{"id":21166,"date":"2017-06-20T07:25:12","date_gmt":"2017-06-20T11:25:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=21166"},"modified":"2017-06-20T07:25:20","modified_gmt":"2017-06-20T11:25:20","slug":"on-stage-bonus-reel-big-fish-on-a-beer-run","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/?p=21166","title":{"rendered":"On Stage (Bonus): Reel Big Fish on a ‘Beer Run’"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Staff Writer, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Reel Big Fish<\/p><\/div>\n

A hot summer night, live music under the stars and a variety of tasty craft beers on tap is a combination that\u2019s hard to beat.<\/p>\n

Reel Big Fish, a ska-punk band from California, is older that the legal age to drink in every state. So, it\u2019s more than acceptable for the band from Huntington Beach to launch a national tour in celebration of America\u2019s favorite alcoholic beverage \u2013 beer.<\/p>\n

Reel Big Fish\u2019s current tour is titled \u201cThe Beer Run\u201d and it will touch down in this area on June 20 at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150, www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Beer Run\u201d will be a showcase for the Orange County sextet that includes Aaron Barrett – Vocals, Guitar; Billy Kottage \u2013 Trombone; John Christianson (Johnny Christmas) \u2013 Trumpet; Ed Smokey Beach \u2013 Drums; Derek Gibbs \u2013 Bass; Matt Appleton – Saxophone, Vocal Harmonies.<\/p>\n

The festive tour also features special guests The Expendables, The Queers and Tunnel Vision and an \u201cExperiential Beer Festival\u201d with local breweries, tastings, games, drinking games, lectures and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cCertain cities have beer crafters participating,\u201d said Johnny Christmas, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Greensboro, North Carolina.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t been able to get to the beer part because we have to work all day. We\u2019re teaming up with breweries we like to bring out the beer experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cFour of us \u2013 Ed, Derek, Matt and me \u2013 are involved with Amplified Ale Works \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis band loves beer. Not only do we have a song called \u2018Beer,\u2019 we love beer. We have a passion for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reel Big Fish, which recently celebrated the 20-year anniversary of its seminal third wave ska classic \u201cTurn the Radio Off,\u201d will also be appearing at several international festivals this summer, as well on the upcoming Vans Warped Tour Rewind At Sea cruise in October.<\/p>\n

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 \u201cCandy Coated Fury\u201d LP in 2012 and the \u201cHappy Skalidays\u201d holiday-themed EP in 2014.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just went in the studio right before this tour,\u201d said Christmas. \u201cBut, it wasn\u2019t to make a new album. We just did one track for a Halloween compilation.<\/p>\n

Aaron Barrett is the leader and songwriter of the band and \u2018prolific\u2019 is a term that will never be used in discribing him. RBF\u2019s debut album \u201cEverything Sucks\u201d was released in 1995. Since then, the band has released just seven more albums \u2013 including \u201cCandy Coated Fury.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes Aaron a while to be O.K. with making another record,\u201d said Christmas. \u201cHopefully, he\u2019ll be into it soon. I think he\u2019s ready. I\u2019ve got songs. Matt has songs. Aaron has songs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re artists and we have to create this art we make. It\u2019s always fun to have some new songs. The songs from \u2018Candy Coated Fury\u2019 are good \u2013 and fans love them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anyone familiar with Reel Big Fish is aware that the band is not known for being \u201crecording artists\u201d but rather for being a top-flight live band. RBF\u2019s music is made more for the stage than it is for earbuds.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always viewed what we do as entertainment,\u201d said Christmas. \u201cIt\u2019s a show and we interact with the crowd. That\u2019s why the band has been able to go on for 26 years. We always hear people saying \u2013 that was amazing\u2026we had such a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Reel Big Fish \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/BOGZUL9DShs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Tunnel Vision<\/p><\/div>\n

Tunnel Vision also hails from Orange County \u2013 specifically San Clemente.<\/p>\n

Tunnel Vision\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe put the band together about six years ago,\u201d said Hanson, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Wilmington, North Carolina.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt actually started out with me and Jacob when we were 15. Later, we all worked together in a surfboard factory. That\u2019s how we came back together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The three friends started out in retail for Rip Curl before moving on to shaping surfboards for Lost Enterprises.<\/p>\n

In 2014, Tunnel Vision added Doug Alani (saxophone) and skater, snow boarder Matt Risley (keyboards).<\/p>\n

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

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.<\/p>\n

Four members of Tunnel Vision — Hanson, Hernandez, Risley and Payan \u2013 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe went and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro for charity,\u201d said Hanson. \u201cIt was planned by record label to raise awareness about the plight of Africa\u2019s elephants, which are being killed off by poachers for their tusks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tunnel Vision records for WhiskeyBarrel Records. Tom Maxwell, the owner of WhiskeyBarrel Records, has a non-profit WildLife First Foundation<\/p>\n

\u201cTom does a lot of charity work,\u201d said Hanson. \u201cHe asked us to join him on this project and we were in. 33,000 elephants are slaughtered for their tusks there every year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe flew to Doha (capitol of Qatar) and then traveled to the base of the mountain in Tanzania.\u00a0 It took us seven days to get to the top. We spent eight-to-nine hours a day climbing to reach the summit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, it took us two days \u2013nine 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\u2019ve ever done.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfterwards, we recorded a single \u2018Other Side of The Mountain,\u2019 which is the Gladiators\u2019 \u2018On the Other Side\u2019 in a mash-up with UB40\u2019s \u2018Sing Our Own Song.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded another single for this tour at Big Fish Studio. It\u2019s called \u2018Holes in My Shoes.\u2019 When we get back from this tour, we\u2019re going to get back in the studio. We have 22 new songs written and ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Tunnel Vision \u2013 https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tom.maxwell.754703\/videos\/623594587824802\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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

While Reel Big Fish might seem like old-timers with a career that has lasted more than 25 years, the band\u2019s longevity pales in comparison to another act that is playing Philadelphia this week.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Neil Diamond<\/p><\/div>\n

Early in April, Neil Diamond embarked on his \u201c50 Year Anniversary World Tour.\u201d 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<\/a>).<\/p>\n

At the end of March, UME and Capitol Music Group released \u201cNeil Diamond: The 50th Anniversary Collection,\u201d a celebratory music package that includes 50 songs that range 50 years in Diamond\u2019s career.<\/p>\n

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

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Diamond\u2019s many other achievements include a Golden Globe award, 13 Grammy nominations and 2009\u2019s NARAS MusiCares Person of the Year award. In 2011, Diamond received the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor for his lifetime of contributions to American culture.<\/p>\n

He has had eleven Number\u00a01 singles — \u201cCracklin\u2019 Rosie,\u201d \u201cSong Sung Blue,\u201d \u201cLongfellow Serenade,\u201d \u201cI\u2019ve Been This Way Before,\u201d \u201cIf You Know What I Mean,\u201d \u201cDesiree,\u201d \u201cYou Don’t Bring Me Flowers,\u201d \u201cAmerica,\u201d \u201cYesterday\u2019s Songs,\u201d \u201cHeartlight,\u201d and \u201cI’m a Believer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSweet Caroline,\u201d another of his most popular hits, reached Number 3.<\/p>\n

Video link for Neil Diamond \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/TiNeyEm17wI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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

If you\u2019re in the mood for a good concert on June 20 but you don\u2019t feel like driving into Philadelphia, then head west to Lancaster County.<\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/a>

Irontom<\/p><\/div>\n

Irontom — vocalist Harry Hayes, guitarist Zach Irons, bassist Dane Sandborg, keyboardist Daniel Saslow and drummer Dylan Williams \u2013 is in a busy and very constructive stage of its young career right now.<\/p>\n

The band just released its debut album \u201cPartners,\u201d which was produced by Awolnation\u2019s Aaron Bruno. Irons is also the lead guitarist for Awolnation.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cThe band is about five years old and we\u2019re still based in California,\u201d said Irons, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Louisville, Kentucky. \u201cWe got the name Irontom from my grandfather.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded \u2018Partners\u2019 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 \u2013 just a compilation EP.\u201d<\/p>\n

Irontom, which plays an amalgam of 1970s-inspired rock and non-mainstream electronics, began its recorded output with a pair of EPs \u2013 \u201cThe Loose\u201d in 2012 and \u201cThe Nitro\u201d in 2013.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe spent a lot of time working on \u2018Partners\u2019 in the studio,\u201d said Irons. \u201cIt was a good experience working with Aaron. He had a good vision of what we wanted to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe built the songs from ground up. We all collaborate on the writing. We don\u2019t have a formula. Whenever there is a spark of imagination, ewe let it flow from there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI 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 \u2013 forging ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Irons has music in his DNA.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was born into music,\u201d said Irons. \u201cI was always moved by it. I always knew I wanted to have a band.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Irons, it\u2019s a genetic thing that can be traced back to his father Jack Irons.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Irons was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.<\/p>\n

Irontom just released a new single — \u201cBe Bold Like Elijah.\u201d It is the third single from \u201cPartners\u201d and was preceded by \u201cBrain Go<\/a>\u201d and \u201cHookers<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Irontom \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/b_apob7tNf8<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/a>

Joseph Arthur<\/p><\/div>\n

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,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) presents Joseph Arthur.<\/p>\n

This tour is the \u201cRedemption Son\u2019s 15th<\/sup> Anniversary Tour.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Arthur released his first two albums \u201cBig City Secrets\u201d (1997) and \u201cCome to Where I’m From\u201d (2000) on Real World before signing with various independent labels between 2002 and 2006.<\/p>\n

