Remember back in 1997 when Orange County’s Reel Big Fish made it into heavy radio rotation by singing about the joys of selling out? Of course you don’t — that was more than a decade ago, you were busy shitting your crib. But we remember those days. We hated RBF for their incredibly catchy music and skanktastic live shows. But a funny thing happened as the ’90s drew to a close. The fickle tastes of modern-rock fans shifted and ska became unfashionable — but Reel Big Fish kept the party going. And now we love them for it.
This article appears in Jul 12-18, 2012.