Concert Review: Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger Burn Up Hollywood's Avalon
Published January 23, 2006
On the last show of the American leg of the Deep Freeze Tour, featuring co-headliners Reel Big Fish and Goldfinger, I got my ass fully and wholly kicked by what I like to think of as the ska vibe.
After lively and fun sets by opening acts Zebrahead and Goldfinger, the crowd was clearly mega-amped for the Fish. And Reel Big Fish was equally ready to get the ass kickery jacked way up. Lead singer and guitarist Aaron Barrett strutted onto the stage decked out in a red suit jacket, black shirt, white tie, and bright white pants with little black strips running through them. Like Barrett's and the band's over-the-top and exuberantly snarky personality, you have to own an outfit like that to make it work.
And own it and the night the Reel Big Fish did. Between opening ("Trendy") and closing ("Sell Out") the show on signature numbers from Turn the Radio Off, the band's first full-length release, Barrett led his band mates and the crowd with master showmanship, rock solid guitar work, and importantly, high hilarity.
"Thank you for giving us the opportunity to kick your asses tonight," Barrett deadpanned near the end of the show. It was all in the delivery, as sublime and spiked with sun splashed So Cal snark as most Reel Big Fish songs.
More commentary of note between numbers:
"This shit is bananas"
"Holy shit, we just kicked your ass with that song!"
"Holy shit, that was intense!"
"This is Matt Wong on bass, kicking your ass."
"Did that tickle your fancy? I think we just tickled your fancy."
It was the music, of course, that really owned the night and truly did kick the asses of a house full of eager fans. Rolling through an impressive number of songs in 90 minutes - many from Why Do They Rock So Hard - Reel Big Fish put on a clinic of magnetically tight horn-play, skanked up guitar, and harmonized vocals, mostly revolving around the two signature RBF themes: being in a band ("Don't Start A Band," "Sell Out," "Trendy," "Alternative Girl," "Why Do We Rock So Hard?" etc.) and having troubles of the romantic sort ("She Has A Girlfriend Now," "I Want Your Girlfriend To Be My Girlfriend Too," "She's Famous Now," etc.).
Hell, if you can own those themes and kick ass with them for more than 10 years, why change up?
Eric Berlin is the Executive Producer of Blogcritics.org and publisher of Online Media Cultist. He's also prone to referring to himself in the third person in author bios in an attempt to make it look like someone Less Important wrote it for him.
Contact: dumpsterbust@gmail.com
- Concert Review: Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger Burn Up Hollywood's Avalon
- Published: January 23, 2006
- Type: Review
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Alternative Rock, Music: Punk Rock
- Writer: Eric Berlin
- Eric Berlin's BC Writer page
- Eric Berlin's personal site
- Spread the Word
- Like this article?
- Email this
Save to del.icio.us
Comments on this articleComments
Well, I think you need to define terms SFC: what is neo-ska, what bands fall into that category, etc.
Certainly Fishbone is a superior and insanely talented band. They actually fall into a personal category of mine -- "too talented" -- which leads them to produce some music/albums that can't appeal to mortals or is merely light years ahead of its time.
EB, this takes me back to my brief time in Colorado. I worked with a guy in a record store who was full-ska all the way. The "Bumblebee Tuna" song has ruined my life and I have abandoned any hope of recovery. Daily doses of Skankin' Pickle. Sweet balls of fuck.
Sounds like your ass is still recovering from said kicking. Well done, sir.
Sounds like a great show. Color me jealous. I saw many great shows when growing up in that area.
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/42637)
Sounds like a good show, except for the Snickers bar.
I am somewhat disenchanted wit hte whole Neo-Ska movement; example, I saw Fishbone open for Slightly Stoopid last year, and Fishbone was so much better it was tragic to see the masters opening for some lesser, but more popular, talents.