Badfish

Words by Amiyah Golden

The city of St. Augustine is always a place filled with treasure and joy, but this time of year is even more delightful as the streets are adorned with lights, throngs of bodies and music.

The Colonial Oak Music Park that is tucked in the heart of downtown attracts listeners from far and wide to enjoy a night of tunes under the 300-year-old oak tree. Rich in history and vibrant sounds, this venue hosts an assortment of acts.

This particular night I traveled to see Badfish, a Sublime tribute band that hails from Rhode Island and has traveled far-and-wide to join fans who all share the love of the famous reggae, punk band.

Badfish includes four mates with Pat Downes on vocals and guitar, Joel Hanks on bass, Danny Torgersen on horns, keyboards and guitar, and Scott Begin on the drums.

While they are highly acclaimed for their cover performances, Badfish has also released their own original music, with a recent drop, “F You Pay Me,” featuring Grieves.

As time inched closer to the start of the show, what once was a spacious patch of dirt, was now filled with bodies who were beaming with anticipation.

Groovy guitar chords and a steady tempo from the drummer backed up the vocals from Downes as they worked the stage and the crowd. Fans sang along to cult classics while losing themselves in the sound waves that exuded from the elevated platform in front of them.

It was the perfect start to the Thanksgiving holiday, as many savored the exciting moment under the winding branches.

Joined by the shared appreciation for ska-punk and reggae-rock, spectators were able to enjoy nostalgic ballads, while hearing new innovative productions from Badfish.

“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 so lucky enough to capture them,” said Begin, according to a recent press release. “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.”

Twenty-two years later of jamming together, the band has established a devoted fan-base and continues to garner new listeners.

“Putting out original music alongside being a tribute band has always been a good point of interest to us. It’s been a tricky path to walk, though,” Begin added. “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.”