FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE
1. THE PONY INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT B. OF BADFISH
- A TRIBUTE TO SUBLIME
2. THURSDAY NIGHTS AT THE STONE PONY: LADIES NIGHT
3. CALENDAR OF EVENTS
This Week at The Stone Pony: Rock Out at the Pony (Tuesday), Jersey Style Wednesday (Wednesday), Bounce Thursdays (Thursday), Brothers Past (Friday), Badfish (Saturday), John Eddie's "Stone Pony, American Style" (Sunday)
New on the Pony Calendar: From Autumn To Ashes CD Release Party (Sept. 7), Glory Days: A Bruce Springsteen Symposium (Sept. 9-10), Ska Is Dead 3 (Sept. 24), Helmet (Sept. 30), Mae (Oct. 8), Lotus (Oct. 11), Project Object (Oct. 12), Jody Joseph & The Average Joes (Oct. 14), The Adicts (Oct. 23), Stryper (Oct. 28)
Visit The Stone Pony on MySpace.com at: http://www.myspace.com/ponyrock
BADFISH, THE SUBLIME TRIBUTE, BRINGS THE WEST COAST SOUND TO THE JERSEY SHORE
The music of Sublime marked the transition from the Grunge sounds that marked the early 1990s and the ska-influenced and modern rock that ended the decade. Their 1996 smash self-titled album was driven by the singles "What I Got," "Wrong Way" and "Santeria," which have remained constants on modern rock radio and still sound as current now as when they first broke out of the Long Beach, California music scene ten years ago. Only the untimely death of the band's lead singer prevented them from reaching greater musical heights. But, despite their short time on the national stage, their music continues to resonate among millions of fans who bought their albums and sang along to their music on Mtv or the radio.
On Saturday, September 3, the music of Sublime comes to the legendary Stone Pony stage when Badfish, a Tribute to Sublime, returns to the club. Badfish's shows have been popular on the Jersey shore, especially at the Pony, for a while and this weekend's show should be another chapter in that history. The trio of Joel on bass guitar, Scott on drums and Dave on guitar and vocals, do a fantastic job of capturing the music that made Sublime so influential. They've attracted a loyal following of devoted fans that will be sure to make Saturday's crowd ready to go, so don't miss this opportunity.
The Pony Newsletter caught up with Scott B., the band's drummer, to discuss Sublime's music and how it affected him, brought about the formation of Badfish, and where the band plans to take it from here.
The Stone Pony: Let's start off with the obvious question. What are your first memories of being exposed to Sublime's music and what was its effect on you? Can you recall the first song you heard and where you were when you heard it?
SB: A good friend of mine played me tracks off of 40 oz after going to the beach one day. Sounds typical, but it's true. It was like nothing I had ever heard. I wasn't even sure if I liked it. A few years later, I heard "What I Got" on the radio for the first time while delivering pizza. I'm not sure if I made the connection that it was the same band at that time, but it all came together eventually. After eventually hearing all their material and what they were all about, I really started to "get it," and came to appreciate what they were doing.
The Stone Pony: What other music has influenced you and how did you come to start playing music and performing? Was your exposure to Sublime a revolution for you that changed your attitude towards music, or did it fit into everything else that you were into at the time?
SB: I came from straight-up rock, metal, classic rock upbringing. I was always into new and different things but, as stated above, Sublime was definitely like nothing I had ever heard. [It was] '93/'94 [and] the whole grunge thing wearing out its welcome, and it's like BAM, there's this totally different type of sh*t going on way out on the west coast. Eventually the punk/ska thing became hip (for about a minute, I think), but I never thought of Sublime as part of that whole thing. And, looking back, I'm glad I didn't because there was a unique flavor to what they were doing.
The Stone Pony: Share the story of how Badfish came to be formed and what led to your starting a tribute band for Sublime's music? When you first started out the band, did you think it would turn into something that would allow you to maintain such an active touring schedule and become a full-time pursuit?
SB: We definitely had no expectations. It was more of a fun thing to try out. We were attending URI [and] none of us had serious commitments with other bands at the time, so we convinced the local club, Ocean Mist, to let us try the Sublime tribute. It went well, so we just kept at it.
The Stone Pony: Speaking of your touring schedule, do you enjoy being on the road and traveling? How do you normally travel from gig to gig and what do you usually do before and after shows to pass the time and keep yourselves from going crazy?
SB: Being on the road can suck, but we have a lot of fun, too. Sitting in the van for several hours a day can get maddening sometimes, but we all have our own way of keeping ourselves occupied and sane. Having laptops is nice, because we can work [on] band stuff, watch movies, etc.
