vids all over YouTube and MySpace.
June 1, 2006
Loss & Tribute
The world has lost another Ska Pioneer, and the a.k.a:RUDIE / Windows on the Cumberland family has lost a close friend.
Desmond Dekker passed away on May 25, so our June 3rd show will feature many of the Dekker standards we learned in our earliest rehearsals.
Sadly, we also lost our friend Winnie - Freweini Gebremicael - who was the smiling face behind Night Owl Cafe and the coffee shop right outside the Windows doorway. She was murdered in early May, and we will be playing a short set at the benefit scheduled for Monday, June 5. Proceeds will go directly into a trust fund which has been set up for her children. The show will run from 6PM till 12AM and will feature a different act every 30 minutes or so. Please come out and join in the celebration of a life that brought so much light into that dark corner of 2nd Avenue.
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May 31, 2006
Kingdom Come
We'll be hosting NYC Ska and Dancehall icon King Django on Monday, May 1 with New Jersey Ska upstarts The Hub City Stompers. The show will be at Springwater (near Centennial Park) and will also feature Heavyweight Sound System spinning the hottest classic Jamaican platters between sets. Don't miss this dynamite combination, which you KNOW will include a fair number of guest appearances as the bands mix and mingle their line-ups (not to mention the inevitable DJ Clash).
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February 27, 2006
Rob-A-Gwan
Rob will be heading back to Europe with Eastern Standard Time this Spring, so there will be no April 'First Saturday Gig'. That means the March 4 show will be the last time to catch a dose of live Jamaican riddims until MAY! Come down and take a big hit to tide you over.
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January 13, 2006
Bob Marley Birthday Bash
On Saturday, February 4, Windows on the Cumberland is throwing a Bob Marley Birthday Bash. In our ongoing battle to stamp out 'Cruise Ship Reggae', we will be salting our set with Bob Marley Tunes that you probably don't run across very often. Come on out and share in the celebration!
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August 30, 2005
Autumn Update
Thanks to everyone who came out to all the festivals, parties and gigs for such a great Summer gig season!
We won't be doing our usual First Saturday gig on Sept. 3, but we'll be hosting a gig with Regatta 69 on Friday, Sept 16. These guys were stalwarts on the Southern Ska scene throughout the 90's, and recently moved from Chapel Hill, NC to Germany to tap the vital European market. Come welcome them back for their first Gnashville appearance sine 1999.
We are also planning our 12th Anniversary Blowout for October 1. We'll have our buddies from Chicago, Deal's Gone Bad in tow for another massive late-night jam. Don't miss this show!! Details to follow.
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May 2, 2005
a.k.a:RUDIE on MySpace
Check out our information on MySpace.com! Is it frighteningly trendy of us? YOU BET! Is it frighteningly fun to dink around with? YOU BET!
So drop in and bask in our trendyness at www.myspace.com/akarudie We need friends!

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a.k.a:RUDIE
is an "Old School" Ska band based in Nashville, TN. Since 1993 a.k.a:RUDIE has brought the Studio One Sound to life in the mid-south with an appreciation for the Ska Pioneers of the '60s and yet a style unmistakably RUDIE.

A.k.a.:WHO?!

...And of course,
The Ska Tissue Horns

Rob Hoskins
Keyboards, Vocals, Valve Trombone

Kevin (Special K) Miller
Guitar,Vocals

Joey Butler
Bass

Drummy Dave DePriest
Drums, what else?

Shane Callahan
Guitar

Mark (Smiley) Shenkel
Saxes, Vocals

Robert Means
Trombone, Vocals, Keyboards

And In From the Bench:

Papa Shock
Wouldn't you like to know...