On Stage (Bonus): Reel Big Fish on a ‘Beer Run’

By Denny Dyroff, Staff Writer, The Times

A hot summer night, live music under the stars and a variety of tasty craft beers on tap is a combination that’s hard to beat.

Reel Big Fish, a ska-punk band from California, is older that the legal age to drink in every state. So, it’s more than acceptable for the band from Huntington Beach to launch a national tour in celebration of America’s favorite alcoholic beverage – beer.

Reel Big Fish’s current tour is titled “The Beer Run” and it will touch down in this area on June 20 at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150, www.thefillmorephilly.com).

“The Beer Run” will be a showcase for the Orange County sextet that includes Aaron Barrett – Vocals, Guitar; Billy Kottage – Trombone; John Christianson (Johnny Christmas) – Trumpet; Ed Smokey Beach – Drums; Derek Gibbs – Bass; Matt Appleton – Saxophone, Vocal Harmonies.

The festive tour also features special guests The Expendables, The Queers and Tunnel Vision and an “Experiential Beer Festival” with local breweries, tastings, games, drinking games, lectures and more.

“Certain cities have beer crafters participating,” said Johnny Christmas, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Greensboro, North Carolina.

“We haven’t been able to get to the beer part because we have to work all day. We’re teaming up with breweries we like to bring out the beer experience.

“Four of us – Ed, Derek, Matt and me – are involved with Amplified Ale Works – a brewery in San Diego. We went there, got the bags of ingredients and did the stirring. We worked all day. We chose the recipe and it has an ABV of 7.0.

“This band loves beer. Not only do we have a song called ‘Beer,’ we love beer. We have a passion for it.”

Reel Big Fish, which recently celebrated the 20-year anniversary of its seminal third wave ska classic “Turn the Radio Off,” will also be appearing at several international festivals this summer, as well on the upcoming Vans Warped Tour Rewind At Sea cruise in October.

While many bands tour all summer in support of a recently-released album or EP, such is not the case with Reel Big Fish. The most recent LBF records are the “Candy Coated Fury” LP in 2012 and the “Happy Skalidays” holiday-themed EP in 2014.

“We just went in the studio right before this tour,” said Christmas. “But, it wasn’t to make a new album. We just did one track for a Halloween compilation.

Aaron Barrett is the leader and songwriter of the band and ‘prolific’ is a term that will never be used in discribing him. RBF’s debut album “Everything Sucks” was released in 1995. Since then, the band has released just seven more albums – including “Candy Coated Fury.”

“It takes Aaron a while to be O.K. with making another record,” said Christmas. “Hopefully, he’ll be into it soon. I think he’s ready. I’ve got songs. Matt has songs. Aaron has songs.

“We’re artists and we have to create this art we make. It’s always fun to have some new songs. The songs from ‘Candy Coated Fury’ are good – and fans love them.”

Anyone familiar with Reel Big Fish is aware that the band is not known for being “recording artists” but rather for being a top-flight live band. RBF’s music is made more for the stage than it is for earbuds.

“We’ve always viewed what we do as entertainment,” said Christmas. “It’s a show and we interact with the crowd. That’s why the band has been able to go on for 26 years. We always hear people saying – that was amazing…we had such a good time.”

Video link for Reel Big Fish – https://youtu.be/BOGZUL9DShs.

Tunnel Vision also hails from Orange County – specifically San Clemente.

Tunnel Vision’s three founding members — Hayden Hanson (guitar and vocals), Jacob Hernandez (bass) and Tanner Payne (drums and vocals) — have tapped into the culture of Orange County ever since an early age with surfing, skateboarding, beach lifestyle and ska and punk music.

This lifestyle is truly alive and prolific in their music. Their blend of alternative, ska, surf, reggae, R&B, and dub came from growing up on bands like Slightly Stoopid, Sublime, NOFX, Rancid, No Doubt and Mad Caddies.

“We put the band together about six years ago,” said Hanson, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Wilmington, North Carolina.

