Ska legends The Hotknives were originally formed in 1982 in England by a group of friends interested in ska, dub, reggae and Northern Soul. They recorded two live albums, "Live at the boatman" and "Live and Skanking" before recording their first studio album, "The Way Things Are" in 1989. Having reached the top of the 3rd Wave ska scene and been banned from Radio in the UK, the band decided to call it a day in 1993.
Spring Heeled Jack U.S.A. was a third wave ska band based out of New Haven, Connecticut. The band was formed by guitarist/vocalist Ron Ragona and drummer Dave Karcich in 1991. After a short breakup, Ragona and Karcich reformed the band with a new lineup. This lineup would record two albums before announcing a hiatus in 2000. While the band members moved on to new bands, their intention was to play the occasional reunion show. This idea was would never come to fruition due to Karcich's sudden death in 2002 after suffering a brain aneurysm.