If you were at Liberty Hall Friday night, chances are you were a skanking fool at some point. Reel Big Fish brought a real big party when they celebrated 20 years of Turn the Radio Off, playing the album in its entirety (along with a few more songs). Their fans moshed, they danced, and they crowd surfed while the band, known for their famous wild shows, kept the energy high.

They were joined on this tour by possibly the most bizarre band we’ve seen to date. PPL MVR, not to be confused with the other band “People Mover” but pronounced the same way, consisted of three yetis who absolutely terrorized the place with vicious rock and roll. The frontman, a confrontation-loving creature who went by the name of “Snowball”, screamed right in the faces of their fans, bullied his way through the dense crowd, and wildly swung his guitar around with little regard for who he hit in the face. At one point, he even destroyed parts of the set, ripping it apart. “That means he likes you!” one of the guitarists yelled in an effort to reassure a nervous yet amused crowd.

Stacked Like Pancakes, the only other ska band on the bill besides RBF, opened up the night with a blast of that Baltimore energy. This is a band that demands your attention from the very first note. They were so lively, coordinated their dance moves, and had an animated frontman who jumped from speakers and into crowds. They effortlessly got the audience to sing along with them, and had everyone wrapped around their fingers. So when the singer yelled “Do me a favor and get fucking rowdy!” it hardly felt like a favor at all, and the audience was more than happy to oblige.

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Fally Afani is an award-winning journalist with a career spanning more than 20 years in media. She has worked extensively in radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and more.

1 Comment

  • thirdWaveSka, December 6, 2016 @ 1:59 pm

    Great review! Sounds like a fun show

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