Bellingham Ska Band The Kooks Reunite for Food Bank Benefit

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A Bellingham band that helped define the city’s music scene in the early ’80s is coming back together, and they’re doing it for a good reason.

The Kooks, a ska-reggae-calypso group with deep roots in Bellingham, will reunite Friday, May 15 at Firehouse Arts and Events Center in Fairhaven for a benefit concert supporting the Bellingham Food Bank. Tickets are $20, with all proceeds going directly to the food bank. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

It’s been nearly 20 years since the band last shared a stage. Organizer Steve Webb says that’s exactly what made this the right moment to finally make it happen, and the right cause to do it for.

“I’ve been wanting to get these guys back together to play music and do it for something good for the town,” Webb said. “And they’re all two thumbs up.”

A Reunion Decades in the Making

The Kooks formed in 1979 and played through the early ’80s before going on hiatus. A mid-2000s reunion came and went. This show marks their return after another long stretch away. Original members and frontman Bob Chambers and John Flancher on bass will be back on stage. Behind the kit will be Jordan Rain of Yogoman Burning Band, an addition Webb describes with obvious enthusiasm.

“We got Jordan, and he is spectacular,” he said. “He’s a powerhouse.”

The evening opens with an acoustic set from Webb and his Unomanband before the full band takes over with their signature blend of reggae, ska, and calypso.

You’re part of what I love about Bellingham, because you’re part of that charitable, supportive, real kind of community. And I think we really need it right now.

— Ziad Youssef, attorney at BEllingham injury law

“That’s What I Love About Bellingham”

PNW Daily caught up with Webb near the Bellingham Food Bank, where a spontaneous conversation — joined a minute in by local attorney Ziad Youssef rolling up on his bicycle — turned into the latest installment of the ongoing series, What Do You Love About Bellingham?

When Youssef arrived, he didn’t miss a beat. “I love the Kooks,” he said. Then, turning to Webb: “You’re part of what I love about Bellingham, because you’re part of that charitable, supportive, real kind of community. And I think we really need it right now.”

Webb didn’t disagree. He’s been a Bellingham fixture long enough to appreciate what the city does well. “There’s so much beauty here,” he said. “People cherish the environment, the way of life. I was out on my bike on Lummi Island, just thinking about how little of it is developed, how beautiful it is. You can ride your bike and not worry about traffic.”

He also pointed to Bellingham’s music scene, remarkable for a city its size, and to Western Washington University, which he says keeps the city’s energy alive year after year. “There’s a ton of music going on every weekend, and it’s fabulous,” Webb said. “And the college keeps that youthful spirit pumping through the system. I love seeing the students come in. It just brings another life to the good energy.”

PNW Daily’s Brian Henderson, who moved to the area from the Tri-Cities, said during the video interview that, the conversation echoed what drew him here in the first place.

“The outdoors, the bay, the music,” he said. “Those are the reasons we live in the Bellingham area.”

The Kooks — Benefit Concert Details

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