Resurrecting from the deep sands of Huntington Beach, California, Reel Big Fish are back and bigger than ever. Original members Scott Klopfenstein (trumpet/vocals) and Dan Regan (trombone) reclaim their ranks in the Fish Army along with Aaron Barrett (guitar/vocals), Derek Gibbs (bass), Matt Appleton (saxophone), John Christianson (trumpet), and Ed Smokey Beach (drums) to blast some ska-punk fury that only Reel Big Fish can serve up. Wait… you don’t know Reel Big Fish? Were you living under a barnacle-encrusted rock on the bottom of the Pacific for the past 35 years? If you know SKA, you KNOW Reel Big Fish.

One of the foundational ska bands from the ‘90s era, Reel Big Fish skanked onto the scene with their unique brand of hyperactive, maniacal energy. RBF claimed their two-toned crown from the 3rd Wave Ska craze that christened such musical royalty as No Doubt and Sublime. What set Reel Big Fish apart from the rest of the ska bands, besides the wacky juvenile banter between Aaron and Scott, was their tendency to make fun of their pain. Lyrics tinged with heartbreak, telling you that everything sucks, while violently blending it all with the bounce and subsonic upbeat ska rhythms proved to be the dichotic chord that resonated with an entire generation of ‘90s kids.

Reel Big Fish built a community for the outcasts, for the weird and the unpopular, where anyone has the freedom to be themselves. Fellow ska bands like Goldfinger, The Aquabats, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Save Ferris took over the airwaves on modern rock radio and MTV. In a literal ska parade of Hawaiian shirts and checkered Vans, Reel Big Fish epitomized the peak of 3rd Wave Ska with their pivotal sophomore album Turn the Radio Off in 1996. The main single “Sell Out” taunted the music industry all the while expressing the manic joy of quitting your fast-food job to make it big with your friends. Other hits like “Beer,” “She Has a Girlfriend Now,” and “Trendy” became anthems of late ‘90s angsty-youth ready to trade in the drab uniform of alt rock for the fun zany madness of ska. From that point forth, a tidal wave of popularity swept Reel Big Fish onto a tour bus and they never looked back.

This momentum propelled Reel Big Fish into a constant rotation of venues, concerts, and festivals across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and beyond. The band was a reliable staple on the Vans Warped Tour, playing the smaller stage at first and then quickly moving up to main headliners. In between tours, Reel Big Fish released a slew of music totaling nine albums; Everything Sucks (1995), Turn the Radio Off (1996), Why Do They Rock So Hard? (1998), Cheer Up! (2002), We’re Not Happy ‘till You’re Not Happy (2005), Monkeys for Nothin’ and the Chimps for Free (2007), Fame, Fortune, and Fornication (2009), Candy Coated Fury (2012), and Life Sucks… Let’s Dance! (2018). South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s 1998 film BASEketball featured Reel Big Fish both on screen and on the soundtrack with “Beer” and the wildly insane cover of A-ha’s “Take on Me.” Year after year, Reel Big Fish graced the stage with bands like 311, Newfound Glory, Sum 41, Blink-182, Less Than Jake, Streetlight Manifesto, The Used, Goldfinger, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Bowling for Soup, KISS and Blondie. Reel Big Fish earmarked their chapter in ska history as senior statesmen in the 2019 documentary Pick It Up! Ska in the ‘90s and by playing the gigantic ska-punk music event Back to the Beach Festival in Huntington Beach, CA.

As the circus marched on, the band gained and lost major record label support. Band personnel kept changing. The foundational crew abandoned ship one by one and were replaced by several rounds of tour-hardened vets. Scott Klopfenstein (trumpet/vocals) called it quits in 2010. Dan Regan (trombone) followed suit in 2013. The band continued to tour and make music, fronted by founding member Aaron Barrett (vocals/guitar) when everything changed.

With uncanny speed, like a sudden and violent cyclone attacking an unsuspecting clipper ship, 2020 brought with it the Pandemic that shuttered venues and kept folks inside. Reel Big Fish was forced to cancel their tours. Like any sea-worthy vessel tossed by the waves of misfortune, Reel Big Fish lost their anchor and were adrift. Aaron Barrett, the fearless captain, found himself on a deserted island in his SoCal home. And for the first time, after decades of non-stop skanking, Aaron found rest. He had time to contemplate the journey that preceded him. And with that, Reel Big Fish was dry docked until further notice.

The modern timeline began without Reel Big Fish. They were a beloved memory of the past. Of better times. As the world started to suck more and more, everyone started to look fondly to the past. Reminisce of better times. Bands from our youth reunited and played shows. Festivals took off like the When We Were Young concert series. Nostalgia kept calling. And so did Scott Klopfenstein. He kept calling Aaron. Asking him to hang out. Asking him to pick up the guitar. Pretty soon, the two found their magic again. It was that distinct magic between them that always kept the voyage on course. Their killer harmonies, their frantic onstage back-and-forth, their raw chemistry defined the Reel Big Fish experience. The stormclouds parted. It was time to ride on the coattails of their youth and reclaim the ska legacy that was their birthright. And they couldn’t do it without Dan Regan and the rest of the boys of Reel Big Fish.

With the 30th anniversary of Turn the Radio Off and the 35th anniversary of the band, Reel Big Fish will once again take the stage on the Vans Warped Tour with more shows to follow, more music, and more opportunities to poke fun at this dumpster fire we call modern life. Why not do it all with a smile, don’t you know that everything sucks?