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Reel Big Fish/Goldfinger..."Crouching Fish, Hidden Finger Tour"...Avalon, Boston MA July 14, 2001Jul 22 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line A high energy show that had the entire crowd skanking.
=)
When the news came to me that catchy ska-sters Reel Big Fish were coming back to Boston in July, just 8 months after I first saw them, I remember getting all excited and giddy. The show in November of 2000 (see review) was one of the best shows I had ever seen. This show, as part of a co-headlining tour with Goldfinger, dubbed Crouching Fish, Hidden Finger, intrigued me. Home Grown opened the show, although sadly, I missed nearly all their set. They closed with a smile inducing cover of Aqua's Barbie Girl, and I cursed myself for missing them. Zebrahead was up next. Never has a band seemed so awful in a live setting. Their energy was there but their songs were of a generic type that just seemed to ramble and roll to nowhere in particular. Their lead guitarist (no idea on a name) showed off some nice skills, but rather than feature him, they continually featured the rapping "skills" (if you can call what he did "skillful") of one half of their dual lead singers. (One sings, the other raps.) The highlights of their set came when they started taking audience requests and played other band's songs, most notably Weezer's Buddy Holly. They also ripped through a snippet of Wannabe from The Spice Girls, but all in all, their set was immature, brash, and dreadful. Yes, booby contest between male and female and all. Up next was Goldfinger. To be honest, I liked Here In Your Bedroom when I first heard it, but became sick of it once it was given ad nauseum radio play. I also liked the song they had on the Meet the Deedles movie soundtrack, but other than that, I've always thought of them as a terrible punk band. Their live show, while full of energy, did nothing but reinforce that thought. I found it kind of scary that so many people seemed to be so into what they were doing. OK, so the Destiny's Child skit was pretty funny, but even then, I'd much rather have RBF on stage for an extra 15 minutes. Finally, after a nearly half hour wait, Reel Big Fish came on stage, wasting no time ripping into She's Famous Now from the now three year old Why Do They Rock So Hard? album. Admittedly, Reel Big Fish has a large immature aspect to them as well. But there's a certain charm to it, a certain dorkiness that makes it not only acceptable, but applaudable as well. The charm and dorkiness go hand in hand with exactly who they are as people and as a band. They mixed songs from their two major label albums with covers and a pair of new songs from their "new album that's never coming out, so stop asking." Both of the new tracks sounded excellent, expanding on the signature Reel Big Fish sound, but not straying too far from what fans have come to expect. Catchy horn hooks, lyrics that are silly, and a big sounding guitar riff. By request, they did their cover of Operation Ivy's UNITY, a song I've always loved. I felt the Reel Big Fish version lacked a bit, but it's still a nice tribute to one of the most influential bands that has ever come along in the punk rock scene. (I have $5 that says Op Ivy is 10X the influence the Sex Pistols were, but I digress) Perhaps the highlight of their set was what I'll call the S.R. (short for Suburban Rhythm) melody. After playing the usual version of the song (which clocks in at about 2 minutes tops), they went on to play blues, disco, and death metal versions as well. It showed off the band's talent well, as each version was absolutely perfect. Not surprisingly, the band closed with Sell Out, their biggest hit. The only disappointment I had was the rather short 75 minute length of their set. Based on the show I saw in October, I was expecting at least 90 minutes. Not that it mattered. I had an excellent time once RBF hit the stage. If you're a RBF fan, but don't like the other bands, arrive late. If you like all of these bands, this show will be heaven for you. Reel Big Fish Setlist for July 14,2001, Boston MA (mostly out of order) She's Famous Now Somebody Hates Me All I Want Is More Unity You Don't Know I Want Your Girlfriend To Be My Girlfriend Too Skatanic Song #1 from new album I'll Never Be S.R. Medley The Set Up (You Need This) Take On Me She Has a Girlfriend Now Brand New Song Song #2 from new album Beer Sell Out  |
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