If you’re of a certain age (hello, Gen Xer!), get ready to hop on a music time machine. The multiplatinum legends behind the soundtrack to your premillennium youth are taking you on a trip.
Smash Mouth, founded in San Jose, Calif., in 1996, brings the ultimate feel-good soundtrack, with hits that instantly transport you back to road trips, movie nights and those perfect moments when life felt limitless—you know, the time before we began doomscrolling and our attention spans lasted longer than the length of a TikTok.
The band’s journey began when Steve Harwell, Kevin Coleman, Greg Camp and Paul De Lisle formed the group, originally drawing from punk and ska influences before evolving into the pop-rock powerhouse we know today. Its breakthrough came with 1997’s Fush Yu Mang, featuring the groove-heavy “Walkin’ on the Sun,” which catapulted the band into mainstream success. But it was 1999’s Astro Lounge that truly cemented Smash Mouth’s legacy, delivering the cultural phenomenon “All Star.”
Throughout its career, Smash Mouth has sold over 10 million albums worldwide, its music featured in films, television shows and commercials. Its sound became synonymous with the optimistic spirit of the late 1990s and early 2000s, providing the perfect soundtrack for endless summers.
In 2023, Smash Mouth released its first studio album, Missile Toes, in 11 years, marking its first album with new singer Zach Goode. Since Goode joined the band in 2022, the band has also released several singles, including a cover of Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Their latest single, “Blinding Lights,” was released in January of this year.
The current members—De Lisle, Goode, Michael Klooster, Randy Cooke and Sean Hurwitz—have mastered the art of connecting with an audience, creating an atmosphere that leaves fans feeling pretty darn good. Their live shows are pure, unadulterated fun, a full-blown celebration of our collective youth where every song feels like a greatest hit and every lyric is a shared memory. Now you have a chance to belt out “Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me” with all your angst and might.
Who can resist music this universally beloved? We sure can’t.
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