Apr 10 2000 @ Crystal Ballroom Portland, OR

My name is Scott. I'm new to the list, but have been into Fishbone for about ten years now. I've seen the Bone play every time they hit Phoenix, AZ since 91.(about 13 times). I've seen them play in Anaheim, Hollywood, and twice in Oregon where I now live. The show last night in Portland was one of the best I've seen in a while. I hope nobody gets pissed, but there were a couple of low poi...

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I was talking with a friend of mine, and he said that he has never seen a bad Fishbone show. Last night was NO exception! My girlfriend and I made the two hour trek to Portland to see Fishbone at the Crystal Ballroom. If we ever had a Familyhood Reunion I think it should be at the Crystal. The Ballroom is an old dancehall from the 20's that they reopened a few years ago. One of the novelist ascpects of the Crystal is that it has a "floating" floor. The floor has ball bearings, pulleys, etc. underneath it that makes it move. When I jump up in the air and come back down, the person standing next to me moves up a bit. Imagine a whole crowd of people doing it! It's pretty crazy.

Anyway, back to the show...

We arrived a few minutes before the doors were opened. I had a chance to chat with Spacey T and John Steward before the show. John said that the shows just keep on getting better and better. Both of them remembered me from the Nuttstalk show, which was super shweet (sic)! There is supposed to be an article in Drum Magazine on John also. It's supposed to come out in a week or two. If I did not say it in my last review, I'll say it in this one: besides being excellent musicians, all the guys in Fishbone are super cool guys. Every time I have talked to them they have always been really nice and not arrogant or anything like that.

Upon entering the building (the ballroom is on the third floor), I was surprised to see the walls covered in flats (like the ones they are SUPPOSED :) to send to the record stores). They had three pictures: one was the cover of the album, one had 4 pictures of the art from within the album cover, and the other had a blue fishbone and circles around it with black text advertising the album.

At the top of the stairs was the merchandise table. There were three shirts: a black one with the Truth and Soul logo on the front and a smaller blue logo (of the same picture) on the back; a white girl/baby-T shirt with smoking Fishbone on it; and some other shirt I didn't pay much attention too. The shirts were $15. They also had some buttons and magnets, Angelo's poetry book and CD, and the new CD. They also had Fishbone stickers (in white on a baby-blue background) that they were giving away for free.

The first band that played was called Homegrown, I believe. I really didn't like them that much. They kind of reminded me of a Rage Against The Machine/Limp Bizkit spin-off band, but worse. And you know, I have to say it: guitarists wearing cowboy hats are SO cliche!

The second band that played was Slightly Stoopid. They were not that bad at all. I thought they were trying to sound like Sublime just a little too much, but they were still good. They kept on saying "this is for all you skankers out there" and then they would play a song that was a thousand times too slow to skank too. I liked this band, but I thought a lot of their songs sounded the same.

And the next band that came out was the one we all went to see! Here's the set list, and yes this is in order. I was a dork and wrote down the songs as they played them!

Subliminal Fascism Beergut Bonin' In The Boneyard Aids & Armageddon (McKnight played guitar on this also) Cholly It All Kept Startin' Over Again Lyin' Ass Bitch Ma and Pa Just Allow Give It Up Deep Inside Behavior Control Technician When Problems Arise The Suffering I Wish I Had A Date Where'd You Get Those Pants Housework Karma Tsunami Party At Ground Zero -Encore- I'm A Weed Plant (acoustic) Shakey Ground Freddie's Dead -Double Encore- One Planet People Alcoholic

I thought Fishbone did an EXCELLENT job last night, especially Steward, McKnight, and Spacey T. They played a lot of the old songs and the "new" guys kept up with Angelo, Walt and Norwood just fine. Steward played SO much better last night than when I saw Fishbone on the Nuttstalk tour in February. He seemed to be more relaxed and pounded out the rhythms more.

I talked with McKnight after the show and he said "..they finally gave us a good mix." I didn't have the heart to tell them that I didn't think it was the greatest mix. Where I was standing, they had it so loud the sound started to get distorted. Spacey's guitar could have been turned up a bit. Norwood's bass could have been turned down a touch. The bass drum (the big round one that band normally put their logo on?? sorry, I'm not into drums!) could have been turned down as well. Don't get me wrong, they sounded great, it's just some minor changes I would have done.

I'm not going to give a blow by blow account of every song; that would just take way too long! I will make some comments about a few of the songs though. I was going to write down all the times that McKnight played backup guitar, but I only marked the one song, "Aids & Armageddon." McKnight's backup was a sweet complement to Spacy's lead. Even though they played Cholly, they didn't do the old extended song that went into the Fat Albert theme song. The version of "I'm a Weed Plant" was pretty cool. Angelo played his tiny sax and sang. Walt sang backup and Spacey played acoustic guitar.

The Oregonian actually had a full page ad for this show in the Friday A&E section. For the last couple of years The Oregonian and the Register Guard have not been advertising any Fishbone shows. I thought it would have been an almost sold-out show. I would guess that there was around 300 people in attendance; the Crystal sells out around 1200 or so. At least everyone there was gettin' down with Fishbone and having a good time! I hate when you go to a show and no one moves except for a few people.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Spectacular show. I don't need to say it, but I will. If they're in your area, go see them, or else you will be sorry!

I'm gonna go work on my scooter...

Chris Schatz

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