Huntington Beach, CA · ska-punk

Reel Big Fish

1 upcoming festival

Third-wave ska's most reliable good time — horns, self-deprecation, and a set list that knows exactly what it is, 'Sell Out' forever.

Reel Big Fish formed in Huntington Beach, California in 1992 and became one of the defining bands of third-wave ska, the horn-driven, punk-inflected strain that broke into the American mainstream in the mid-1990s. Fronted throughout by Aaron Barrett, the band pairs upstroke guitar and a full horn section with lyrics that are self-mocking as often as they are romantic or aggrieved.

Their best-known song, "Sell Out," satirised major-label ambition and became a radio and MTV staple; they also recorded a widely heard cover of a-ha's "Take On Me." Line-ups have turned over considerably, but the group has toured near-continuously for three decades, and its live show leans on fast tempos, between-song banter and audience familiarity with the catalogue.

ska-punk