REVIEW: Fishbone Reminds Albany How to Jamaica Ska

Jun 21

6/18 @ Empire Underground, Albany

“With a crowd that had to span at least 60 years between the youngest and oldest, these bands proved that some music is timeless, not only in the rhythm, but in the ability to bring people together.”

To preface this review, I need to take you back to 1987 real quick. 14 year old me was just starting to branch out on my own, musically. I had spent my first decade and a half consuming, for the most part, my parents' music. The Beatles, Beach Boys, Zeppelin, Floyd, etc. I was just discovering punk music, hip-hop, metal and reggae.

Then, I saw a scene in this goofy, ‘60s beach-movie parody called Back to the Beach that changed the course of my musical history. When Annette Funicello asked the guys on the beach if they knew how to “Jamaica Ska”, I had discovered a new love.

That love was ska.

If you know that movie, you know that the “guys on the beach” were none other than Fishbone, the L.A. based purveyors of the most unique blend of ska, punk, rock, and funk on the planet. Not only were they one of my favorite bands growing up, but they led to the discovery of more music than I can keep track of.

Which makes it extra cool that as I was driving down Pearl St. in Albany, towards Empire Underground, Angelo Moore of Fishbone was casually sitting in the back of the band's equipment trailer, practicing his saxophone. I wasn’t even to the venue, and already caught sight of one of my childhood heroes. It was destined to be a good night.

The crowd had already begun to gather as I arrived at the venue, which was shortly after the doors opened. There were probably two dozen folks mulling around outside, and easily twice as many inside. Members of Girth Control and Bite Me Bambi were at the merch table, chatting with fans, every one of them with huge smiles on their faces.

As showtime neared, the crowd had largely moved inside and made their way towards the stage where Girth Control immediately commanded the attention in the room. Not only are their songs sharp, fast, and funny, but the dudes themselves could have second careers as stand up comedians. I’m not sure I have ever heard a more riotous laughter from a crowd at a punk show as I did when drummer Mark McKenna announced the song, “Alright Mom, You Fucking Poser.”

The energy and joy Girth Control brought was absolutely infectious from note one. For the first couple of songs, it looked like a genuine mosh pit might form, but it always seemed to wane right on the cusp—much like seeing the beginning of a funnel tornado that dissipates before forming. Then, during “The Neverending 40”, magic happened. I got a mosh pit, a circle pit and even some good old-fashioned skanking. I may have been standing off to the side, observing, but in my head I was a teenager, jumping in the pit with reckless abandon.

By the time Girth Control was wrapping up their set, the crowd had nearly doubled. Looking back from the side of the stage, there were heads all the way to the door. It was truly shaping up to be an epic night.

The second act, Bite Me Bambi, has been on my radar for a bit. They, along with Fishbone, are part of Less Than Jake’s Summer Circus Tour. They used a night off to come play this show.

Being a female-fronted ska/punk band from Anaheim, it was very hard for me to not compare Bite Me Bambi to Anaheim’s other band that used to fit this bill, No Doubt. But, make no mistake, Bite Me Bambi are their own thing, and that thing is a spitfire of energy and tight musicianship.

Taking their name from the classic line uttered by Tara Reid in the movie Josie and the Pussycats, Bite Me Bambi brought all of the energy of a ska-infused spin class. Lead vocalist Tahlena Chikami somehow remained pitch-perfect while jumping around the stage with all the fervor of a riot, with charm to match. The fact that she also mentioned having “like, seven whiskeys” before the show, made her performance all that more impressive.

By the time Chikami asked the crowd if anyone “remembered the nineties” she had them wrapped around her finger. So, when they launched into a ska-infused cover of The Offspring’s “Want You Bad”, they had nearly the whole room singing along.

After Bite Me Bambi’s set, the energy of the room very quickly felt more urgent. The anticipation for Fishbone felt like a physical energy that tore through the venue. I could hear men in their 50s and 60s talking about “seeing Fishbone in ‘88” and “this is my 27th Fishbone show.” There were also large crowds of younger folks that were just beginning their journey with Fishbone with the same enthusiasm.

As members of Fishbone started taking the stage, Angelo Moore, their charismatic frontman and only constant member since its inception in 1979, began his walk through the crowd towards the stage. I have seen Fishbone several times, and he always does this. It may seem like a small thing, but to me it shows his true connection to the fans. It’s always great to see people’s faces when they realize that the person squeezing past them is Moore, fully dressed in one of his flashy suits.

Fishbone made it immediately clear that they were about to blow the roof off the place. They suspended anticipation for a near painstaking amount of time, building the rumble before the four-count triggered an explosion of sound. Their blend of rock, funk and even hints of metal struck me immediately. They sounded fuller, heavier and louder than ever, which was a surprise. A welcome one, but a surprise nonetheless.

One of the highlights of Fishbone’s set for me was during the song “Swim” (from the 1993 album, Give A Monkey A Brain And He’ll Swear He’s The Center Of The Universe) when Moore jumped into the crowd, who had no trouble surfing him around while he sang. The smoothness in which the lively crowd deposited Moore back on stage should be studied. It was as if they had rehearsed.

They continued the night with an energy that matched or exceeded the previous bands, even though it is likely that not a single member of those bands was born when Fishbone first formed. It was personally inspiring for me to see it, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t give me hope for my future as a musician that I perhaps didn't have going into the show. 38 years later and Fishbone once again changed my life in a positive manner.

With a crowd that had to span at least 60 years between the youngest and oldest, these bands proved that some music is timeless, not only in the rhythm, but in the ability to bring people together. Be it songs about beer, bad boyfriends, or social issues, all three of these bands did their part to soothe my soul.

So, in closing, yes: I know how to Jamaica Ska.