Music notes: Ska-punk Reel Big Fish hit Durty Nellie's
Punk with rhythm
Reel Big Fish, a California ska-punk band, leapt from the underground to mainstream success in the late 1990s, after bands like No Doubt had introduced ska elements into pop. The band's songs are energetic, fast, catchy and danceable. The band makes a stop in Palatine this weekend as part of its “Don't Stop Skankin'” tour.
7 p.m. Sunday, March 23, at Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. $20. Go to durtynellies.com.
Buck starts here
Popular alternative/hard rock band Buckcherry will bring its intense guitar-based crunch to the suburbs this weekend.
9 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at Austin's Fuel Room, 481 Peterson Road, Libertyville. $25. Go to austinsaloon.com.
Record release show
Jon Langford, a driving force behind beloved bands the Mekons and the Waco Brothers, will perform with yet another of his bands, Skull Orchard, during a record-release show in the city. The Chicago-based Langford and Skull Orchard are about to release the album “Here Be Monsters,” which continues Langford's career-spanning exploration of the territory where country and punk meet. Anyone who has ever seen the Waco Brothers live knows that Langford is a singularly magnetic and energetic performer, so this promises to be an excellent show.
7 p.m. Sunday, March 23, at the Hideout, 1354 W. Wabansia, Chicago. $10. Go to hideoutchicago.com.