Despite obnoxious fans beating each other senseless, the Jungle Dogs ignited the stage Friday with its unusual mix of reggae and ska at the SIUC Tropical Production of Fun in the Student Center.

The band’s high-energy show displayed its diversity to a small but enthusiastic crowd. The music went from 70s funk songs like Lowrider to reggae tunes such as When The Bomb Falls Down.

Reggae is a form of island music that is characterized by a slow melodic beat. Ska actually proceeded reggae and is much faster. The Jungle Dogs combines these beats with a funky rock-n-roll sound.

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Listening to the music is not the same as watching it live. The band gets into the music. The band members smile and laugh and enjoy the performance. The music has an aspect of fun that is irresistible. The songs are about beer and parties and the good things in life. The band cracks jokes and does all it can to make everyone have a good time.

The music is about an interaction between the crowd and the band, bassist Eddie Chappa said. It is meant to be seen live. The band puts on a show for the crowd and it draws the audience into the musical experience.

Even people who did not go up to the front to dance watched the show with interest. They moved in time with the music and some eventually did go to the front to dance.

When the Jungle Dogs played Cold Beer, it was a rousing rendition that embodying the perfect party song. And for a moment, it was. The song was the last to be played and was an energetic farewell. There was no cold beer to be had, but it wasn’t needed. The music was the drug of choice. The whole place was jumping up to the music.

The band played some very good arrangements of its new material it is in the process of recording. The keyboard on You Can Look, But You Better Not Touch brought a Mexican sound to the show. The Mexican beat is a little faster than reggae, but not as fast as ska. The keyboard worked well to create a Mexican feel to the island beats of reggae, ska and calypso the band normally plays.

Part of the Mexican sound comes from Chappa, who said he brings some of his Latin roots to the band’s music.

The music stayed with the tropical theme. The slow reggae beats and the Latin rhythms brought an island feel to the place. For a brief moment, it was easy to forget the frozen world outside. The interaction between musician and listener melted away the frigid surroundings and resulted in a momentary glimpse of the tropics.

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Despite the efforts of the Jungle Dogs, the evening was tainted by over-enthusiastic concert goers.

One fan tackled a young lady, knocking her to the ground and sending her sliding three feet. She wasn’t hurt seriously, but she did leave, no longer able to enjoy the music.

Another fan rammed into a much smaller guy who had his back turned. The offender then got high-fives from his buddies as if what he did was really cool.

The evening also was blemished by fans climbing up on the stage and dancing. The fans knocked microphone stands around, making it very difficult for the band to play.

The crowd started to dwindle about halfway through the show. A big reason for that was the crowd’s behavior.

The band didn’t miss a beat. They still managed to put on a great show even with fans moving around on stage. The way the crowd acted, the Jungle Dogs should have thrown out diapers instead of hats.