Nov 22 2003 @ Malibu Inn Malibu, CA

So my wife and I went to see Fishbone on Saturday night in Malibu and i have to say, while it wasn't one of their best performances, it was probably the most fun I've had at a 'Bone show in a couple of years. And to me, that's 3/4 of the battle. From the get go, there appeared to be a huge sense of relief on John, Angelo, and Norwood's faces. And while I'll always love the N5 lineup, the addition of Brewster on keys and the new horn section adds so much to their sound. It's like the protein that I've been craving in my FB diet. And I'm happy to report that the color-by-numbers arrangements are gone, opening up a lot more room for jamming. Here's the setlist from what I could remember (definitely not in order):

Unyeilding Conditioning Another Generation Lyin' Ass Bitch Alcoholic They All Have Abandoned Their Hopes Pressure Freddie's Dead Ma & Pa Junkie's Prayer (just Angelo, Brewster, & Rocky) Bonin' Ugly Everyday Sunshine Sunless Saturday

encore: The Suffering Party @ Ground Zero

I'll be the first to admit I miss Walt and there were times that I sensed that Angelo did too. I think Angelo needs someone to be a foil for him to play off of. There were times when Brewster or Rocky would play that role, but nowhere near to the extent that Walt used to. Not yet anyway. But Angelo seemed to be having a blast playing band leader and cueing the horn section. Rocky George is a nice fit on guitar. Norwood did most of the background vocals with some help from Brewster, Tim-I and Kid Merv. And for as much as John Steward gets derided, I think you all should thank your lucky stars that he decided to stick around. Because i don't think the good ship Fishbone would be nearly as sea-worthy without him. All in all, a great show. But the best moment of all was just seeing the ear-to-ear grins on all the band members' faces at the end and Angelo and Brewster hugging as they walked off-stage.

-Adam

Stay tuned for Pt. 2 where I go into some detail about the drunk Barbie girls in the audience (and the frat guys who love them).

<<<