The story of Fishbone, the alternative band that formed out of Los Angeles in 1979, deserves to be told far and wide. The “disparate, all-black oddball crew” emerged to blend punk, ska, funk, soul and rock musical influences achieving its high water mark of commercial success during the late 80's and early 90's. Coming from South Central, five of the six original members were bused to school in the San Fernando Valley as youth helping, in part, to explain the formation of their quintessentially LA sound and evolving leftist, anti-racist politics.
By the time “Everyday Sunshine” off of their 1991 release The Reality of My Surroundings hit radio stations and MTV, all the diligence of their hard work was starting to pay off, but soon things would begin to fall apart. This came to a dramatic head when bassist Norwood Fisher faced kidnapping charges stemming from a failed intervention in 1993 to bring a troubled guitarist Kendall Jones back into the fold of the band. Through the following years of changing lineups and treading forth without major label support, Fishbone continues on to the present day.
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Pale Griot Film and Coastline Community College are presenting the documentary with a special Q&A session afterward with the filmmakers and faculty for one night and one night only. Don't miss it!
Gabriel San Román is from Anacrime. He’s a journalist, subversive historian and the tallest Mexican in OC. He also once stood falsely accused of writing articles on Turkish politics in exchange for free food from DönerG’s!