BADFISH: A Tribute to Sublime The Blizzy Tour (18+) presale codes

This Rhode Island-bred tribute has spent two decades chasing the grainy warmth of Sublime's punk-ska-dub mix.

From Long Beach to New England basements

Their identity lives in beach-bar swing that flips into fast punk, then sinks back into echo-soaked grooves.

Hits, deep cuts, and the crowd pulse

Expect staples like Santeria, What I Got, Wrong Way, and Doin' Time, with deeper nods slipped between the hits. Crowds skew mixed-age, from longtime fans who wore out CDs to newer heads who met the songs on playlists, and the front rail tends to skank while the back sways. A neat tidbit: the group often tunes a half-step down to sit where the original recordings sit, which helps the vocal color feel familiar. Another: members moonlighted under the name Scotty Don't to play originals on off nights, a clue to how tightly they study the source. You might hear a sample pad or light turntable touches to hint at Ras MG's textures on certain cuts. Take the song picks and production mentions as educated predictions, not a fixed plan.

The Living Room Of Ska-Punk: BADFISH: A Tribute to Sublime Fan Culture

You see Vans and beat-up skate shoes next to clean white sneakers, thrifted sun-logo tees, bucket hats, and light flannels over shorts.

90s cues without the costume

A few fans skank near the front when the upstrokes hit, while pockets in back nod and share quick stories about finding Sublime in high school cars and dorm rooms. Chorus lines become group rituals, especially the open of Santeria and the closing mantra in What I Got.

Shared lines, shared memories

On punkier tunes, the movement is bouncy and respectful, more side-to-side than shove. Merch usually riffs on classic iconography, with Long Beach cues, nods to 40oz to Freedom, and understated tour-dates-style prints for the tribute itself. You will spot a few throwback snapbacks and coastal stripes that nod to 90s photos without costume play. The overall mood is neighborly, like a beach bar where the band is loud enough to carry the room but leaves space for conversation between songs.

How BADFISH: A Tribute to Sublime Shapes The Sound Live

Vocals chase the original sandy tone but avoid mimicry, leaning on relaxed phrasing and a talk-sung lilt.

Groove first, flash second

Guitar keeps tight upstrokes and short punk bursts, then opens into ringing chords when the dub settles in. Bass carries the room with round, front-of-mix lines that push the groove without crowding the vocal. Drums sit a hair behind the beat on reggae feels and jump ahead for skate-punk tempo, so the set breathes rather than blurs.

Small choices, big feel

A cool detail: many songs are played a half-step down, and they sometimes stretch intros with tape-echo guitar to let the room lock in before the verse. The band often trims or repeats a chorus in What I Got so the crowd can take the hook, while Doin' Time leans into a minor vamp with sample-pad textures where strings would be. Lighting tends to warm ambers and washed blues that underline the beach-to-nightclub swing without stealing focus from the rhythm section.

Kinfolk Of The Coast: Where BADFISH: A Tribute to Sublime Fans Overlap

If you ride for Sublime, this show speaks your language by design.

Beach-town cousins and road-ready peers

Fans of Dirty Heads will catch the beach-town blend of rap cadences, reggae bounce, and mellow hooks. Slightly Stoopid draws a similar jam-friendly arc, stretching dub breaks and letting bass lead the mood. The crunchy island punk and singalong choruses from Pepper match the way this set flips between grit and groove. Even 311 fans land here, since both scenes favor crisp backbeats, melodic hooks, and a laid-back pocket. Across those bands the common thread is sunny melodies riding rhythmic snap, and a live feel that invites singing more than staring.