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Fishboy (Round 2) 8/24/2009 @ Biko Garage (UCSB)

So I did it. I became a modern day Dead-head. For Fishboy. Does this make me a fish-head? I hesitate to speculate further.

Anyhow, I drove to Santa Barbara and back to Pasadena in one night to watch Fishboy perform.

For the second straight night.

220 odd miles.

It was worth it.

The venue was totally bizarre. A student housing commune at UCSB called BIko Garage. According to the place’s website: “The garage space out front functions as central storage as well as an all-purpose community space for radical meetings, music, art exhibitions and dance.”

Radical, you say? Sure. About half of the crowd decided bathing was optional, and a girl was walking around topless during the first set… Fun, especially when it got super sweaty later on!

The first set was actually mind blowing. A sorta non-descript guy named “Brando” recited his (radical) poetry from memory. Elaborte versus delivered in a frenetic energy that some might call a violent stutter blasted various levels of “the man.” Hilight was a scathing assault upon Dubai, which he lambasted as an exploitative place, and centered the assault around a pained liaison between a businessman (white devil!) and his “escort” promised a better life in Dubai.

Clearly a tough act to follow, but Santa Barbara local music heroes “Backpack” were up to it! Their set was amazing. Energetic, garagey, punkish psych. Garagey is apt beyond the fact that we watched the set in a garage. Hmm. Loved it. Unfortunately they didn’t bring their CD to sell. WEAK!

Next was a truly surreal white girl led soul/gospel band that was actually pretty OK but my experience was pleasantly interrupted by Justin (my buddy, and Fishboy bassist extraordinaire) who pulled me aside to construct the Fishboy set-list.

Yes, I got to pick Fishboy’s set list, which was hastily ratified by the band, but its menace would not be unleashed upon the unsuspecting denizens of Biko Garage until after Iji’s set.

Having been introduced to them from Round 1 of the Fishboy Tour Experience ©, I was extra enthusiastic to get another chance to see their set. It was even better the second time around, as I’d listened to their CD on the drive up. Love it. They get so into the moment, and they love making music. Fantastic, but the roof was still dry. Iji’s singer Zach told me how much he loved playing the Biko Garage because of how cramped it was and how many enthusiastic fans could converge to see a set… And how the last time Iji played there, they got the roof to sweat from all of the commotion. Impressive.

“Iji got this place warmed up, but we’re from Texas… This is only about as hot as it gets in your car while you’re driving to your best friend’s house with the A/C off… We’ve played much hotter shows… So we’re gonna need you to dance even harder to make us feel at home.” -Justin, as he took the stage after Iji. Fishboy time.

I’m not even sure I was able to breathe. The show was EPIC and much too large for the small space I found myself in, surrounded by about 50 other people. Non stop motion, dancing, jumping, ROCKING. The Fish-Boys kept it going at an insane pace, and with my hand selected set-list, it was a lock that between the two nights, I heard the Fishboy tunes I most wanted to hear. Magic. Epic.

Though I was thoroughly drenched in sweat, Justin gave me a big hug and proclaimed “this last one’s for Chris Gilbert” as they roared into “Farewell Albatross.”

By the end, everybody else was sweating, too… But the best part? The roof got in on the act too- a fact not lost on the crowd, or the band… The Iji prophecy fulfilled, the roof literally sweating, we all needed a collective gasp for air, and the final set, Watercolor Paintings obliged, bringing everyone back to Earth with their mellow, quirky, pop folk stylings.

After the performances, I had a last farewell chat with my friends, new and old… And we wished each other well on our respective journeys to the final tour stops and home respectively. Ears ringing, I drove home, in one piece.

Thanks Justin and Fishboy for the most amazing two days of music in recent memory.