This year marks 20 years since the release of Reel Big Fish’s landmark record “Turn The Radio Off.” The songs and the band were somewhat ubiquitous in 1996 and 1997. Songs like “Sell Out,” “Beer,” and “She Has a Girlfriend Now” were on the radio and on TV and remain staples of the band’s live set to this day. Growing up in Connecticut, I heard them on WMRQ 104.1, the state’s alternative station at least once a day in my middle school and high school years. For many folks like myself, the album was really an introduction to the ska world. A testament to the album’s staying power, the band recently reissued the album on vinyl, selling out (pun way-intended) almost instantly.
To celebrate the milestone, the band kicked off a nationwide tour on which they’ll be performing the album start to finish along with “RBF classics and fan favorites.” The tour does not stop in Boston (They were in town this past February at The Royale and on Warped Tour over the summer) but it will get as close as Providence on Saturday, November 12. That’s where you’ll find me. Tickets are $22 in advance and $25 at the door. That date in particular will have opening support from kitschy pop/punk band Masked Intruder and ska/punk band Stacked Like Pancakes.
If you were watching the calendar, then you already knew about this show.