Last week, Fishbone brought their rock/ska/funk-fusion to Fairfield, Conn.’s StageOne (Fairfield Theater Company) for an insane 90-minute-plus set of skanking, horns and unparalleled energy, further reminding me how much I love and miss ska music and Fishbone’s sexiness.
Led by frontman Angelo Moore, the seven-man band was like a well-oiled machine, blowing through hits and deep cuts from the band’s entire career, starting with the band’s 1985 self-titled EP and cruising through 2011’s Crazy Glue. Even in a tiny 225-seat room, Fishbone had most of the crowd on their feet dancing, singing, clapping, and having a killer time. It’s nearly impossible to avoid Moore’s contagious spirit; the man lights up, his passion infecting the room whenever he performs (which you already know if you caught the 2012 documentary Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone – currently available for streaming on Netflix Instant).
Though Fishbone are well-respected and revered in the industry, sadly they’re not a household name – a topic also explored by Everyday Sunshine. Even though they influenced a number of bands, from No Doubt to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Primus, Sublime and countless others, Fishbone sadly never exploded the way many thought they would in the late 80’s and early 90’s. That said, no other band compares to the Fishbone experience. They seamlessly fuse funk, punk, ska, reggae, soul, and hard rock together, and deliver all of that and more in their zany live show.
For this week’s Music Monday, check out some Fishbone and love your life:
And if you’ve never heard Fishbone before…a preview wouldn’t be complete without Party at Ground Zero:
A peak at the setlist from the 2-28-13 show in Fairfield:
