Fishbone Concert (May '07)

So, as per your demands and my promises, I'll give you all the rundown on the Fishbone concert I attended last weekend.

I met up with my brougham BeeTee early enough to get a jump on the crowd, and we headed off to the venue. True to form for me, we got there well ahead of the actual concert, so we ordered some food and ate at the bar. I'm always paranoid that I'll get there late and miss the band, or that the place will be so crowded that I'll have to stay in standing room back by the doors. Inevitably, I end up walking in an hour or two before the first note is even played and get to hang around awkwardly in a room full of equally awkward strangers. The flip side of this is that nine time out of ten, the person I do end up chatting amiably with before the show ends up being in one of the bands.

Finally, after what seemed an interminable time, The first band came up to the stage. It looked like fifteen roadies were setting up equipment all at once, but it turned out to be the band. The band was named KingRat, and I liked them more than the other two opening acts. They were an ambient/dub group who performed instrumentals and did so rather well. The set wasn't flawless, but it was a damn sight better than most bands I've seen live over the years, so if you get a chance to see them, take the chance.

Next up was a highly-touted foursome called End Rezult. I'm not linking to them because I am a kind and merciful blogger. To say that they sucked is to say that the Tsunamis were a few big waves that hit SE Asia. Actually, I will give them some measure of credit. They didn't suck instrumentally. I just didn't like what they played. Vocally, they sucked harder than a crack whore with the rent due. I'd say more, but I don't have anything else to say that's nice, so I won't say anything.

The last opener was a fun group from up in Yankee land called Lordz of Brooklyn They had musical talent, but chose to play relatively simple songs. I can't say that they were a great band, but they were charismatic as hell and just plain fun. By the end of their set, the area in front of the stage was packed and people were moving. I wouldn't tell you to go out and buy an album, but if you see them playing near you and you like fun, loud, hip-hop influenced rock, check out the Lordz.

After about a thirty minute break, Fishbone took the stage to great and enthusiastic applause from the crowd. It had now been over four hours since we walked into the club, but as soon as Angelo grabbed the mike and started talking to the crowd, all of that ceased to matter. Time had stopped. The rest of the world had ceased to exist. All that mattered was right there and right then. Fishbone was about to play.

If you've seen Fishbone before, I don't need to tell you how high-energy and all-around exhausting the show really is. If you haven't seen them, there's nothing I can say to convey what it's like in that crowd with Fishbone tearing it up on the stage. I have been to literally hundreds of concerts all over the country. I've seen music that spans genres and seen it in venues ranging from stadiums to coffee houses. Fishbone is the best show I have ever seen anywhere, ever. Bar none. Quite literally, If I could see them every night, I would. They are that damned good. The fact that they always play a long-ass set when they headline doesn't hurt either. After a couple of hours, you feel like you got your money's worth, even if you aren't ready for it to be over.

Now let me talk about the music for a second. Back in '91, one of the band members said that Fishbone is "tighter than a mosquito's ass" when playing live. If anything, that was understating the case. I've seen them have equipment failures, missing instruments, and personal tragedies, and not one time have they missed a single note on a single song. It helps when every member of the band is a badass musician in his own right, but to get that many people to play that tightly that many times a year--it borders on the breathtaking. The lineup has changed over the years, but that quality of performance has not. Fishbone is red hot!

One more comment about the lineup. This current lineup might just be the best damn lineup that Fishbone has ever had. They have commented in interviews that it is certainly the most drama-free lineup, but I'll come right out and say that this is the most talented lineup as well. I've seen this lineup four times now (well, PaDre has left and Curtis has joined, but it's basically the same lineup,) and they are unassailable. If you don't go see them (they just started a tour,) you are doing yourself a massive disservice.