If you thought there was a better place than House of Blues Chicago and a better time then roughly 7:30, you weren’t in the pit to see Streetlight Manifesto “open” for Reel Big Fish. Technically they played first that night, but the tour is very similar to the Less Than Jake / Reel Big Fish tours of yore when the bands trade off opening for each other. On this particular night, that wasn’t the most positive thing for the Reel Big Fish fans.
Streetlight has a huge following on their own, and the kids were out in droves throwing elbows to show their support for their favorite New Jersey export. This amateur, full contact Wrestlemania spectacle went on for over an hour before Streetlight bowed out which meant that, by the time Reel Big Fish got on stage (more than an hour later), everyone was panting from sheer exhaustion and there wasn’t a full glass of water in sight.
The only respite from the frenzy was the opening few measures of The Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights” as experienced through saxophone, trumpet and trombone. As soon as the lyrics kicked in (“I think it’s a sign” for the record), it was back to full out brawl. The only downside to the show (other than $12 beers) is the fact that the Streetlight Manifesto performance was so good they might have beaten Reel Big Fish at their own game.
