We were lucky enough to see a small screening of the new Fishbone biographical movie, Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone last night. The Central Cinema was hosting movies as part of the currently-running Langston Hughes African American Film Festival.

Having been a *huge* Fishbone fan most of the time I’ve lived in Seattle, I was stoked to hear about this movie several months ago – it came out in a Los Angeles film festival last June, but then only sporadically appeared in very limited showings since. It is now about to debut on DVD, Scarecrow is ordering it, etc. so I’m sure far more people will get to see it as is deserved.

It is a bittersweet tale, and several things are very apparent. Fishbone has been (and remains) a band that really cannot be defined by many/any musical categories. Not only do they combine elements of ska, metal, funk, reggae and other ridiculously diverse influences – but they simply do not compromise in this vision – in many ways to their own detriment. Naturally this works against them as far as Big Money Record Companies go – and there is notable discussion of this throughout the movie as you might expect – but it has also served to limit their audience longer term, unfortunately. As they note several times (directly and indirectly) – it is very weird to be a black band, singing pretty direct lyrics about the black and minority experience in America (beginning in Reagan’s America of the late 80’s when they were all just getting out of high school) and then gaining a predominantly white following? Just another example of the fairly unique (for better or for worse) Fishbone history.

I don’t want to spoil the movie, so I won’t give any more details – even if you don’t know anything about the band or may only vaguely remember them from their earlier approach to (real) stardom – the movie is definitely worth watching and I hope it really serves them to gain more fans because if there’s one band that has paid its dues many hundreds of times over, it’s Fishbone. Not only are they probably THE best band I’ve ever seen live – and I’m not the only one who says that by any means (the concert footage in the movie should help prove THAT – check out YouTube in the meantime) – but they have more talent they’ve forgotten about than most bands will ever understand, let alone come close to having!

There were some minor disappointments in the movie – Laurence Fishburne’s narration is way overbilled – he really doesn’t talk very much on balance and never appears in person – Tim Robbins only says about 2 mins of stuff if that (and John Cusack – WTF?) It was nice to see Flea and the various members of No Doubt pay their respects (because they DO owe Fishbone, big time) but all those bands have made a LOT more money and are predominantly white, pop-heavy bands that really took a lot less risks (and simply had a lot less to risk in the first place)?

I am really glad this movie came out and as noted before, I hope it helps their career, even if Norwood and Angelo are the only two originals left (shout to John Steward – drummer since 1999 – you rule man!) – this is one of the few bands that never compromised and has stayed true through thick and thin. Dr. Madd Vibe – we love ya – keep that Theremin rolling.

candybowl