Jun 27 2004 @ 7th Calle Diez World Music Festival San Diego, CA

So, i find out that FB is going to be headlining the 7th annual Calle Diez World Music Fest, Part I, and it is going to be the very last live concert to be held at this particular venue (an old Carnation Milk factory that's been converted into a kind of art/performance art gallery).

When i get there (at around 8:30 PM) it is an open air venue. A stage set up against the wall of the building with a large concrete area in front of it and a bunch of chairs off to the side. One of the many warm up bands is playing. i check around, there is some cool art displayed on all the walls, and i see Norwood bopping around. The crowd is pretty small, i'm guessing maybe 40 people in front of the stage, maybe 15 more over in the chairs and 10 more over in the bar area.

Finally Fishbone gets on stage, i don't know what time it was, but i'm guessing around a little before 10:00. Now, this is the first time i've seen the new line up, so i don't quite know what to expect. The lineup for this show was Rocky George on guitar Norwood Angelo Steward i couldn't catch the trumpet players name McKnight on Trombone Tre (or maybe Dre?) on keyboards

i couldn't even begin to recall the setlist, but here is what i can remember (in no particular order) Another Generation Are You Wid It Ma & Pa Party at Ground Zero Freddie's Dead

My memory is going, i can't remember much more.

Anyway, as for the show, for a while, this show was awesome. Rocky has a style that is much more organic to the FB sound than Spacey did--to my ears anyway, if you liked Spacey's sound, Well, that's just like your opinion, man. But the real peaks were: Dre or Tre is absolutely amazing on keys. i was blown away. Angelo never sounded better on the theremin (usually i'm not too impressed with the theremin, it just has this thin sound that runs through the mix, but this night Angelo was making that thing wail!). And lastly, the vocal harmonies--four part! Norwood, Angelo, the trumpet player and McKnight all came together to make some outstanding vocals.

Norwood, had to have his drink on...called for some tequila from the bar "for all his hard work!" and then passed it around. Angelo went for a second sip, but Norwood grabbed it first and downed the rest.

The show was really awesome for a while, but i think the lack of a crowd began to hit the guys, and when the cops came by and said the show had to shut down (promptly at 11:00 PM, you gotta love them SDPD), the band didn't put up a fight. Just announced they had to stop, and they stopped. Now, mind you, this place is right next to the new SD ballpark in downtown. The only neighbors are condemned buildings which are soon to become more parking lots for the ballpark, but, i guess rules is rules and when the man say stop, you stop.

Anyway, in my opinion, this was musically the best fishbone i've seen in a while. But then again, i'm a list heretic, i don't really like the Chim Chim Fishbone, so make of that what you may. All i can say is check 'em out, they blew me away. Same old setlist or no.

-- chris

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