Jun 16 2001 @ North Star Bar Philadelphia, PA

At 11:30pm, Fishbone started their ejaculation of the Nuttmeg Funk!!! Here is the set list:

Who Do You Believe? [Dirty Walt song] Nuttmeg World [Dirty Walt song] Karma Tsunami Skankin' to the Beat Riot Frayed Fuckin' Nerves Sitting in the Heat of Anger Primadawnutt Pressure Behavior Control Technician Deep Inside Shakey Ground Freddie's Dead Ma and P...

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was great. Started off with Who Do You Believe, then Nuttmeg World.. the set was mostly like last Saturday's at the Wetlands only with a little bit of Swim and the three new songs, "Frayed..", "In the Heat of Anger" and another one with Nuttmeg in the title about those who believe they er...emit gold bars and p*** silver ...they were recording so maybe a live album???? For those who were there the...

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One of the best surprises of my life happened this past weekend, when I discovered that my weekend trip to Philadelphia coincided with an appearance by the legendary Fishbone. Too cool! I've been a huge Fishbone fan since I was 13 and it was a dream come true to finally experience the band in a club setting. I had seen them open for the Chili Peppers and STP in the Molson Centre last summer; but the difference between the two shows was like night and day.

The North Star Bar turned out to be a very small club; and I knew that it was going to be a hot night with so many Fishbone fanatics crammed into such a tight floor. The two opening acts did a decent job of warming up the crowd. Local outfit B-Sides showcased a solid two-guitar attack with strong singing. A.K.P., a line-up of three MCs and a four-piece of musicians, kept things aggressive and heavy with a rap-metal sound; but they became somewhat repetitive lyrically, as nearly every song was an anthem of defiance.

Sometime after 11:00, Fishbone took the stage to riotous applause that only intensified when they announced that they were recording the night's show. I don't know if the band was even more intense because the tapes were rolling; but they proceeded to drop one of the best live sets that I have ever seen.

Much like the Rollins Band concert that I saw last summer, this show gave me a new respect for the band's latest album. Although I can't say that it is as strong as the group's earlier work, it formed the nucleus of a live set that was without a single wasted song. From the frantic energy of "Behavior Control Technician" to the sing-along dynamics of "One Planet People," from the positivity of "Everyday Sunshine" to the nimble word-slinging of Dr. Madd Vibe's poetry, every effort was a triumph.

The greatest credit for the strength of the concert has to belong to charismatic frontman Angelo Moore. He was excellent on vocals, saxophone, and theremin; but his attitude was what kept the audience in a frenzy. While the crowd stayed fairly tame for the first two songs, "Skankin' to the Beat" triggered the start of the mosh. Angelo encouraged the slamming, saying, "Nobody's going to get thrown out of this concert; you paid your money, so have a good time." Not one to rest on words alone, Angelo dove into the crowd and sang "Pressure" while swimming his way to the back of the room. With energy like that, how could the audience fail to give all that they had?

The highlight of Angelo's performance came around 12:45, when he announced that the neighbours had complained about the noise and wanted to shut down the show. "I am personally going to go tell the neighbours to fuck off!" And he proceeded to do just that, taking his mic and climbing off the back of the stage, which exited onto the sidewalk. He tore into one lady with a string of adjectives that I couldn't even process as fast as he was saying them, before daring her to call the cops. None ever arrived.

Of course, even with Angelo's significant stage presence, Fishbone has always been a true group effort. Founding members Norwood Fisher (bass) and Walter Kibby (trumpet and vocals) remain a force; and new members Spacey T (guitar) and John Steward (drums) contributed to a very tight sound. The absence of keyboards was occasionally felt on older songs; but Angelo's theremin tinkering added new layers to the music.

After a one hour and forty-five minute set, Fishbone left the stage, promptly returning for an encore that stretched the concert past the two hour mark. The band's signature song, "Party at Ground Zero," closed the affair on a high note, with the crowd recognizing the end and going appropriately nuts.

I left the club completely drained and wholly satisfied with what was simply one of the greatest concerts that I have ever seen. After so many years, finally witnessing Fishbone's destruction in all its glory proved to be well worth the wait. Even two decades after the group's inception, Fishbone is red hot.

[Review also posted at http://almosthuman.ca/Jambalaya/Concerts/2001-06-16.html]

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