Ska swarm buzzes Palladium

There have always been certain genres in music that are, to say the least, unusual; and in the distinctive world of ska-punk, it doesn't get much more unusual than Reel Big Fish.

A predecessor of the musical form reggae, ska itself originated in Jamaica in the 1950s. Ska has had its own bursts of popularity and inattention since then. It is generally divided into three separate periods, corresponding to this trend: the original ska scene of Jamaica, the "2 Tone revival" of the 1970s (so named for the 2 Tone Records label, which many bands of this era were signed to), and the third wave of ska of the 1980s, blending the genre with heavier punk and rock.

Hailing from Huntington Beach, Calif., Reel Big Fish are in part responsible for the resurgence of the third wave of ska. Formed in 1992, the ska-punk sextet broke into the mainstream with their 1996 hit album, Turn the Radio Off, gaining them a devoted fan base that follows even through today. The band has released five more studio albums since then, the latest of which, entitled Fame, Fortune and Fornication, consists only of cover songs, was released just this month.

This past Saturday, Reel Big Fish took the stage alongside ska-punk heavyweights Streetlight Manifesto and Tip the Van at the Palladium in Worcester, Mass., the latter of which was the first to perform before the Palladium's sold-out crowd. At punk shows, the music plays only a part of the overall experience; alongside it is the atmosphere, the energy, and, of course, the mosh pit. Tip the Van served as the perfect catalyst to release the pent-up crowd; within moments of taking the stage and striking the night's first chord, the mosh pit was in full swing, with crowd members jumping into each other, crowd surfing, stepping on feet, and falling over.

Tip the Van put on a stellar show, partly in support of their most recent EP, Passion, Love & Pride. The Connecticut-based band is female-fronted by sisters Nicole and Olivia Simone, who formed the ska-outfit during their high school years.

The lights went dark after the conclusion of Tip the Van's set, and Streetlight Manifesto took the stage. Streetlight - formed in 2002 by ex-Catch 22 singer and guitarist Tomas Kalnoky - has enjoyed constant success. With three albums under their belt, one of which is a re-recorded version of Catch 22's "Keasbey Nights," Streetlight Manifesto have carved out their own unique vein in the ska-punk world, incorporating a number of influences from grunge to mariachi. Streetlight's studio efforts have the tendency of intensity; fast music driven by a powerful horn-section.

This intensity is readily transferred from the studio to the stage. Streetlight launched into "We Will Fall Together," a crowd favorite that expertly blends distorted guitars with trombone and trumpet. The adrenaline ran high through the crowd as Streetlight's set progressed, with audience members jumping around, as well as singing along - an impressive feat, considering the number of words that the band is able to squeeze into each second of music. Unlike other ska acts, Streetlight's lyrics tend to be much more serious content-wise; for example, in the song "Watch It Crash," Kalnoky sings about the anonymity of war: "So mercy, mercy, mercy me / Praying for the death of a man I'll never meet / Though everyone will know the truth they'll still just make believe / Mercy, mercy, me."

Streetlight ended the night with a rendition of "Somewhere in the Between," an anthem which an exhausted audience proudly sung along to, before leaving the stage amid claps and cheers. Next up, the headliners: Reel Big Fish.

Reel Big Fish is a band that doesn't take itself too seriously; after all, with song titles like "She Has a Girlfriend Now," how can they?

"We are the Reel Big Fish," singer Aaron Barrett announced after the first song. "We're going to announce that between every song, just so you guys don't forget. 'Cause if you did, that would be embarrassing for all of us."

Despite the weariness of the audience, crowd members cheered, danced, and flailed about wildly for the duration of the band's set. Reel Big Fish played through a number of tongue-in-cheek songs spanning the length of their career, every now and then stopping to interact with the audience. At various points, the band played impromptu versions of Metallica's "Enter Sandman," Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl," and "Tequila," by the Champs.

The band ended with a number of encores, with highlights including "Beer" and "Sell Out;" Barrett chanting to the crowd's response "Sell out with me, oh yeah / Sell out with me tonight / The record company's gonna give me lots of money / And everything's gonna be all right." The night officially ended with a ska cover of new-wave band a-ha's "Take On Me."

Amid the brass, the sweat, and the checkered shirts was an unforgettable experience. Some fans may have left bruised, but no one left disappointed. A