On a cold, snowy, fall night in Mil-waukee, Wisconsin, the band Smashmouth played to a near-packed concert hall.

Before they appeared, Milwaukee/ Madison funksters, Little Blue Crunchy Things, attempted to get a lethargic crowd moving with their incredibly fast-paced songs. The band came out dressed in full cowboy costume and glow-in-the-dark facepaint. They played their usual concert songs, like “Numbers,” “Sugar,” and “Florence.” To finish off their set, they played a very energetic song called “Halloween,” which covers all of the types of music that they play.

A ska band called The Smooths played next. Very comparable to Reel Big Fish, the octet seemed to resurrect the dead crowd in a matter of three songs. “Bewitched,” a fast-paced, horn heavy song, seemed to be the song that woke the dormant crowd. Everyone at the front started moshing wildly, and bodies could be seen being passed overhead.

Finally, after a long setup, Smashmouth appeared on stage.

The lead singer’s devilish grin made the teens in front even more anxious to get going. The band played the first seven songs from their CD, “Fush Yu Mang,” in order, with the exception of their hit, “Walkin’ on the Sun.” The timid and weak were forced to the back of the concert hall due to the risk of being crushed in the mosh pit. The crowd went absolutely crazy when the lead singer chanted the first words of the song, “Let’s Rock.” The band did decide to play Sugar Ray’s “Fly,” but then moved to their own material with the ska-tinged “Disconnect the Dots” and “Walkin’ on the Sun.” The lead singer held his microphone to the crowd when the refrain came, and seemed to be impressed with the feedback. For the closer, the band played War’s “Why Can’t We Be Friends?” which also appears on their album. However, the song evolved into three more songs, including “Jump Around” by House of Pain.

Most fans walked out with a smile on their face, and probably a few bumps and bruises. .