TOP PICKS
DVD OF THE MONTH
Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone (Cinema Guild)
“The wholly unbelievable, true tale of LA’s most original rock band” At times, Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone plays like a less depressing, less Canadian version of Anvil! The Story of Anvil… only, you know…black. Joking aside, it’s long overdue for LA’s most original band to get their proper recognition as influential musical pioneers; and in this documentary, the true story of the group is finally told. This entails a myriad of visual storytelling elements including Fat Albert-esque animated sequences, vintage interview clips and newly filmed “fly-on-thewall” footage featuring the latest incarnation of the band. From their early days rehearsing in Mama Fish’s living room in South Central, Fishbone was an entirely unique entity that broke down racial and genre barriers, fearlessly and effortlessly fusing punk, ska, funk and metal into a wildly infectious cocktail of…well, what can only be described as Fishbone. We finally get the full scoop about the departure of original members Dirty Walt and Chris Dowd, as well as the “you-can’t-make-this-up” tale of guitarist Kendall Jones’ bizarre religious brainwashing at the hands of his father. The documentary follows a sort of Godfather II-esque series of cuts between the band’s early history and modern day life on the road. We get a lot of talking head interviews with musicians influenced by Fishbone’s music, along with some heartbreaking looks at the present state of the band’s popularity. The main difference between Anvil and Fishbone, though, has always been the quality of the music – and ever the artists, Fishbone continues to make brilliant new records, when they could have taken the easy way out and re-united the original lineup for summer festival cash grabs. You’ve gotta respect that, and nearly everything else in the 107 minutes of porn for Fishbone Soldiers. The real treats, though, are to be found in the extra features on the DVD – including bonus interview clips from label-mates Alice in Chains, as well as ultra-rare live footage of a teenage Fishbone skanking out at Madame Wong’s in LA, circa 1983. Any self-respecting music fan should have this in their collection. Just head down to your local video store and tell ’em Dr. Madd Vibe sent you. -Benjamin Ricci -photo courtesy of Flickr user alterna2
www.fishbonedocumentary.com 36 OCTOBER 2012 PERFORMER MAGAZINE