Photo by Chad Martel

Badfish is a vibe. Badfish is a sonic house party complete with plenty of gyrating fans sipping libations and enjoying various extracurricular activities. Badfish is feel-good music.

For 22 years, the Rhode Island-based band – Joel Hanks on bass, Scott Begin on drums, Pat Downes on vocals and guitar, Danny Torgersen on horns, keyboards, and guitars – have successfully paid tribute to Sublime, the short-lived but influential California group that brought ska-punk and reggae-rock to the mainstream. Badfish’s heartfelt celebration of Sublime’s musical spirit and legacy is so sought-after that they’ve headlined theaters, sold out shows, and played 15-20 gigs a month.

But now, Badfish is more. After two decades of Sublime reverence, Badfish originality is stomping into high gear. Badfish recently released its second new song, the anthemic, groove-fortified “F You Pay Me,” with special guest Grieves, as the follow-up to the band’s first single, “High on You.” Now the Sublime repertoire is nicely augmented by fresh original tracks that blend seamlessly together.

Onstage, you get Badfish playing the best of Sublime as well as the best of Badfish. Catch them in concert January 25, 2025 at 8:00pm (doors @ 7:00pm) at Starland Ballroom (570 Jernee Mill Road) in Sayreville, NJ  Tickets are $25-$60; all ages are welcome. Get your tickets HERE.

“Putting out original music alongside being a tribute band has always been a point of interest to us,” says Begin. “It’s been a tricky path to walk, though. Yet as the years have gone by and we’ve gotten to witness our little show turn into somewhat of a movement within the scene, we are at the point where we feel we have something of real heart and value to add not only to our show but to the American reggae scene.”

That means you’ll hear Sublime staples “What I Got,” “Santeria,” and “Wrong Way” woven with Badfish’s own beat-heavy new single, “F You Pay Me,” which blends rock, reggae, and hip-hop along with lyrics about re-prioritizing self-preservation as the follow up to the band’s first single “High With You” (featuring Little Stranger). The crowd’s enthusiastic response to these new songs makes them feel right at home alongside Sublime staples in the Badfish set.

There’s no resisting these tunes; you’re going to move.

“With the kinetic energy that the band has amassed over years of performing, the ideas just keep flowing out of the blue and we are lucky enough to capture them,” says Begin. “Perspective is a great tool in music composition, and we’ve got plenty of that by now. When it feels right, it feels right…and these songs sure feel right.”

Harnessing this new creative energy, Badfish is stoked to gear up for their 2025 Gimme The Gold Tour. The tour will take the boys around the country where they’ll surely keep the vibes high for some familiar faces and many new ones as well.