\u201cRedemption\u2019s Son\u201d is Arthur\u2019s 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<\/a>\/EMI<\/a> in the US.<\/p>\n

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

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.<\/p>\n

The \u201cRedemption’s Son 15th Anniversary Edition\u201d will be available on 180-gram double LP, double CD, and digitally.<\/p>\n

It will be the first time ever the album is available on vinyl. The nine previously-unreleased songs now form a \u201clost album\u201d which Arthur has titled \u201cMorning Star.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI got a new manager and releasing the anniversary album was his idea,\u201d said Arthur, during a phone interview last week from his home in Brooklyn, New York. \u201cHe wanted to re-engage with the Real World scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt somewhat a common practice with older albums. It\u2019s been great to go back and listen and re-learn the songs. It feels very healthy artistically and that part surprised me.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn artist\u2019s instinct is to not look back but rather to look forward. I found it helpful to look back. And, it\u2019s exciting. It\u2019s more about organizing your legacy. It became helpful to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Retrospection became a good thing for Arthur.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you first put an album out, it\u2019s hard to really see it,\u201d said Arthur, who grew up in Akron, Ohio and graduated from the appropriately-named Firestone High School.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are 15 years separating me from when this album was released. It\u2019s like listening to a different artist. It\u2019s hard to like yourself but I found that I like this artist. I don\u2019t want to sound pretentious but I think \u2018Redemption\u2019s Son\u2019 is a crazy-good album.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an artist \u2013 and as a human \u2013 you evolve. So, it\u2019s great to look back. It\u2019s been very healthy \u2013 and very gratifying. Songs are magical things. They\u2019re like dreams. They are very wise and knowing. A lot is revealed to you.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m more excited about this tour than any previous tour I\u2019ve done. Going back to this album after 15 years was a pleasant surprise. It holds up for me. I thought \u2013 holy shit, bro, you knocked it out of the park.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy intention on this tour is to be really sharp and focused. I\u2019m playing the whole \u2018Redemption\u2019s Son\u2019 album front-to-back \u2013 16 songs front-to-back. And, it\u2019s the same with the bonus album. I have 25 songs to work with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Joseph Arthur — https:\/\/youtu.be\/tWkxlhuLg_g<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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

One of the best shows in Philly on June 21 will be the concert by The Sea The Sea at the World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400,www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Sea The Sea<\/p><\/div>\n

The Sea The Sea\u2019s latest releases are an EP titled \u201cIn the Altogether\u201d and a brand-new single cover of Bob Dylan\u2019s \u201cI\u2019ll Keep It With Mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve played at the World Caf\u00e9 Live at the Queen (Wilmington) and Burlap & Bean (Newtown Square) but this will be our first time at the World Caf\u00e9 Live in Philadelphia,\u201d said Stanley, during a phone interview last week as the band traveled from Duluth, Minnesota to a show in Spring Green, Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

This tour will feature a look at both the past and the future of The Sea The Sea.<\/p>\n

\u201cChuck and I met at a music festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia,\u201d said Stanley. \u201cI was the stage manager for a songwriting contest and Chuck was a contestant.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was finishing up school. I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2010 after starting y studies at the Boston Conservatory of Music.<\/p>\n

\u201cChuck 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cChuck 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded our first album \u2018Love We Are We Love\u2019 in 2013. That was when we really became a band. We recorded the album in Berkeley, California with Todd Sickafoose as the producer.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Sea The Sea took a different path for the recording of its upcoming LP.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor our second album, we wanted to have something closer to home,\u201d said Stanley. \u201cWe made our new EP \u2018In the Altogether\u201d with producer Troy Pohl at Over It Studios in Troy, New York. The EP has six songs \u2013 all brand new<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in the process of recording our second album and we\u2019re working with Troy again. The album is even newer songs \u2013 none that are on the EP. We started last fall and it\u2019s halfway recorded.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve taken a bunch of new songs out on tour with us. In our shows on this tour, we\u2019re playing some EP songs, some from our first album and some new songs.\u201d<\/p>\n

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

\u201cWe met Cara when we were singing backing vocals for Sean Rowe,\u201d said Stanley. \u201cWe decided that we loved singing together.<\/p>\n

\u201cChuck 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for The Sea The Sea \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/ywdPqnvpLP0<\/a><\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live, which has Kacy & Clayton as the opening act, will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s 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\u2019s more than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[6269,9196,9197,9194,9193,9195,7117],"class_list":["post-21166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-featured","tag-irontom","tag-joseph-arthur","tag-neil-dimaond","tag-reel-big-fish","tag-the-sea-the-sea","tag-tunnel-vision"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21166","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=21166"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21166\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21167,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21166\/revisions\/21167"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/21168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=21166"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=21166"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chescotimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=21166"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}