Hey now, Smash Mouth is playing a show in Rochester this weekend
Get ready for a smashing performance this weekend as the all stars of upbeat, alternative music make their way to Rochester. Known best for their popular hits such as “I’m a Believer” and “All Star,” Smash Mouth is ready to take the stage at the Think Bank Down by the Riverside concert series to showcase their distinctive blend of 60’s and 80’s punk rock.
The concert will be held at Mayo Park on Sunday, July 25, beginning at 7 p.m. with opener Push & Turn. Smash Mouth will perform at 8 p.m. Admission to the show is free.
Formed in 1994 by a group of musicians that included current members Steve Harwell and Paul De Lisle, Smash Mouth abruptly grew in popularity after the release of their first hit, “Walkin’ On The Sun.” Since then, they have approached top charts with their greatest hits, been nominated for a Grammy, and have had their music featured in the popular Dreamworks Animation film, Shrek.
After connecting with bassist and backup vocalist Paul De Lisle, reporter Grace Sprecher learned more about how Smash Mouth handled their transition into fame — along with De Lisle’s reaction to the thousands of memes and parodies that came to light after the release of “All Star” and their feature in Shrek.
MCB: You wrote the definitive biography of Smash Mouth. Take us back — what was it like to be a part of the band as you were quickly rising in popularity?
De Lisle: We weren’t spring chickens when we started, so it was kind of a bit of a last ditch effort, at least for me. We started in 1994 and Greg Camp and I had been in a couple bands together — we were musical partners. We hooked up with Steve Harwell who was a rapper, and we decided to do this thing. We were very focused and we knew what kind of songs we wanted to write. Still, the odds are against you. It took two and a half years, and then lo and behold: our card got pulled and it happened. I was stunned and shocked! … It was like suddenly entering a new life as a new person or something. It was really fun.
MCB: Was it difficult balancing regular life with the newly added commotion of fame and touring?
De Lisle: For us, things happened really really fast. We got picked up by Interscope on June 4, 1997. We made a video at the end of that month and we were on tour in the middle of July, so that’s about five weeks later. And then we’re on tour for the next year. By the time we came home for a break at Christmas not even six months later, we had sold two million records. So, I hadn’t even seen my family or anything. Things were weird. My parents and my older sisters — they were just kinda freaked out! … I’d be setting the table, being a nice guy. My mom would be in the kitchen and I’d say, “mom, while you’re there, could you maybe get me another glass of milk?” She’d say, “Oh sure! The rockstar can’t get his own glass of milk!” … But, I imagine it must be similar to winning the lottery — when your life changes so drastically so quickly. It can be dangerous, but you know, I’m still here. I’m not even broke yet!
MCB: What keeps you excited about playing the hits after all of these years later?
De Lisle: People ask, “are you sick of playing All Star?” Of course, you’re not gonna be stoked to play it every single night. But no, it’s a beautiful song — it’s a great song! I love it. We can mix it up and jam on it a bit, and it’s also the last song on the set. … This is the thing I love about Smash Mouth: Our keyboard player said an interesting thing last week — “I realize our band can appeal to basically any audience.” Bikers like us, but little kids like us too!
MCB: Do you have any advice for the younger generation of musicians wanting to start their own bands in 2021?
De Lisle: You have to do it for the love of what you’re doing … If you don’t love making up songs and learning them with your friends, you know, don’t start a band. Don’t do everything by yourself — get in a garage. If you’re just trying to get famous and it will be disappointing if you don’t, don’t do it because it’s not gonna happen. The odds are so far out. If it happens, great … You have to do it — I know this sounds cheesy — for the love of it. Even if you do get famous, it’s like, now what? You have to do it for the craft of it. That’s how it was for me… I enjoy playing live and I never get tired of it. But yeah, just go organic. Get in a garage, turn it up, and play with your friends.
MCB: Many fans are familiar with your greatest hits, but if you could recommend another song or album of yours to someone, what would it be and why?
De Lisle: This is gonna sound super braggy of me … I’m proud of our studio albums. There’s no filler. Greg didn’t write a bad song, and that really helps our live shows. We have this huge catalog to draw from, and if you listen to our records all the way through, you’d be surprised. It seems to me that all of them are kind of hits. I was never good at choosing the hits. I never thought “All Star” was a hit, I never thought “Walkin’ On The Sun” was a hit … those aren’t necessarily the best songs in our set, so we’re lucky in that sense. There’s really no filler if you listen to our albums. Greg and I had a very high standard for quality control for songwriting.
[My favorite song] is “Pacific Coast Party” because that’s the closest I ever came to writing a hit! There’s tons of good ones though. I like “Who’s There,” the first song on Astro Lounge. I think that’s such a driving, awesome song.
MCB: After your feature in Shrek, countless fans went out of their way to create memes, parodies, and covers of your music. When you were just starting out in San Jose, did you ever imagine you’d be such a success in today’s pop culture?
De Lisle: No, that’s the thing. I’m sitting here going, ‘How old am I? What the hell happened?’ With the Shrek thing … It’s an animated movie about a green ogre. Like, yeah, great, that’s gonna work out for us. And then it turned out to basically sustain our career. It’s the biggest thing that ever happened to us. We are known as the “Shrek band,” which is fine with me because it’s such a wonderful message, and every few years we get another generation of fans.
And, you would not believe the hundreds of things people have done to All Star! … It’s just crazy that song won’t go away! But it’s neat of course. You don’t get sick of it because you just think, ‘dude, how lucky are you that the song you wrote has that kind of impact?' Plus, it’s always fun for me because, and I like to remind people of this, in the breakdown part where it whistles, I’m the whistler!
Watch Smash Mouth live in concert this Sunday in Rochester. Details here.
✍️ Interview by Grace Sprecher
About the opening act: Push & Turn
Push & Turn is an energetic reggae/rock band from Rochester, MN consisting of Cameron Smith on drums, Kyle Truex on bass, and Sothea Lam on lead vocals/guitar/loop station. After years of playing the local music scene, they recently added lead guitarist/vocalist Tyler Kispert, and backup vocalist/keyboardist Zach Kase, adding a blues and jam band feel to their reggae sound with harmonies that turn heads.
