20th Anniversary Edition of Law and Order

From DJPOPPOPCrazy 8’s: One of the PNW’s Great “How Did They Not Get Bigger?” Bands Formed in Corvallis in 1982 and later based in Portland, Crazy 8’s blended ska, reggae, funk, rock, jazz, and Latin rhythms into one seriously energetic live show. They became one of the Northwest’s most popular club bands of the ’80s, opened for acts including The Clash and The English Beat, and sold tens of thousands of records independently without ever landing the major-label breakthrough many thought was coming. One of their greatest promotional stunts came on 8/8/88, when Crazy 8’s played eight shows in one day to promote their live album, Big Live Nut Pack. They may have arrived too early for the ’90s ska boom, but in Oregon, they were already legends. And here’s my own fun little connection: Crazy 8’s bass player Mike Regan later became the middle-school band teacher for my two youngest sons. Essential songs: “Johnny Q.,” “Touchy Situation,” “Law and Order,” “Nervous in Suburbia,” and “Doggapotamus World.” Another PNW band that deserved a much bigger national audience.