Reel Big Fish, Anti-Flag

Here’s the thing about a horn section — it almost always makes a song better. Whether you’re talking about soul or funk, rock or reggae, a well-appointed horn section can take already great songs to a whole new level, and make middling songs seem a lot better than they really are. In the mid-’90s wave of ska-influenced acts like No Doubt, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Less Than Jake, having a killer horn section is one of the things that made Reel Big Fish stand out. It certainly helped make a hit out of the SoCal band’s 1997 breakthrough “Sell Out.” They’re still on the road plying their energetic wares, including a tour that includes fellow ’90s refugees Anti-Flag as well as reggae-fied Ballyhoo! and Toronto punks Pkew Pkew Pkew.