Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime

Badfish is a favorite of mine. I have seen Badfish three times now, and they have never let me down. Badfish must share the same love for Las Vegas, since they are always booked at the House of Blues Super Bowl weekend. If you have never seen Badfish, be sure to check them out next February!

Due to the massive influx of tourists, the Mandalay Bay parking garage was full, so I missed any opening bands. Typically Badfish will open as their own band, Scotty Don't, and often with other similar styles of cover bands, like Sound System, (tribute to Rancid/Op Ivy) who joined them in 2009. The feel of 90's ska/punk/west-coast styling is apparent through Scotty Don't and the mood of the evening is sure to be a skankably great time!

Badfish filled the House of Blues. I do not know if the show was sold out, but it certainly appeared that way. The floor was so crowded, I decided to stay near the bar and enjoy a view of the stage. Badfish came on shortly after 8 and began with Garden Grove. The bassline rattled through the venue and everyone started grooving. Badfish murdered every note, the pit was constantly spinning, the crowd was constantly singing and dancing. "And if God's good word goes unspoken, the music goes all night"

Badfish treated the audience to a full two hours filled with a wonderful selection of tracks. They flowed between reggae, punk, and acoustic songs with ease. The energy was non-stop. The track list (as best as my memory serves me) included: Ebin, Don't Push, Saw Red, Wrong Way, Badfish, Doin' Time, New Thrash, Seed, Waiting for My Ruca, Scarlet Begonias, Chica Me Tipo, 5446 That's My Number, Smoke 2 Joints, 40 oz. to Freedom, Paddle-Out, April 26, 1992, Rivers of Babylon, What I Got, Date Rape, and closing with Santeria.

When they returned for an encore, the baseline hit, and they jammed through a 6+ minute freestyle version of Pawn Shop. Badfish wrapped up the evening with the all-time punk classic, Bro hymn by Pennywise. They seem to have an unnatural ability to channel the energy and talent of Sublime; that is what makes them truly amazing. Instead of just playing the hits, or trying too hard to sound like Sublime, they play as if they are Sublime. Their setlist is bursting with extra long grove sessions, B-side fan favorites, vocal styling, and they constantly feed off the audience's energy. Badfish feels real, and they truly bring Sublime and that Long Beach rhythm back to life. It's as good as it gets for any Sublime fan. Badfish does not disappoint! Be sure to check them out http://www.badfish.com/