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Courtesy of Joelle Andres Voodoo Glow Skulls features, from left, singer Frank Casillas, saxophonist Eric Fazinni, drummer Jerry O'Neill, trombonist Ruben Durazo, guitarist Eddie Casillas and bassist Jorge Casillas.

Those leading purveyors of ska's third wave, the Voodoo Glow Skulls, will rock Rookees in Ventura tonight with their raucous reggae, ska and punk. Don't expect a bunch of introspective, soulful ballads.

The spiritual successors to Ritchie Valens, with some Los Lobos, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Oingo Boingo thrown in, the Skulls have had a steady night job for 20 years and toured around the world, leaving a panting mosh pit behind. The happening horn section might have something to do with all that.

Frank Casillas, in there from the beginning along with his brothers, Eddie and Jorge, discussed the latest and loudest during a recent phoner.

So, Frank, 20 years of this — think you might stick with it?

So far, so good. We've turned this into a career and it's really all we know, so as long as we can, we will.

What's your take on the band's "California Street Music" album?

That's the most recent one — it came out last September on Victory Records and was our last record by commitment, so now we're free agents, just touring behind our catalog. We have about eight albums.

I know you guys started out in Riverside. Did you go to the speedway out there?

Not in Riverside, but when we lived in Orange County, the racing at Costa Mesa would be our Friday nights, back in the late '70s.

The reason I ask is that your band reminds me of a musical version of a speedway.

You mean fast?

Yeah, and power to spare. Anyway, what do you think is the attraction of ska music after all these years?

It's because of the help of some key L.A. bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who got us into playing their funkier, punk-rock stuff, and bands like Oingo Boingo and Fishbone. Those bands have always been a part of Southern California culture and music. They were diverse early on, mixing all these different elements of music together and creating their own version of punk rock. That's what appealed to us most — bands that were crossing boundaries musically.

Oingo Boingo was one of the best live bands I ever saw, man.

Those guys were the forefathers of what we're doing today.

What's your take on your band?

Musically, I think we're just a bastardized version of all those bands I mentioned. We bring a little more Latino culture and lifestyle into our music, and I would definitely say that we're a product of our environment: a mixture of Anglo and Latino kids growing up together in Southern California. Mexican food, lowriders, graffiti — all that stuff is a big part of what influences us.

Do a lot of Mexican kids come out to see your band?

Oh, yeah. In L.A. it's predominately brown. There's still a big underground Latino punk-rock scene and a lot of these little ska punks from the hood. In East L.A., backyard parties and the hall shows are still a big part of the scene.

From Ritchie Valens to Thee Midnighters, the Premieres and Los Lobos — are you somehow a part of all that?

I'd like to say we have our little place in history in there by being a crossover Latino band that has managed to go a lot of places mainstream bands haven't gone, and we've done it consistently for the last 15 years.

What's happening in Mexico?

There's commercialism there, but heavy metal, rock and punk music have a cult following. Even though a lot of people are mired in poverty, they accessorize and live the lifestyle. It's definitely a different vibe. We just played at the biggest festival in Mexico, the Festival Extremo. We were one of the few American bands and were really well-received. They know we're not a 100 percent Mexican band, but they appreciate it when we try to stick to the roots and incorporate our heritage into our music.

How has punk rock changed over the years?

A lot of bands have come and gone or been "sold out" through the corporate ringer. For us to still be around after all these years, do things independently, and cross over into the mainstream now and then while keeping our integrity — that's very important to us. When we first started, punk rock wasn't subcategorized like it is now — emo, hard-core, ska, post-hard-core.

What do you know now that you wish you knew then?

I wish I knew about the trials and tribulations of the road. At the peak of our success, we made some stupid decisions financially. If we had the chance to do it again, we'd probably be a little bit wiser — not renting expensive tour buses and stupid (stuff) like that.

What have you learned on the road?

We've learned to be nice to people wherever we go, especially the promoters and people who run the clubs and book the shows. Also, be courteous to your fans, no matter what level you're on. Try to interact and let them know that if it wasn't for them, you wouldn't be out there.

— E-mail music writer Bill Locey at blocey@pacbell.net.