2008 Woodie Awards
Reel Big Fish concert kicks off Springfest
Kimberly Harrison
Issue date: 5/2/08 Section: A&E
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According to Student Entertainment Services Vice President Paul Tryon, SES sold at least 700 tickets. With SES workers and people that came with Reel big Fish and opener Brad Byrd in attendance, there were approximately 800 people at the event, far less than capacity for the gymnasium, which can seat 3200.
The opener, Brad Byrd, an acoustic singer-songwriter, did not fit the bill at all. Some audience members said he was trying too hard to sound like Bob Dylan and thought that alt-country didn't belong on a bill with an upbeat ska band. People in the audience rudely booed and chanted "folk sucks." Singer Brad Byrd has played at SUNY Potsdam before to a better reception from crowds, but most concertgoers agreed that this opener was simply the wrong feel for the show.
Reel Big Fish stormed the stage to chants of their name. They opened with their big hit, "Sell Out," off of their most popular album, Turn the Radio Off. The crowd was dancing immediately, though clearly not as hard as they would have liked, with moshing not allowed at the event. Charismatic singer Aaron Barrett, with his signature California style, sang right to audience members to approving screams. Other tracks they played spanned their discography, from Cheer Up! to their new album Monkeys for Nuthin' and the Chimps for Free. Towards the end of the set, they played more favorites, such as "Beer" and "She Has a Girlfriend Now," which, by the way, is based on a true story. Several concertgoers attempted to crowd surf, and security guards at the front of the stage promptly removed them from the top of the crowd. Although it was previously stated that crowd surfing was not allowed, these audience members were not penalized and were allowed to stay in the show.
During a laid-back pre-show interview, the band attributed their success over the years to their dedicated fans. Through the years, the band has gone through a myriad of line-up changes, but the reason they keep making music is that they "don't want to do anything else," said lead singer, Aaron Barrett. "Most of the time bands break up because the fans stop coming, but the fans keep coming...It's better to say, 'hey, let's get a new [musician]' than...let's quit," Barrett pointed out. The band has no venue preference: they said that they like to play anywhere there are people.
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