Fishbone With a Little Funk and Soul
Here is a night I make the trek to the old Mason Jar, now known as the Rebel Lounge, to catch one of the best bands I’ve seen play outside of festival shows. When Fishbone is given their own show and set, they play one of the most fantastic sets I have seen any band play every time. If you’re a fan of any ska or reggae, you owe it to yourself to catch one of their shows.
This night opened with the pleasant surprise of a local funk band known as Dr. Delicious. This nine piece band brings a great flavor to funk. Now, I’m not going to pretend to be the biggest expert on the genre, but I can be a judge on a great sound and these guys have one. Their lead vocalist, Kelley, is an amazing singer up there. A great, funky set to start off the night.
From there we went into Aunt B, made up of long standing musician vets according to their Facebook profile. Another pleasant surprise of the night was Mike Spero, of Authority Zero, filling in on bass for them on this night too. These guys, from what I can tell the two times I’ve seen Aunt B, do great covers of old blues and rock songs. Another amazing leading vocalist found in this band too.
Then I get to give a fun anecdote of being that guy, who doesn’t recognize a member of the band I’m there to see. Right before Fishbone’s set I am out on the patio, and presented a question about if there is a cutoff on how late they could play. I explained I don’t think so and turn to Paul, of Fishbone, smoking to my left and say hopefully they will play a two hour set again like last time. He not only gives me an answer, but as if he isn’t in the band with an “I think they will play a two hour set.” That was a funny realization being told he is in the band shortly after.
With that setup, now you know Fishbone played another amazing two hour set. The crowd would fluctuate, occasionally creating a circle pit for skanking and moshing alike depending the pace of the song. It would usually disappear, only to reappear later for another song. These guys are amazing on stage, full of a sense of humor and Angelo big on fan interaction through and after it. I don’t know if I want to miss a Fishbone show again. I love what I catch every time I see them.
