PORTRAIT OF A Real Reel Big Fish Fan AND A Reel Big Fish
When Reel Big Fish found mainstream acceptance with “Turn the Radio Off” in 1996, John Christianson was in college and Bill Denton was barely in high school. I guess you could say the album changed both of their lives, forever.
Hits such as “Take On Me,” “She Has a Girlfriend Now” and “Beer” struck a chord with the two. Almost 10 years later, Christianson’s playing trumpet in the band, and Denton, well, still digs the album.
John Christianson
Age: 29
Occupation: Trumpet player with Reel Big Fish since 2004
Hometown: Anaheim, Calif.
Current Residence: Montclair, Calif. “I couldn’t afford a home in Orange County. I really tried,” he said in a phone interview from a Las Vegas tour stop.
Favorite Color: Blue
Beverage of Choice: Diet A&W root beer. “I love diet root beer. I can’t do the full octane stuff. I get fat really easy.”
Upbringing: He was fortunate to have parents who could put up with the noise of a budding musician, especially while he was working his way through junior high band charts. “I made a lot of noise. More than you think.”
Away from the trumpet: “I’m hugely into motorcycles,” said Christianson, who is amassing a collection of vintage dirt bikes.
Thoughts on “Turn the Radio Off”: Christianson was studying jazz at Cal. State Northridge when “Sell Out” was released in 1996. Without a doubt, he appreciated the way Reel Big Fish augmented the traditional rock ‘n’ roll instrumentation. “Hearing bands with horns … I thought it was a great thing.”
Reel Big Fish’s Sad Story: The band hasn’t been getting much love from their label, Jive, which Christianson said isn’t helping to promote the new album, “We’re Not Happy ‘Till You’re Not Happy.”
“We are like the red-headed stepchild of the music industry,” he said. “For some reason, (Jive) made all these promises and then don’t follow through with them for us.”
Oh, yeah, after “Turn the Radio Off”: “We’re still here,” he said. “We’re still pissed off. And we’re still trying to make a living at this.”
William “Bill” Denton
Age: 23
Occupation: Jewelry salesman/ student at University of Idaho in Moscow
Beverage of choice: Long Island Ice Tea
Favorite color: Blue
Hometown: Potlatch, Idaho
Current residence: Moscow
Upbringing: Denton was very much into dinosaurs as a kid. It wasn’t until he was 11 that he put down his Pterodactyl for a pair of drumsticks. Early musical influences were Garth Brooks, Diamond Rio and the Kentucky HeadHunters, though he claims to have avoided the Billy Ray Cyrus catalogue.
Away from the Bling: Denton played with Fat Tuna, a ska band that covered the Reel Big Fish song “Beer.” The band played two shows, he said, and promptly broke up. Four of a Kind had a longer shelf life. The country band he started with his brothers, Brian and Roger, played for 10 years, but is now on hiatus.
Thoughts on “Sell Out”: The hit record was Denton’s introduction to the band and remains one of his favorite albums. “It was one of my only tapes in my car when I could first drive.”
Bill’s Sad Story: Reel Big Fish played a free concert in May at the University of Idaho. Denton heard the first three songs and had to bail to perform a five-minute tune in an orchestra concert. Reel Big Fish started late, and he missed the remainder of the set.
“I was pissed,” he said. “One of my favorite bands shows up to do a free concert and it just happens to be a night that I just can’t make it. I wasn’t too happy.”
Oh, yeah, after “Sell Out”:
“Sell Out” was enough to make Reel Big Fish one of Denton’s favorites, but he blames finances for never getting into the band’s previous or subsequent records. “I just haven’t bought any CDs for a long time,” he said. “I’ve been a broke college student for five years.”