Fans of the band Sublime can belt out the lyrics to their favorite songs Monday as famous Sublime-tribute band Badfish performs at High Dive.
Emma Moscardini, a 21-year-old UF psychology graduate student, said she is looking forward to seeing Badfish live for the first time and was inspired to go due to her love of Sublime’s long-lasting music.
“I think Sublime resonates with the angsty teen in all of us without being as intense as bands like Bullet for My Valentine,” Moscardini said.
Whether your favorite song is “Wrong Way,” “Santeria” or “What I Got,” there’s no doubting that Sublime’s music has a way to resonate with fans even decades after the songs have been released.
Brandon Hardesty plays guitar and sings vocals in the band Bumpin Uglies and credits the late Bradley Nowell, the founder of Sublime, as the reason behind the band’s classic sound.
“Bradley wrote really relatable lyrics about being in his early twenties. Not everyone can relate to the SoCal setting, but most people can relate to that period of wildness and curiosity. It’s timeless in my opinion,” Hardesty said. “Also, hip-hop beats will forever make people’s butt move. You can count on death, taxes and that.”
Bumpin Uglies, which consists of Hardesty, Dave Wolf on bass, TJ Haslett on drums and Chad Wright on keyboard, is a popular Maryland-based band that uniquely blends ska, reggae and punk to create its own electrifying sound. Bumpin Uglies will be playing alongside Badfish at the High Dive this Monday.
I was able to talk to Hardesty about the upcoming show and the band’s music. Read on for more.
Q: How would you best describe your band’s sound? Who are your influences and how do they make an impact on your music?
Hardesty: We’re lyrically driven ska, punk and reggae, seasoned with elements of dub, folk and hip-hop. I can’t speak for the other guys, but I’ve been super influenced by Sublime, Scientist, Joe Pug and Jason Isbell.
Q: Can you describe the meaning behind the name Bumpin Uglies and how it came about?
H: Me and a buddy came up with it when we were 21 because we thought it was funny. If I’d known I was gonna be doing this more than 10 years later, I would have put more thought into it.
Q: How would you best describe your song writing process? Is it collaborative? Is there a certain theme your songs usually have?
H: I write all the lyrics myself. I tend to write a lot about love and depression. The vibe changes based on my perspective at the time, but those are two of the things that tend to get my creative juices flowing.
Q: Are you excited to perform with Badfish? Are you a fan of their band? What song by Sublime are you most excited to see them cover?
H: I am! Sublime is the whole reason I got into this genre of music, and Badfish murders their catalog. I really like “Seed” and “Garden Grove.”
Q: How have you been preparing for the concert? Any songs you're most excited to play for your fans? Are you nervous?
H: I don't really get nervous anymore. I'm more comfortable performing than I am doing pretty much anything else. We've got a new album coming out on April 6 called “Beast From the East,” so we'll be playing a lot of the new material from that.
Q: Your band is from Annapolis. Have you been to Gainesville before? Is there anything in Gainesville you want to see/do while you're here?
H: We have! We've played the High Dive a handful of times now. Can't wait to hang out with our friends in Morning Fatty. They are all very handsome and let us stay at their house when we're in town.
Q: What do you hope the future holds for your band? Any dream tours or collaborators you'd love to work with?
H: I'd love to do a summer amphitheater tour with Slightly Stoopid and Rebelution. It would be super dope to link up with The Movement or The Skints as well. I write a lot of folk music as well, and I'm in the process of recording some of those songs. I'd love to get Jason Isbell to produce a session for that.
The 18-and-over Badfish concert, which will also feature Bumpin Uglies and Skunkape, starts at 7 p.m. with tickets $16 in advance and $18 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at ticketfly.com, Hear Again Records, High Dive box office or High Tides.
This will be one of multiple Florida shows for Badfish in March.