The Stone Pony: You've played The Stone Pony several times in the past and it's always great to have the band back. Can you remember the first time you played the club, and how would you rate the crowds that you're played for here? Are there favorite venues around the country that you particularly enjoy going back to?
SB: All-ages shows are always pretty nuts and Stone Pony was no exception. We had played on the shore a lot before we played at the Pony, so I think there was a good amount of buzz. The show was crazy - can't remember the date - and we were all really happy with the crowd. The Stone Pony is definitely a venue that I always look forward to playing. Definitely "top ten" as far as crowd enthusiasm goes.
The Stone Pony: Have you ever had a chance to play around the Long Beach music scene where Sublime broke out of? Are there any places associated with the band that you've played that had special meaning for you or that you would really like to get to because of their significance?
SB: We haven't gotten out to the west coast yet, because we're always so busy playing east coast dates, and now Midwest stuff; but we're slowly working our way out there. Sublime actually played a show at the Ocean Mist, where we had our first show. There's a bootleg of the show and everything, so it's always pretty cool listening to that. I'm sure when we get further out west, we'll hit more of the spots that they used to play.
The Stone Pony: Have any of Sublime's surviving members or anyone else who was close to or connected with the band ever seen your show or gotten in contact with you about what you're doing? Do you ever get comments from fans who saw Sublime perform live regarding your show in relation to theirs?
SB: None of Sublime's members have directly contacted us, but we've heard through the grapevine that they know of us. It's tough to go by what people tell you, so I'm hesitant to comment on this.
Almost unanimously, people that see us who have also seen Sublime give us positive feedback. It's not so much a matter of how we "measure up" as it is just an appreciation that we're playing the music that they like, which is good. We try to play the music like people are used to hearing it, without trying to BE Sublime, and I think people respect that.
The Stone Pony: Sublime represented more than just a unique music sound; they also brought the Long Beach, California style and vibe to the world. Being from the East Coast, did what they represented mean anything to you, and why do you think that so many fans around the world were drawn to the band as a cultural entity as much as a musical act?
SB: I think all great bands that develop a grassroots or cult following have some sort of a "vibe" that swirls around them and their music. With Zeppelin, it was the "black magic" and "dungeons and dragons" vibe. With Sublime it was the "beach" and "party all night" vibe. I don't think either of these groups consciously intended this to happen, but as a function of their song's lyrics, album artwork, and stories about the band, it just DID happen.
Sometimes people get too wrapped up in the whole "culture," I think. With any band, not just Sublime. I personally like to let the music speak for itself. Whether you have bleach blonde hair, tattoos, and surf all day, or whether you spend your days in an office making your living, Sublime's music can hit you in the exact same way.
The Stone Pony: As a band who's so familiar with Sublime's music, do you have any idea of where the band would have gone musically had Bradley Nowell survived? Do your think the band would have lasted and built a long-career or would they have stayed more of a cult phenomenon?
SB: That's really tough to say. The music industry is so fickle and sh*tty. Who knows, they may have been brought down when the whole punk/ska thing fizzled out, just because that sh*t happens when people stick your music in a category. Even great music like Sublime's isn't exempt from that, unfortunately. But, on the other hand, No Doubt stuck around and did pretty well for themselves, so who really knows. Maybe, around this time, Bradley would be releasing a cover album of country songs. I laugh at this, but why the hell not, you know?
The Stone Pony: Where do you see the band progressing the year ahead? Do you think that you'll continue to expand your touring area or even go outside of the United States? Are there any other projects that you can talk about and would like your fans to be on the lookout for?
SB: We're always expanding our touring area, and I'd love to go outside the country eventually. We'll just keep at it, and try to keep people into our show. We're planning on putting out a live disc, and maybe a DVD, in the future. We're looking forward to writing our own material, too, and we hope to have a disc out by year's end.
The Badfish official website can be found at www.badfish.com.
Now at AsburyPark.net:
Festival draws crowds to city: The 30th Annual
Clearwater Festival, featuring live music, crafts, storytelling, food,
exhibits, a children's area and much more, took place this weekend in shady
Sunset Park, with something fun for everyone in the family.
THURSDAY NIGHTS AT THE STONE PONY:
BOUNCE THURSDAYS
The Ultimate Dance Party!
FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL UNTIL 11! - Doors Open At 10 pm
Coming this fall: The Miss Stone Pony contest!
18 for girls, 21 for guys - ID a must! - Reduced admission all night for
ladies
