Badfish, longtime Sublime tribute band, comes to New Haven with groundbreaking original music in tow
By Mario Tarradell
Badfish is a vibe. Badfish is a sonic house party complete with plenty of gyrating fans sipping libations and enjoying various extracurricular activities. Badfish is feel-good music.
For 22 years, the Rhode Island-based band – Joel Hanks on bass, Scott Begin on drums, Pat Downes on vocals and guitar, Danny Torgersen on horns, keyboards, and guitars – have successfully paid tribute to Sublime, the short-lived but influential California group that brought ska-punk and reggae-rock to the mainstream. Badfish’s heartfelt celebration of Sublime’s musical spirit and legacy is so sought-after that they’ve headlined theaters, sold out shows, and played 15-20 gigs a month.
But now, Badfish is more. After two decades of Sublime reverence, Badfish originality is stomping into high gear. Badfish recently released its second new song, the anthemic, groove-fortified “F You Pay Me,” with special guest Grieves, as the follow-up to the band’s first single, “High on You.” Now the Sublime repertoire is nicely augmented by fresh original tracks that blend seamlessly together.
Onstage, you get Badfish playing the best of Sublime as well as the best of Badfish. Catch them in concert January 24 at 8:30pm (doors @ 7:30pm) at Toad’s Place (300 York St, New Haven, CT 06511). Tickets are $28.51; all ages are welcome. Get your tickets here.
“Putting out original music alongside being a tribute band has always been a point of interest to us,” says Begin. “It’s been a tricky path to walk, though. 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.”
That means you’ll hear Sublime staples “What I Got,” “Santeria,” and “Wrong Way” woven with Badfish’s own beat-heavy new single, “F You Pay Me,” which blends rock, reggae, and hip-hop along with lyrics about re-prioritizing self-preservation as the follow up to the band’s first single “High With You” (featuring Little Stranger). The crowd’s enthusiastic response to these new songs makes them feel right at home alongside Sublime staples in the Badfish set.
There’s no resisting these tunes; you’re going to move.
“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 lucky enough to capture them,” says Begin. “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.”
Harnessing this new creative energy, Badfish is stoked to gear up for their 2025 Gimme The Gold Tour. The tour will take the boys around the country where they’ll surely keep the vibes high for some familiar faces and many new ones as well.
Share your Toad’s Place experiences with us by using #findingconnecticut on Instagram
Click here to learn more about Toad’s Place
Click here for the latest news at Toad’s Place
Click here for the upcoming events at Toads Place
Click here for the latest news in New Haven
Click here for the upcoming events in New Haven
Click here for the latest news in New Haven County
Click here for the upcoming events in New Haven County events
••••• Message center •••••••
OnWashington gift card
One card, multiple choices! The gift that’s a sure thing-the OnWashington Gift Card, a community-based digital gift card that is a wonderful way to support local small businesses. Consumers can purchase an OnWashington E-Card to send as a gift which can be used at participating restaurants, shops, and salons that are part of AGW SONO Partners’ extensive Washington Street Historic District portfolio. With the OnWashington Gift Card, purchasers can write a personal message and send it to family, friends, and colleagues via email, text, or physical copy. All digital and always available on your phone, recipients can choose to spend it at any participating merchant or mix it up and spend flexibly at multiple locations. Current OnWashington Gift Card merchants include: Eco Evolution, Cheese & Bread, Salon Etre, Tablao Wine Bar, Oishi Sushi & Izakaya, Jean’s Closet, Mecha, Donovan’s, Lazy Sister, Music & Industry, Pokemoto, Himalaya (2025), and more to come! Click here to purchase.
Connecticut Merch
Looking for Connecticut merch? Think of us this holiday season. All proceeds help us grow Finding Connecticut.
Our popular collections 203 • Two o’ Three • 860 • Eight Six O’ • I Really Really Miss Connecticut • Just a kid from Connecticut • Pride • Love & Live • Connecticut Fall
We also have merch by town, not all towns are available yet. You can always contact us and we can order the design you are looking for.
Save 10% on all products with promo code Post10. Always free shipping
Fairfield Theatre Company Events
Sex and the City creator Candace Bushnell brings her True Tales of Sex, Success, and Sex and the City to FTC click here to purchase tickets.
Click here to read our interview with Candace Bushnell.
Fall Cooking Classes
Looking for fall cooking and holiday ideas. Click here for AMG Catering. & Events Fall cooking schedule.
Gourmet Cookies
Indulge in Keksi gourmet cookies, featuring classic flavors such as chocolate chip and snickerdoodle, as well as new monthly creations. Made with the highest quality ingredients, each bite is a delicious treat. Perfect for any cookie lover! Save 20% with code CONNECTICUT24
Hartford Wolf Pack November 2024 home games
11.27.24 – Hartford Wolf Pack vs Providence Bruins click here to purchase tickets
Movie showtimes at Prospector Theater
Looking to see a movie. Click here for showtimes
Let’s create with Victory Designs
Need help with your creative needs? Our team has 20+ years of experience with Adobe, Shopify, and WordPress, and we offer affordable graphic design and web services. Let Victory Designs assist you with bringing your ideas to life.
Connecticut business owners:
Are you a local business owner in Connecticut looking to boost your visibility and reach more customers? Look no further! Our platform provides a unique opportunity to showcase your business to an engaged audience of people who love and live in Connecticut. By partnering with us, you can reach potential customers who are actively seeking things to do, places to dine, and local merchants and service providers to support. Don’t miss out on this chance to grow your business and connect with the local community!
Connecticut with us!
Get our news straight into your inbox daily for free!
Stay connected with us on social media
Facebook • Instagram • Threads • Tiktok • X • Google News • Newsbreak
Join our Reddit community
Share your Connecticut experiences with us by using #findingconnecticut on Instagram
Click here to return to Finding Connecticut’s home page
Don’t miss our reviews
Concert reviews • Restaurant reviews • Family restaurant reviews
Looking for the latest news by region, topic and events
Latest news by region
Fairfield County • Hartford County • Litchfield County • Middlesex County • New Haven County • New London County• Tolland County • Windham County
Latest sports news by team
Hartford Wolf Pack • Hartford Yard Goats • Connecticut Sun • Norwich Sea Unicorns •
2024 schedules
Hartford Wolf Pack • Hartford Yard Goats • Connecticut Sun • Norwich Sea Unicorns
Events by region
Fairfield County • Hartford County • Litchfield County • New Haven County • New London County • Middlesex County • Tolland County • Windham County
Events by Interest
Art • Sports • Family Friendly • History • Concerts • Farmers’ Markets
Events by the month
November 2024 • December 2024 • January 2025 • February 2025 • March 2025 • April 2025 • May 2025 • June 2025 • July 2025 • August 2025 • September 2025 • October 2025 • November 2025 • December 2025
Events by venue
College Street Music Hall • Space Ballroom • Westville Music Bowl • District Music Hall • Fairfield Theatre Company • Hartford Stage • The Bushnell • Goodspeed Opera House • Mohegan Sun • Foxwoods • New York Comedy Club Stamford • Westport Country Playhouse • Goodspeed Opera House