Every 90’s kid in the world remembers when grunge got silenced by a brass section when it burst onto the scene two decades ago. Overnight we went from angsty guitar sludge into sharp crisp pops of music exultation. And in the shadow of “Straight Outta Compton” which harkens back to a classic era of hip-hop, Reel Big Fish is coming to town and calling back to a classic ska/punk era that offered a light in darkness, and let a mopey generation-x dance.
Reel Big Fish was one of the few bands of the era that was known for their high energy, brass-addled concerts. The band found themselves constantly on the road and eventually created a mythology around themselves from their legendary high energy live shows that left audiences physically drained, faithfully devoted to the church of ska.
The band initially launched, and clearly learned how to rock as a young Led Zeppelin cover band, that eventually honed their collective talents and refocused them to original songs and a rock-a-billy infused version of swing with just a tinge of punk-rock attitude. Their peers were fellow west coast artists like Sublime, No Doubt, Less Than Jake, and Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
Their debut album, ironically titled “Everything Sucks” made a definitive statement about the band’s swagger, and led to their follow-up “Turn the Radio Off” which featured their trademark hit single “Sell Out.” A song that rose especially high popularity when it was featured in Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s “Baseketball.” In the past twenty years the band has continued to tour and release albums (9 studio records in total), each one expanding the gospel of ska.
Reel Big Fish will be performing at Mercury Ballroom August 27th at 8:00 PM. Tickets are still available for $20.
Photo courtesy of Reel Big Fish
