Does anyone still care about Fishbone? Montreal and Toronto have always been major markets for the infamous '80s and '90s ska/rock/funk band, but their particular witches brew is currently past its prime awaiting another revival. Point is, Fishbone are road warriors, but the road is bumpier than before.
After going through a lethargic stretch during the '90s, they seem to have picked up steam at least musically once again. It's faint praise, but if they can keep it moving at this pace, they could turn into an institution like Parliament Funkadelic (their opening song was Parliament's "The Goose"), trading on their past glories with a loyal audience across generations willing to relive their college years.
This time, however, the crowd was a little sparse even with the Montreal Jazz Festival's PR. The venue, the otherwise excellent SAT, was not ideal for a live show in which two large columns were very much in the line of sight. But the band's lingering power was still visible. Frontman Angelo Moore still looked lean and quite dapper with an Audrey Hepburn-like wig complete with grey swoosh. His vocals weren't as manic as they once were but neither were they hoarse, and he still played a mean baritone sax as well.
The bari-trombone-trumpet horn section still had locomotive power as they attacked old hits like "Everyday Sunshine" with gusto. Stage diving came and went with regularity, and gradually the crowd worked themselves up into, if not a frenzy, at least a lather.
After going through a lethargic stretch during the '90s, they seem to have picked up steam at least musically once again. It's faint praise, but if they can keep it moving at this pace, they could turn into an institution like Parliament Funkadelic (their opening song was Parliament's "The Goose"), trading on their past glories with a loyal audience across generations willing to relive their college years.
This time, however, the crowd was a little sparse even with the Montreal Jazz Festival's PR. The venue, the otherwise excellent SAT, was not ideal for a live show in which two large columns were very much in the line of sight. But the band's lingering power was still visible. Frontman Angelo Moore still looked lean and quite dapper with an Audrey Hepburn-like wig complete with grey swoosh. His vocals weren't as manic as they once were but neither were they hoarse, and he still played a mean baritone sax as well.
The bari-trombone-trumpet horn section still had locomotive power as they attacked old hits like "Everyday Sunshine" with gusto. Stage diving came and went with regularity, and gradually the crowd worked themselves up into, if not a frenzy, at least a lather.