It is shaping up to be the Summer of Streetlight. Back in April, Streetlight Manifesto announced their first album in over a decade would be released this month. At the end of May, Lonely Ghost Records released a Streetlight Manifesto tribute album for charity featuring 16 songs by 16 different bands. My only disappointment about that album was that my favorite Streetlight song was missing. Fortunately for me, Joker’s Republic swooped in to release their own cover of the song.
Joker’s Republic has been playing “We Will Fall Together” at live shows for years now, and it is always amazing. Their ability to transform this eight-instrument masterpiece into 3 pieces without stripping down the sound will always blow me away. As soon as the minute-long instrumental intro to this song starts, you become awe-struck by the guitars. Capturing all four competing horn lines and transferring them seamlessly to the guitar is an art that leaves me amazed every single time. But don’t let your sense of amazement stop with the guitar. The bass in this version of the song is killer, and it really gets the chance to shine several times- especially in the mid-song instrumental breakdown. The drums in the original secretly do a lot of the heavy lifting but can be masked by the richness of 8 instruments, each adding their own tones. In this version, the drums shine through a lot easier, and you can’t help but appreciate the outstanding musicianship of the whole band.
Generally, when it comes to cover songs, I really love it when a band completely changes a song to make it their own. Still, there are other ways to do the task that don’t just feel like a worse or alternative version of the original. Here, Joker’s Republic Really paid homage to Streetlight Manifesto. The version remains very faithful to the original, but the composition is entirely performed on the guitar and bass. It has all the same feel but is also entirely different, and I love it. In an added tribute to Streetlight Manifesto, the music video features a live performance at the authentic Starland Ballroom, which Streetlight Manifesto affectionately calls home and plays “hometown” shows every year.
Joker’s Republic cemented themselves as a serious player in the ska scene with their 2022 album “Necessary Evil.” It’s one of the better ska albums of the last 10 years, proving beyond the shadow of a doubt that you can write killer ska songs without horns or even keyboards. 2025 is shaping up to be a massive year for Joker’s Republic, as they’ve announced a follow-up album to come out at an as-of-yet-to-be-announced date. They just announced they are playing Fest and also SPI Fest, and you can count on more live dates to be announced later this year as well.
This year has a lot to look forward to for fans of Streetlight Manifesto, fans of Joker’s Republic, and fans of great music everywhere. But while you wait for everything to unfold, go check out this fantastic cover and get hyped.
Written by Gimp Leg
