Is my (and by proxy, UPROXX’s) fascination with Smash Mouth, and all Smash Mouth-related content, ironic? I have no idea. It’s not as if I’m ever dying to hear some Fush Yu Mang deep cuts, but when “All Star” or “Walkin’ on the Sun” are on the radio, I’ll sing along to every word. So, that means it’s genuine…maybe? Smash Mouth is probably smack dab between the Gin Blossoms, a band I actively like and still listen to, and Crash Test Dummies, which, no, on the ironic/genuine scale.
Further muddling things up is singer Steve Harwell’s interview with Noisey. He comes across as a…totally self-aware, cool dude. GOD WHY CAN’T YOU BE AN EGG-SUCKING D*CK.
Speaking of the 90s, it’s been 15 years since “All Star” came out.
It feels like it came out yesterday. It’s weird, people ask me, “Do you get bored of playing these songs?” I’m like, “Why would I get bored of playing them? This is what puts bread and butter on my table.” You know, there’s always somebody in the crowd who hasn’t heard it. Or hasn’t seen it live. When I go out onstage, I look at it that way. Once that classic song starts, people just go bananas. Has “Free Bird” ever got old?
Do you listen to any new bands these days?
You know, I’m a big classic rock guy. I love STP, Van Halen of course, been getting into a lot of older stuff. They have a classic rock station here. Guy named Greg Kihn, who was a pop star back in the day, he’s a radio DJ friend of ours. I listen to that a lot. They play a lot of Smash Mouth, to tell you the truth, and it’s kind of trippy to hear that. Usually I only hear it when I walk into a Chili’s or something.
And best of all:
You also appear at the charity concert at the end of Rat Race.
That’s probably one of the highlights of my career. Getting to meet Whoopi Goldberg and Jon Lovitz and Cuba Gooding and Seth Green and those guys. Talk about a prankster — Cuba Gooding was shooting that scene and he’s standing there and he’s got his balls hanging out of his zipper. And I’m cracking up. Nobody noticed it, but he pulled his balls out of his pants. I f*cking lost my sh*t during the scene, but what a great, great time with that cast.
So yeah, Smash Mouth might be the Guy Fieri of bands, but at least I like what they’re serving.
