Reel Big Fish & Ska at Trees last Friday

Top photo courtesy of artist
Review & Photo by: Jaren Lorenz

Everybody's doing the fish. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

At least that's what the hundreds of people at Deep Ellum's Trees were doing at Friday night's Reel Big Fish show.

But it's not always the case that the opening act is a member of the headlining act. But at Trees Friday night, Ryland Steen, the drummer for Reel Big Fish, opened up with an acoustic set.

Next openers Survay Says kicked it up a notch, got the crowd dancing to their high-energy, punk-ska sound we all know and love. They definitely got the crowd primed and ready for the feature performers.

After much anticipation, Reel Big Fish took the stage as excitement filled the venue. By they time they got to the chorus of "I Want Your Girlfriend To Be My Girlfriend, Too," ska-lovers were jumping and moving with the band onstage.

In fact, the whole set was laden with all the hits a die-hard fan would want them to play, but also easily accessible songs for new ears. Even the occasional circle pit formed in the center as the horn line blared on and played with genres.

But the set ended and very soon afterward, an encore blasted through the venue not heard before. It was the World Cup soccer chant that helped transition the band into the encore, bursting onstage playing back what the crowd shouted at them.

By the end of the night, Reel Big Fish had done their fair share of covers and an encore, and left the crowd wanting more.