Before they released their latest album, Life Sucks…Let’s Dance, Reel Big Fish embarked on their Tickle My Tiki TOURch tour. The tour went from the west coast to the east coast with Ballyhoo! and We Are The Union as support. A late release in the music industry, but the tour served as a promotion tour to bring awareness of Reel Big Fish’s latest release. We Are The Union, who after a successful Kickstarter, was also celebrating the release of their latest album Self Care which came out on October 1st.The album has everything We Are The Union are known for, incredible ska melodies, great guitar work, and as always insightful lyrics. If you are a fan, you know that We Are The Union is one of the most underrated bands out there. Not just for their music, but also for their live shows. Trombonist Jeremy Hunter is a great addition to the band and for their live show he’s constantly in the air throughout their set. With the release of Self Care, hopefully We Are The Union gains the exposure they deserve and are seen a lot more throughout 2019.
https://www.facebook.com/wearetheunion/
Ballyhoo! was also celebrating with their latest release Detonate which came out on September 28. It isn’t the first time they have toured with Reel Big Fish, which is no wonder since fans of Reel Big Fish tend to enjoy Ballyhoo! just as much. Being compared to Sublime and others like them, Ballyhoo! mixes reggae with punk, but more emphasis on the punk this time around. The other difference with Ballyhoo! is their live show, compared to others, Ballyhoo! gets the crowd in motion and doesn’t stop until the end of the last song. It is a guarantee that the show will be fun with Ballyhoo! on the bill.
https://www.ballyhoorocks.com/
Ending the night was Reel Big Fish, playing an extensive set spanning their career with also covers and new songs. Oddly enough, two songs played were by their twin band Forces Of Evil. The first song was “Dance The Night Away” originally done by Van Halen, but Forces Of Evil covered it and now so does Reel Big Fish. The other Forces Of Evil song covered was “Ska Show” which will now be on Reel Big Fish’s newest album Life Sucks…Let’s Dance! Even though Forces Of Evil is now Reel Big Fish, due to lineup changes, it’s nice to hear their songs be performed live since they barely were under Forces Of Evil. Besides “Ska Show”, their other new song, “You Can’t Have All Of Me”, was also in the set which the crowd already knew the words to. Even though it was two songs, it was nice hearing new songs live by Reel Big Fish. The songs gave new life to their setlist since there has been a 6 year gap between albums. I think after those two songs fans were eager to hear the new sound Reel Big Fish is bringing.
Favorite Sights & Sounds 