By Dana Reese
Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto, as well is Rodeo Ruby Love and Lionize, played at the Sherman Theater on Wednesday November 23.
Although the show was the day before Thanksgiving, and everyone who lived in a dorm on campus had been moved out on the previous day, the Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto show had a relatively large turnout.
The opening bands started at around 7:00 pm. Rodeo Ruby Love brought an indie-pop-punk sound to the stage, walking out to the title theme from the Legend of Zelda. While the crowd response was slow, the band was very energetic and had a recognizable stage presence.
The second band, Lionize, had a Pearl Jam sound with some funk hints. With a larger crowd, the band had a better crowd response. Only playing a few songs, one including an instrumental break, they had the crowd riled up by the time the staff was setting up for Reel Big Fish.
In their colorful button downs, suave hair styles and sun glasses, the members of Reel Big Fish immediately brightened the stage. While they played mostly the same set list from a few previous Vans Warped Tour shows, they acted out the lyrics between one another comically. Playing crowd favorites like “She Has a Girlfriend Now” and “Sell Out,” to their covers of “Brown Eyed Girl” and “Take on Me,” Reel Big Fish played each song with a precision that shows practice, but with an energy and excitement that made each song feel like a brand new hit.
Streetlight Manifesto took the stage at about 10:00 pm to a large, screaming crowd. Tomas Kalnoky came out with his standard red Gibson guitar, and the band played with a more driven excitement. The band covered songs mostly from Everything Goes Numb, but played some favorites from Somewhere in Between like “Down, Down, Down to Mephisto’s Café” and “Forty Days.”
As the band walked off at the end of their set, the crowd began chanting “One more song.” A staff worker ran across the stage with Klanoky’s red Gibson, and the band came back out to play more.
Most of the seats were taken out to allow a standing audience at the stage. The sound and size of the theater was well suited for the two main bands, and the closeness of the crowd allowed for a friendly atmosphere. With only a few mosh pits and crowd surfers, the room avoided a lot of the violence many ska shows have. It was a great show with good music, and something to watch out for in the future.