Everyone's Doing The Fish...Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

So last Friday, 1/23, was the return of Reel Big Fish at Toad's Place here in good 'ol New Haven. Now most who know me, know i was deeply involved in the Ska Revolution of the late 90's and even played in a band in the ill-fated 4th wave revival of the early O's, which was really just a revival of 3rd wave ska so really it was more like 3rd wave take two, or even 3.5rd wave. Either way aside from a collection of bands you can literally count on 3 fingers I really haven't been keeping up with bands that have managed to stay above water for the last decade. When I left the scene it seemed if you didn't incorporate hardcore punk into your music consistantly you would never find your voice in the scene. I watched in 2005 as band after band flopped and or did not reach the bar set by other bands.
Personally I am very proud being from CT when it comes to Ska. We had some of the best bands in our tri state area: Edna's Goldfish, Step Lively, J.C. Superska, Professor Plum, Kicked in the Head and of course Spring Heeled Jack. The West Coast may have had the pop hits, but the East Coast had the spirit and raw power of Ska. Unfortunetly the cancer called hardcore infected so many bands, including mine. Hardcore is a fine edge sword, two little and you sound scared to rock out on the occasional break down two much and you sound God fucking awful like a particular band I was lucky enough to quit before the power of the Dark Side fully engulfed.
So starting in college RBF always made an early spring or mid winter appearence at Toad's and my friend Steph and I always went. As the years went on we noticed that RBF's albums were getting progressively less acceptable and the audience was getting younger which any concert goer feels when they go to see the band they grew up with and see fans who were born after the band's first album was released (in 1996).
This year after some time apart Steph and I along with a motley crew of vetern scensters went to check the show out. One of the opening bands was Streetlight Manifesto, one of the 3 bands I listen to. This band has been able to keep a modern take of the 3rd wave sound and make it sound fresh. When you listen to this band you know you're listening to a band of today but but hear where these guys came from. The lead singer whose name escapes me, was the original voice of Catch-22 (another band that should be put down) and his writing style of loading that hand gun for the last show down you know you're going to lose is still strong as ever. He's backed by a 4 piece horn section that sounds like a force to be reckon with. As a trumpet player I awe at their tight and intricate horn lines in the songs. Sometimes it seems like the horns are the focus of the band. I strongly suggest getting their newest album: Somewhere In The Between. One of my top albums of 2007.
The Fish took the stage and I wasn't sure what to expect. It was either going to be a 2 hour set of new junk or a night filled with old material. What I got was a perfect mix of old classics, not too shabby new tunes and plenty of cheap PBR. I heard almost every tune I wanted to hear, from the emo lovers in all of us, "Dateless Losers" to the "Fuck You" spirit of "Sell Out". When the cried shouted for Beer, the song, the band proudly responded with "Shut the Fuck up we're getting to it" and then proceeding to play a different song before playing Beer in that RBF charming style we all love.
The show stopper of the night, and I can barely figure how I'm going to write this was the biggest surprise. In the middle of the show RBF broke out with the tune Veronica Sawyer, a tune from Edna's Goldfish second album. I immediately started freaking out and punching my brother next to me in the arm. Now I don't know if RBF incorporated this song into their book and new idiot fans think its their song or if it was a homage to the east coast or just to old school ska but it was an incredible moment. The crowd was shouting the words back to the band including yours truly. Quite a moment for a genre barely hanging on to its classic roots.
For every new tune they played it seemed like they backed it was a RBF classic and once a band gets to a certain it has to understand that the crowd wants to hear those songs you're sick of playing. They need to remember that is why we loved you guys in the first place, embrace your sound and for RBF be proud you lasted as long as you have not too many bands can say that, you might be the only one who can.
This show was already one of my 2009 highlights and I am sure I will be reposted this post come year end time. This band has never lost its fuck you mentality that so many kids related to ten years ago and today. And as they say " You know its really great, to punch somebody right in the face."
Thank you Reel Big Fish, you have redeemed yourselves to me. I hope that we continue to make beautiful music together

and thank you for not moshing.....