“It actually started out with me and Jacob when we were 15. Later, we all worked together in a surfboard factory. That’s how we came back together.”

The three friends started out in retail for Rip Curl before moving on to shaping surfboards for Lost Enterprises.

In 2014, Tunnel Vision added Doug Alani (saxophone) and skater, snow boarder Matt Risley (keyboards).

In recent years, quite a few bands have streamed concerts while they were high. But none of them can match up with Tunnel Vision.

The band, which was born and raised at 233 feet (the elevation of San Clemente), streamed a concert while performing at an elevation of 18,639 feet.

Four members of Tunnel Vision — Hanson, Hernandez, Risley and Payan – were joined by DELA (Daniel De La Cruz, the sax player of Slightly Stoopid) for a performance in February at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain on the African continent.

“We went and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for charity,” said Hanson. “It was planned by record label to raise awareness about the plight of Africa’s elephants, which are being killed off by poachers for their tusks.”

Tunnel Vision records for WhiskeyBarrel Records. Tom Maxwell, the owner of WhiskeyBarrel Records, has a non-profit WildLife First Foundation

“Tom does a lot of charity work,” said Hanson. “He asked us to join him on this project and we were in. 33,000 elephants are slaughtered for their tusks there every year.

“We flew to Doha (capitol of Qatar) and then traveled to the base of the mountain in Tanzania.  It took us seven days to get to the top. We spent eight-to-nine hours a day climbing to reach the summit.

“Then, it took us two days –nine hours a day — to descend. I had never done any mountain climbing before and we went to 19,000 feet. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

“We had porters from the Chagga tribe to carry up the portable recording gear. When we played, it was the highest streamed concert in history, DELA also had the highest sax solo ever.

“Afterwards, we recorded a single ‘Other Side of The Mountain,’ which is the Gladiators’ ‘On the Other Side’ in a mash-up with UB40’s ‘Sing Our Own Song.’

“We did it to raise money to help with the anti-poaching campaign. All proceeds will go to the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and the WildLife First Foundation.

“We recorded another single for this tour at Big Fish Studio. It’s called ‘Holes in My Shoes.’ When we get back from this tour, we’re going to get back in the studio. We have 22 new songs written and ready to go.”

Video link for Tunnel Vision – https://www.facebook.com/tom.maxwell.754703/videos/623594587824802/.

The show at Fillmore Philadelphia, which also features Expendables, The Queers, and Dry Reef, will start at 6 p.m. Tickets are $28.

While Reel Big Fish might seem like old-timers with a career that has lasted more than 25 years, the band’s longevity pales in comparison to another act that is playing Philadelphia this week.

Early in April, Neil Diamond embarked on his “50 Year Anniversary World Tour.” The tour touches down in Philly on June 20 for one show at the Wells Fargo Center (3601 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 215-336-3600, wellsfargo.centerphiladelphia.com).

At the end of March, UME and Capitol Music Group released “Neil Diamond: The 50th Anniversary Collection,” a celebratory music package that includes 50 songs that range 50 years in Diamond’s career.

Under the supervision of Diamond, the anniversary set includes his own handpicked songs and a carefully curated 50-page booklet with new liner notes.

Throughout an illustrious and wide-ranging musical career, Neil Diamond has sold over 130 million albums worldwide and has charted 38 Top 10 singles and 16 Top 10 albums.

A Grammy Award-winning artist, Diamond, who turned 76 in January, is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the highest honors bestowed upon songwriters.

Diamond’s many other achievements include a Golden Globe award, 13 Grammy nominations and 2009’s NARAS MusiCares Person of the Year award. In 2011, Diamond received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor for his lifetime of contributions to American culture.

He has had eleven Number 1 singles — “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “Song Sung Blue,” “Longfellow Serenade,” “I’ve Been This Way Before,” “If You Know What I Mean,” “Desiree,” “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” “America,” “Yesterday’s Songs,” “Heartlight,” and “I’m a Believer.”

“Sweet Caroline,” another of his most popular hits, reached Number 3.

Video link for Neil Diamond – https://youtu.be/TiNeyEm17wI.

