Hagfish Rocked Our Lame Asses at First Reunion Show in Years: Photos

The story of Hagfish sounds less like a group of Dallas friends wanting to rock people’s lame asses and more like an HBO series created by Sofia Coppola and directed by Quentin Tarantino.  Had the arc of Hagfish played out a couple decades earlier, it would’ve been turned into a hit movie that played next to Singles, Swingers and Reservoir Dogs. 

The band had a meteoric upward trajectory as they shared stages with Descendents, Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Offspring; and, they even had David Bowie introducing their hit single “Stamp” on MTV.  But, a perfect storm of undiagnosed anxiety disorder (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and alcohol abuse derailed things at the turn of the millennium. Lead singer George Reagan felt like he allowed the band’s efforts to fall apart, and he spent the good part of a quarter century reconciling that fact.  

However, Saturday’s show at The Granada Theater was a chance for the slate to be wiped clean and show fans what Hagfish was really about.  Brothers Zach and Doni Blair have spent decades perfecting their skills on guitar in Rise Against and bass in Toadies, respectively. Drummer Tony Barsotti, though he pivoted to other artistic ventures over the years, never lost his over-the-top stage persona, complete with flying drumsticks and twirls that would make Tommy Lee jealous.  And, the lynchpin, Reagan, found support through friends, family and professionals to remove all those previous obstacles and come back better than ever.  

Backstage, everyone seemed like there was never a pause in the action. It looked more like a groom and his groomsmen dressing for a wedding. That same level of joking and nervousness filled the small green room and hallway. Friends and family shuffled about as Reagan pulled a sort of Mr. Rogers type outfit change, going from street clothes to a new, blue suit and black tie.  The Blair brothers slipped into their blue suits, as well; only Barsotti switching it up with a sleeveless white undershirt and suspenders.  

As special guest Stephen Egerton of Descendents fame fiddled and strummed his guitar in a corner chair (he joined the band for two songs in the middle of their set), Barsotti moved to the backstage load-in ramp and pounded out his warmup routine with a pair of drumsticks on anything that would take the beating.  A few hugs and jokes were shared and then it was time to go.  No Friday Night Lights pregame huddle, no chant, just a quartet of North Texas punk icons headed right onto the stage to a cheering crowd.

The show, clouded in a humid haze left from afternoon showers, felt like a Baptist tent revival had come to town – assuming that revival included crunchy guitars and quick-as-lightning tunes about girls, insecurity and insecurity about girls. A variety of bands easily wowed the crowd, including Jenni Rose’s (of Vandoliers fame) side project Tomgirls, as did the campy punk of Drakulas and opener Oddfellows.  But, the crowd was there to see Hagfish’s first show in six years and the first where Reagan admits he’s putting into it what he should’ve decades ago.  And, it showed. They come out swinging like we were still living in a George W. Bush administration.  If anything, they seemed tighter, faster and more energetic than they used to.  Unlike other reunion shows or nostalgia acts, the audience didn’t need to squint to imagine what they used to see on stage.  

Everyone inside the historic venue took away something special. The 27 songs, most written in the classic two minute micro-burst style that defined early punk, provided a magic carpet that metaphorically lifted the entire stage and floor up into the foggy night sky. Though, it did feel like the building’s foundation literally lifted as everyone sang and bopped in unison to the band’s biggest hits: “Happiness,” “Trixie” and “Stamp.” 

Local legend John Dufilho was in attendance. “I couldn’t stop watching Tony Barsotti!  He’s a one man show,” Dufilho exclaimed. 

Richard Rodriguez made the drive from Fort Worth just to see a band he fell in love with 25 years earlier. “I discovered them when I was working in a record store in Savannah, Georgia. It was exciting to see them play last night. I have nearly lost my voice today after singing all the lyrics with the band. [It] felt like I was in my 20s again for a little while,” Rodgriguez said.

Bobby Gorman also had a “time machine” moment. “Catching Hagfish last night was like stepping straight back into my 20s — pure ’90s Dallas energy. Loud, fast swagger with that signature smirk of attitude.”  

Gorman added, “For anyone who lived through that scene, it was a night that hit squarely in the soul.”

Jenni Rose felt honored to share the stage with her musical heroes. “[Hagfish] had a choice of openers and they all wanted my little side project Tomgirls to open. It was incredible to have a slot on such a special night at one of my favorite venues, full of so many old friends. I think [I] needed a show like this more than I realized.”

Melissa Kerwin said, “I loved seeing so many of my friends that I hadn’t seen in years. Nothing had changed in those 30 years.” Kerwin adds, “There was still the great banter between George and Zach. George still forgot the lyrics to the songs. How has Tony Barsotti not aged?”

GI Sanders put out Hagfish’s “Buick Men” through the DFW Legacy Series label. “What a night! Hearing those songs 30 years later was such a treat for everyone. I especially loved seeing some kids in the crowd — a new generation of punk rock fans in the making,” he said. 

Katherine Lilley was excited to relive her younger days for a night, saying, “It was like an energetic patchwork of that lighthearted hopeful time of my life that sometimes I feel like I lost, only to sometimes see glimmers of it in a show like this.”

The late, great Zac Crain once wrote about Hagfish in the Observer, calling them our “beloved band of dorks-in-suits.” It’s with great pleasure to say they rocked our lame asses the same way they did many years ago.

See photos from Saturday’s show: