With their knack for pop hooks, The English Beat were among the most commercially successful of Britain’s second wave ska acts, scoring hits like “Mirror in the Bathroom” and “Save It for Later.” Since the band’s 1983 breakup, the group has reunited countless times in various incomplete configurations. Currently there are two versions of The Beat. The one playing tonight is the Dave Wakeling-fronted American version. The tour pairs Wakeling’s band with another long-running ska institution: Fishbone, whose grab bag of hard funk, metal riffs and half-rapped lyrics made them a popular college draw in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
The English Beat w/ Fishbone
Tonight @ Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m.