The show at the Wells Fargo Center will start at 8 p.m. Ticket prices range from $49.50-$150.

If you’re in the mood for a good concert on June 20 but you don’t feel like driving into Philadelphia, then head west to Lancaster County.

Tonight, the Chameleon Club (223 North Water Street, Lancaster, 717-299-9684, http://www.chameleonclub.net) will present a show featuring Missio and Irontom.

Irontom — vocalist Harry Hayes, guitarist Zach Irons, bassist Dane Sandborg, keyboardist Daniel Saslow and drummer Dylan Williams – is in a busy and very constructive stage of its young career right now.

The band just released its debut album “Partners,” which was produced by Awolnation’s Aaron Bruno. Irons is also the lead guitarist for Awolnation.

Irontom just concluded a cross-country arena tour opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and is now on the road with Missio.

“The band is about five years old and we’re still based in California,” said Irons, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Louisville, Kentucky. “We got the name Irontom from my grandfather.

“We recorded ‘Partners’ last year at a studio in Malibu with Aaron Bruno as the producer and we also did some stuff in Santa Monica. The album, which came out on May 5, is our first album. We had other stuff in the past but no album – just a compilation EP.”

Irontom, which plays an amalgam of 1970s-inspired rock and non-mainstream electronics, began its recorded output with a pair of EPs – “The Loose” in 2012 and “The Nitro” in 2013.

“We spent a lot of time working on ‘Partners’ in the studio,” said Irons. “It was a good experience working with Aaron. He had a good vision of what we wanted to do.

“We built the songs from ground up. We all collaborate on the writing. We don’t have a formula. Whenever there is a spark of imagination, ewe let it flow from there.

“I see our music as a hybrid of different scenes — rock, abstract music…abstract psych music, and, really, pop at the same time. We just keep moving forward – forging ahead.”

Irons has music in his DNA.

“I was born into music,” said Irons. “I was always moved by it. I always knew I wanted to have a band.”

With Irons, it’s a genetic thing that can be traced back to his father Jack Irons.

Jack Irons was the founding drummer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and is a former member of Pearl Jam. He also has been a member of Eleven, The Wallflowers and Mark Lanegan Band.

Irons was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Irontom just released a new single — “Be Bold Like Elijah.” It is the third single from “Partners” and was preceded by “Brain Go” and “Hookers.”

Video link for Irontom – https://youtu.be/b_apob7tNf8.

The all-ages show at the Chameleon, which also features Missio, will start a 6 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Another good show away from the city will take place on June 21 when the Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808, www.st94.com) presents Joseph Arthur.

This tour is the “Redemption Son’s 15^th Anniversary Tour.”

Arthur was discovered by Peter Gabriel in 1997and the former Genesis front and signed Arthur to his Real World label as the first North American artist on the label’s roster.

Arthur released his first two albums “Big City Secrets” (1997) and “Come to Where I’m From” (2000) on Real World before signing with various independent labels between 2002 and 2006.

“Redemption’s Son” is Arthur’s third studio album. The double album was first released in May 2002. It came out in May 2002 in the U.K. only because Joseph had been dropped by Virgin Records/EMI in the US.

Eventually, Enjoy Records picked up the record and released it stateside in November 2002 with a slightly different track listing and alternate artwork.

On June 23, Real World Record will re-issue the original album (with its original artwork) along with nine bonus tracks all of which have been previously unreleased.

The “Redemption’s Son 15th Anniversary Edition” will be available on 180-gram double LP, double CD, and digitally.

It will be the first time ever the album is available on vinyl. The nine previously-unreleased songs now form a “lost album” which Arthur has titled “Morning Star.”

“I got a new manager and releasing the anniversary album was his idea,” said Arthur, during a phone interview last week from his home in Brooklyn, New York. “He wanted to re-engage with the Real World scene.

“It somewhat a common practice with older albums. It’s been great to go back and listen and re-learn the songs. It feels very healthy artistically and that part surprised me.

