What is the sound of a West Coast party?

Start with a big dose of hard-charging ska with a heavy horn section; add a blitz of punk rock; the sun-smoked groove of reggae; and dashes of hip hop, funk, jazz, and rock, performed by six tricksters who don’t stop till the crowd is rocked.

The Kiltlifters have been the essence of the best West Coast parties since 1999. Based out of the oceanfront city of Nanaimo, B.C. with roots in the Vancouver Island University jazz program, the band has rallied...