Monday, August 16, 1999
Reel Big Fish should skip jokes
BY CHRIS VARIAS
The Cincinnati Enquirer
“Rock Band.”
Those words were spray-painted upon an equipment case, displayed prominently on stage at the Reel Big Fish show Friday night at Bogart's.
Reel Big Fish is a ska band. Ska doesn't rock. It hops.
But this Southern California band are also pop-music realists. This current wave of ska's popularity won't last, and soon it won't be fiscally rewarding to be known as a ska band.
Maybe that's why so many rock and pop elements were incorporated into the band's hour-and-25-minute show. Unfortunately, most of these came in the form of songs so corny and jokes so cutesy that they'd make a Barenaked Lady blush.
The show began promising enough, as the six-man band tore through “Somebody Hates Me,” “I'll Never Be...” and “Suburban Rhythm” with two-minute-a-song punk spirit. They even had the look of a rock band. Horn players in ska bands tend to gather in a cluster, off to one side of the stage. Reel Big Fish's guys were spread across the band's front line, flanking both sides of singer and guitarist Aaron Barrett.
Song four, “I Want Your Girlfriend to Be My Girlfriend Too,” set the tone for the rest of the show, which a bunch of songs and gags that were supposed to be clever and funny.
If they had only played their songs, the show would have been way better. Instead, every song was preceded by joke-telling time or audience-participation time. These were only momentum killers. Twice they lasted more than five minutes.
The introduction to “The Kids Don't Like It” came with instructions. The crowd was divided in two. Half was directed to shout one thing during the chorus. The other half was told to respond. If it sounds dull, it was. The kids liked it. Maybe it reminded them of a pep rally.
“Thank You For Not Moshing” was sort of funny, only because it was an anti mosh-pit song played to a crowd that had turned Bogart's entire main floor into one.
Their choice of “funny” covers was as obvious as their own humor. Duran Duran's “Hungry Like the Wolf” was sent up lounge-style, while “Take on Me” was done true to A-Ha's version.
Dieters still want fen-phen
Web sites trickling down to elections at local level
Tristaters join throngs awaiting Dalai Lama
Bound for Antarctica, teacher's bundling up
Buying a backpack
Cates drops library funding effort
Ohio goal: Avert school violence
Water project adds new areas
Regis in prime time with 'Millionaire' show
British are coming - again
'Freedom of flying' keeps pilot in the air
Principal's ideas on radio
School jobs assigned in Fairfield
Trustee's position all but won
Woodlawn expands its Family Day Festival
Couple needs shelter for dogs
New contract on Cincinnati State agenda
Research important in buying antiques
Residents object to landfill project
GET TO IT
Hometown heros 98° thrill screaming fans
Reel Big Fish should skip jokes
TRISTATE DIGEST