“An artist’s instinct is to not look back but rather to look forward. I found it helpful to look back. And, it’s exciting. It’s more about organizing your legacy. It became helpful to do that.”

Retrospection became a good thing for Arthur.

“When you first put an album out, it’s hard to really see it,” said Arthur, who grew up in Akron, Ohio and graduated from the appropriately-named Firestone High School.

“There are 15 years separating me from when this album was released. It’s like listening to a different artist. It’s hard to like yourself but I found that I like this artist. I don’t want to sound pretentious but I think ‘Redemption’s Son’ is a crazy-good album.

“As an artist – and as a human – you evolve. So, it’s great to look back. It’s been very healthy – and very gratifying. Songs are magical things. They’re like dreams. They are very wise and knowing. A lot is revealed to you.

“I’m more excited about this tour than any previous tour I’ve done. Going back to this album after 15 years was a pleasant surprise. It holds up for me. I thought – holy shit, bro, you knocked it out of the park.

“My intention on this tour is to be really sharp and focused. I’m playing the whole ‘Redemption’s Son’ album front-to-back – 16 songs front-to-back. And, it’s the same with the bonus album. I have 25 songs to work with.”

Video link for Joseph Arthur — https://youtu.be/tWkxlhuLg_g.

The show at Sellersville, which has Allison Pierce as the opener, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $21.50 and $29.50.

One of the best shows in Philly on June 21 will be the concert by The Sea The Sea at the World Café Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400,www.worldcafelive.com).

The Sea The Sea’s latest releases are an EP titled “In the Altogether” and a brand-new single cover of Bob Dylan’s “I’ll Keep It With Mine.”

The Sea The Sea will turning this summer with a live set previewing new material from their forthcoming album, slated for an early 2018 release.

The Sea The Sea (Chuck E. Costa and Mira Stanley) is an upstate New York-based indie folk-pop duo that has performed numerous times in the Philly suburbs but never in the city.

“We’ve played at the World Café Live at the Queen (Wilmington) and Burlap & Bean (Newtown Square) but this will be our first time at the World Café Live in Philadelphia,” said Stanley, during a phone interview last week as the band traveled from Duluth, Minnesota to a show in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

This tour will feature a look at both the past and the future of The Sea The Sea.

“Chuck and I met at a music festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia,” said Stanley. “I was the stage manager for a songwriting contest and Chuck was a contestant.

“I was finishing up school. I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2010 after starting y studies at the Boston Conservatory of Music.

“Chuck and I hung out at the festival. We sang a couple songs together and it sounded better than anything I had ever done. After college, I contacted Chuck and he was looking to do something.

“Chuck was living in New Haven, Connecticut. So, after I graduated from Michigan, I moved to New Haven. We were on the road a lot. We did a lot of festivals at the start. Chuck was solo and I sang harmonies.

“We recorded our first album ‘Love We Are We Love’ in 2013. That was when we really became a band. We recorded the album in Berkeley, California with Todd Sickafoose as the producer.”

The Sea The Sea took a different path for the recording of its upcoming LP.

“For our second album, we wanted to have something closer to home,” said Stanley. “We made our new EP ‘In the Altogether” with producer Troy Pohl at Over It Studios in Troy, New York. The EP has six songs – all brand new

“We’re in the process of recording our second album and we’re working with Troy again. The album is even newer songs – none that are on the EP. We started last fall and it’s halfway recorded.

“We’ve taken a bunch of new songs out on tour with us. In our shows on this tour, we’re playing some EP songs, some from our first album and some new songs.”

This summer, The Sea The Sea is touring with additional members Cara May Gorman (vocals) and Stephen Struss (drums/percussion).

“We met Cara when we were singing backing vocals for Sean Rowe,” said Stanley. “We decided that we loved singing together.

“Chuck and I always wanted to experiment with a bigger sound. We really enjoy the new dynamic palette that gets created with having other people play with us. Still, the core of what we do will always be a duo.”

Video link for The Sea The Sea – https://youtu.be/ywdPqnvpLP0

The show at the World Café Live, which has Kacy & Clayton as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.