Courtesy Photo
THE FUN-LOVIN’ jokesters of Reel Big Fish plan to make a real big splash at Omaha’s Ranch Bowl tonight to show
off their new sound.
Reeling in new talent
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By Patrick Miner
Staffwriter
Despite playing Omaha four times
in 1997 and not returning since, Reel
Big Fish expects the town to roll out the
red carpet tonight.
Of course, the Ranch Bowl will
gladly oblige.
However, this isn’t the same Reel
Big Fish that fans will remember from
the last Omaha appearance. Joining the
eight-piece rock-edged ska band will be
a brand new drummer, Carlos De La
Garza, who is Filling in for the departed
Andrew Gonzalez.
According to trumpeter Tavis Werts,
Gonzalez was tired of rigorous touring
eager for a new experience. His final
show with the band was last Monday.
The new drummer De La Garza is a
longtime friend of Reel Big Fish and a
former member of Action League and
Suburban Rhythm.
“He was the drummer Andrew
Zebrahead
“Waste of Mind”
Columbia Records
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just better.”
De Le Garza has already learned 18
Reel Big Fish songs in his short time as
a member of the band. However,
because tonight is only his seventh
show, the act is forced to use a set list,
something Reel Big Fish hasn’t needed
in its six-year existence.
The band has also released a new
album since its last Omaha appearance.
Last year’s “Why Do They Rock So
Hard?” sports a tougher edge than the
band’s first release “Turn the Radio
Off,” but it’s less melodic and wasn’t as
well accepted by critics.
Still, Werts said the band plans to
play a majority of tonight’s set from
“Why Do They Rock So Hard?,”
including the first single “The Set Up
(You Need This),” and current release
“Somebody Hates Me.”
Also performing tonight is Orange
County’s Zebrahead, which is giving its
second crack at playing in Omaha after
canceling a scheduled opening slot with
Recently, bands like Orange
County’s Dial-7 and Zebrahead have
been springing up to give kids the hard
rap-rock they want, but with lyrics that
even choosy moms would love.
Like Dial-7, Zebrahead plays hard
funky songs with the recipe of Rage
Against the Machine meets the
Muppets, as the songs are hard-rocking
with lyrics that are light-hearted.
Zebrahead’s major label debut,
“Waste of Mind,” brings a hard-edged
live sound to the songs. This is the
band’s second record, and five of the 14
songs here were previously released on
the band’s indie self-titled album.
Despite the easily digestible Green
Day-esque choruses by singer-guitarist
Justin Mauriello, the songs on “Waste
of Mind” do show some teeth. There are
some nice rhymes by the fierce rapping
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z. oiumicc j s iom summer, w mic n is as
energetic as Reel Big Fish, Zebrahead
has a funky rap-rock sound that’s quite a
bit different from the headlining act.
Scheduling a band that sounds radi
cally different was an intentional deci
sion made by Reel Big Fish, which
seems to be focused on expanding
music genres.
“We’re trying to stay away from
touring with ska bands,” Werts said.
“We just want to give some variety.”
The future for Reel Big Fish
includes touring through the summer.
Although the band is not planning on a
Vans Warped Tour appearance, Werts
said band members hope to support
another act on a full-scale stadium tour
this summer.
In September, Reel Big Fish plans
to head into the studio to record its third
Mojo Records release. Until then, fans
can look for the Reel Big Fish versions
of the Pixies’ “Gigantic” and Frank
Sinatra’s “New Yoik, New York” on trib
ute albums.
Ali Tabatabaee, especially on “Walk
Away” and its first single, “Get Back.”
The best song here is “Big Shot,”
where the band’s rap-rock formula hits a
very funky peak. Also, the reggae
groove “Jag Off” combines a simple
melody from Mauriello and hard rap
ping by Tabatabaee into a solid mix.
Although Zebrahead experiments
with reggae on “Jag Off” and “Move
On,” most of the songs on “Waste of
Mind” follow the similar formula of
hard rhyming with pop choruses. While
initially satisfying, it really wears thin.
-Patrick Miner
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