I've noticed that so many concert reviews aren't about the music in any meaningful way. In order to not fix that, here's a short review of the Fishbone concert at Swan Dive on 12/22/2024.
Damnage: If the bass player could take off his shirt a second time he'd be even more ripped and I'd swoon even more.
Bite Me Bambi: Like if No Doubt returned to their roots but were also actually fun.
Strawberry Fuzz: Their vocalist's face contorts when he sings like he's permanently on acid, they are locked in a tight sk8r groove. I wanna smoke a bowl in a sk8ing bowl with them.
Sun of Fishbone aka Fishbone: With the least amount of original members this is the most Fishbone I've ever seen Fishbone at. 12/10 the world needs Moore, Angelo, definitely not less.
The Venue: Locked everyone outside on their roof in December after the stated start time. Took me 30 minutes to realize there were two gender neutral bathrooms on the deck. How come the gender neutral bathrooms gotta be closets outside? You do realize how shitty that is? Almost as shitty as letting everyone in to an outside deck in December -- even in Las Vegas -- but not letting the doors stay open.
Ska is always a shit show.
Footnote to Review: Forcing people who are gender divergent into literal closets on the outside of your venue literalizes the worst aspects of so-called acceptance. Why not make those the gendered restrooms and make the two inside the gender neutral restrooms? Or better yet knock down that stupid wall, put in more individual stalls and everyone can go in the same place. The weirdos who insist on their division of pissing can go sit in the outside closets for once.
Footnote to the Footnote: --Anticipating an Objection: But what if some man violates someone in the accessible-to-all restroom? Then fucking prosecute them correctly for once and don't accept a culture that is built on literal colonialist rape? IDK, but the fact that you automatically assume there's gonna be sexual assault says a lot more about how you pre-accept assault culture than someone suggesting individual stalls and the nongendered community of restroom goers (that is, everyone). Creep.