The Mighty Mighty Bosstones: Is the Skankin' About to Start Again?

Picture it: a horn section in loud plaid, a frontman with a voice like a cement mixer full of gravel, and a guy whose entire job is to dance. For almost four decades, that was a Mighty Mighty Bosstones show — and for a lot of Boston, it was the best night of the year.

“"I am honestly, actively trying to get The Mighty Mighty BossToneS back together. Please be patient." — Dicky Barrett”

Born in Boston, 1983

The Bosstones came together in Boston in 1983, mashing up 2 Tone ska, hardcore punk and heavy guitars into something that didn't have a name yet. People eventually called it ska-core, and the Bosstones were writing the rulebook. Dicky Barrett growled, Joe Gittleman held down the bass, Nate Albert played guitar on the classic records, Tim "Johnny Vegas" Burton blew sax, and Ben Carr — the band's official "Bosstone" — danced. That was the gig. It was perfect.

Early records like Devil's Night Out (1989) and More Noise and Other Disturbances (1992) built a fierce local following in Boston's clubs, where the pit was just as likely to be skanking as slamming.

The impression they got

Then 1997 happened. "The Impression That I Get," from Let's Face It, crossed over everywhere — modern rock radio, MTV, school dances. Its hook about never having had to knock on wood is one of the great singalongs of the decade. Two years earlier, the band had already shown up on screen in Clueless, playing a party in the Valley in full plaid.

Plenty of bands from the late-'90s ska wave disappeared when the trend faded. The Bosstones didn't, because they'd never really been part of a trend. They'd been doing this since the Reagan administration.

The Hometown Throwdown

If you want to understand what the band meant locally, it's the Hometown Throwdown: a multi-night December run in Boston that became a holiday tradition. Fans flew in from across the country. Openers rotated. Setlists changed every night. It was less a concert series than a family reunion with horns.

After a hiatus that began in 2003, the band came back in 2007, revived the Throwdowns, and kept releasing records — including While We're at It (2018) and When God Was Great (2021), which sounded like a band that still had plenty to say.

The breakup

In January 2022, the band announced it was no longer working together, following public controversy over Barrett. The members thanked fans and went their separate ways. For many Boston music fans it felt like losing a landmark — the kind of band you assumed would just always be there in December.

So… are they coming back?

Here's what we actually know. In December 2025, Barrett posted on Instagram that he hears the fans asking and is "honestly, actively trying to get The Mighty Mighty BossToneS back together," adding: "Please be patient." That's the clearest signal anyone in the band has given since the split.

Meanwhile, members have stayed busy. In August 2026, WBUR reported on Joe Gittleman's new project, which also involves founding Bosstones guitarist Nate Albert — proof the old connections are very much alive.

What we don't have yet: an announced reunion, new music or tour dates. As of this writing, there are no upcoming Bosstones shows listed. We're not going to pretend otherwise. But the band's social accounts have been stirring, and Barrett has said out loud what fans have wanted to hear for four years.

What we're hoping for

A Throwdown. In December. In Boston. Plaid optional but encouraged. If it happens, it'll be on Riff Boston the moment tickets are real — follow the band's page so you don't miss it.

Until then, put on Let's Face It, turn "The Impression That I Get" all the way up, and knock on wood. Just in case.