Reel Big Fish make extremely fun music.
If you don’t find yourself tapping your toe, bopping your head, or feeling a little bit of joy in your soul anytime an RBF song plays, you might not have a soul.
Reel Big Fish’s live show has an infectious energy that grabs everyone in the venue in the feels — including the band members themselves.
Recently, Pop Break spoke with Johnny Christmas (John Christianson), the trumpet player for the seminal ska band. The love, passion, and excitement this man spoke with about the band was undeniable, and in some ways inspiring. It shows that there musicians like the guys of Reel Big Fish who absolutely love every second of what they do. No matter how often they tour, no matter how often they’re misrepresented as a “one record band,” or no matter how old they get — this is the job they want, and the job they love.
The band will be rolling into the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park, on Sunday June 25 as a part of their “Beer Run” tour with The Queers, and The Expendables. The tour is a celebration of ska, positive vibes, and of course…craft beer.
In this interview Christmas talked about his favorite beers, his love for Reel Big Fish, and the potential for new music.
What was inspiration of the “Beer Run” Tour?
We wanted to bring what we experience as a band out on tour. We’re big beer fans. Some people would say beer snobs, but I would say beer connoisseurs. We’ve been lucky enough to go to breweries all around the world — XXXX in Australia, New Belgium in Fort Collins, Colorado, the Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam, and everywhere in between. Sometimes we go around these little craft beer bars, and we want to bring this experience to people so they have some other to drink than say Bud Light, or Coors, or Corona. We want them to experience great beer, they we experience them.
Some of the stops on the tour have taken place during beer festivals — what happens at non-festival gigs like Sunday’s show at The Stone Pony?
It happens about an hour or two before doors open, and we have one or two craft breweries that come and bring a couple beers. There may be multiple breweries there. So hopefully we’ll bring something good for everyone to enjoy.
The craft beer industry is booming, but craft comes in waves, and I think on the West Coast we’re starting to see the craft whiskey movement.
What’s been your favorite beer you’ve discovered on the tour so far?
We went to a brewery in Baltimore called Jailbreak Brewing. They sponsored our show in Silver Springs, Maryland (at The Fillmore). They brought us to the brewery and let us try everything they had. They had a Belgian strong ale that just knocked my socks off. It’s called Van Dammit. It’s really tasty. I love Belgian beers. That’s why I drink beer, to enjoy Belgian strong ales, and sours.
Has RBF done their own beer?
Yes, four months ago we teamed with Amplified Ale Works in San Diego, CA. They’re located next to Ballast Point. Ballast Point has this gigantic facility which looks like an arena, while Amplified is in a tiny business park that take up two units, which is really awesome. Derek [Gibbs] the bassist, Matt [Appleton] the saxophone player, and Ed [Smokey Beach] the drummer and I went there. We chose the recipe — we made an imperial kolsch. We wanted to make a strong beer. We picked the hops, and helped brew it. So we have a beer called Reel Big Kolsch, which is available at certain areas.
What is a kolsch?
It’s a lighter, clear ale. It’s crisp, but heavily alcohol-ed beer.
This year marks the 20th Anniversary of Turn the Radio Off. I can remember when that album debuted, and “Sell Out” first hit the radio. How crazy and cool is that you have a record that is still beloved to this day, and that you’re still a crazy busy touring band that just isn’t reuniting to play the anniversary of the album?
We get the question “Are you just living off the success of this one record? Is that the only thing you’ve got, or this is your only claim to fame?” It’s a backhanded compliment — any band is lucky to have a record that people identify with. We are so fortunate to have an album that people identify with it. Aaron has written great songs, and continues to write great songs that people love, and that helps them forget about their daily drudgery.
I have to give him the respect and props to what a great songwriter, and what a great performer he is. He is a consummate showman and songwriter, and I love that guy to death. But going back to that, if people only know “Beer,” “Sell Out,” and “She Has a Girlfriend Now” and didn’t know the other songs off all these records, then I’d agree with those people that we’re just living off that one record. We’re living off 10 records, even that last album Candy Coated Fury, when we play “Everyone Else is an Asshole,” everyone is singing along. Everybody! It’s not lost on anyone. I love playing this band — it’s the most fun you can have with your clothes on, and I want to continue making great music with these great musicians.
Turn the Radio Off … what’s a song that people sleep on?
Oh…hmm…there’s no sleeping on that record. Everyone knows every song on that album…except maybe “Skatanic.” They either really love it, or really hate it because it’s a metal song. It’s the only one where people looks as if to say, “What is this? Oh this is awesome!” It’s the only one we get funny looks on when we play the entire record.
My favorite is lesser known cut is “2-4-1.”
We’ve playing that a lot. We play Don’t Stop Skankin’ a lot too. How lucky am I to be a trumpet player and we have instrumental songs with absolutely no vocals, and the horns get tone featured on? It’s just an awesome awesome situation.
You guys tour ferociously. Every year you’re running around the world touring. How do you keep up that energy both mentally and physically? How is it not a grind? I mean you guys leave it on the floor every show — how is this possible?
As you and I are taking I have my trumpet case in front of me, and my yoga mat (laughs) in front of me. You have to take care of yourself.
We’re not one of those bands that’s opposed playing our hits. Part of Aaron’s plan is to always present an entertaining show. When you can get out of your own f’n head, and get into the audience, and stare at the audience, and see how much fun they’re having — you can’t help but put on a totally fun show. There are so many artists that say they are beyond playing their hits, we won’t want talk about any of them. [For example] as soon as Aaron starts playing the opening chords to “Beer” I get goose bumps. The crowd is into it.
How can you not want to give people that experience? And we’re going to play songs off all the records. We’re not ignoring anything. It’s getting out of your own head, and seeing how much fun the crowd is having. That makes your life so much better. Being a trumpet I play other gigs — big band, classical, salsa — there’s not band that compares to playing in Reel Big Fish. Looking out at the crowd…seeing how much fun they have.
Wrapping up, it’s been a while since Candy Coated Fury. Is there a new Reel Big Fish record in the future?
Yes. It’s taken Aaron a while to want to go through the process again. He’s produced pretty much all the records since Cheer Up! We recorded a song for a Halloween compilation, which was the first time we recorded since the Christmas EP. He really enjoyed the process, so I think he’s just about ready to starting working on something [new]. He’s got songs, I’ve got songs, Matt our saxophone player has songs — so we’re all down here for the greater good, Reel Big Fish, and we’re ready to get back into the studio.
