Fishbone is Still in Your Face After 40 Years
The recently revamped Fishbone lineup explodes back onto the live scene with a full 23-date US spring tour to celebrate the re-release of their classic 1986 groundbreaking album "In Your Face," which is turning 40 years old. On the heels of last year's "Stockholm Syndrome," album of the year in my humble opinion, they return with haste like the true seasoned work-dog performers to amaze and delight on stages in front of live audiences throughout the USA. The opening date of the tour is on April 9th at the August Hall in San Francisco. And I, for one, cannot wait.
At each stop on the tour, Fishbone will be performing two sets: the "In Your Face" LP in its entirety, followed by a second set of selected favorites from their illustrious and legendary career that has impacted all our psyches over the decades of being one of the most influential and awe-inspiring bands on the planet.
Angelo Moore of Fishbone — photo by kim moenich
An interesting first on this tour: Fishbone is offering a special VIP experience, featuring soundcheck access and karaoke with the band; a meet and greet; an exclusive signed 7-inch "Them Bones"/"Dam That River"; early venue entry; and more. The single is a truly amazing cover of the Alice in Chains hit "Them Bones." If you have not heard them cover that song yet, go look it up on YouTube. They do such a smashing job with it; I prefer it to the AIC original myself. They actually make it feel like it was always a Fishbone original, without changing it around very much at all.
Rather than a straight re-release, "In Your Face/Cover Your Face" is a limited edition double LP. Disc one includes a newly remastered edition of "In Your Face." Disc 2, "Cover Your Face," is a freshly curated tribute album featuring artists from around the world reinterpreting songs from "In Your Face." It goes on general release on April 10th, as the tour kicks off on April 9th. More exciting news is that we have the very exciting LA ska band, Bite Me Bambi, along on the tour as support, which is another absolutely double-down, stone-cold stunner of a reason not to miss this tour.
Artists contributing their takes on the songs from Cover Your Face are:
Twin Shadow – “When Problems Arise”
“I’m eight years old, sitting on the couch watching Saturday Night Live… They launch into ‘Sunless Saturday,’ and it’s the most electrifying thing I’ve ever seen on television… That moment rewired me… When Fishbone asked me to be part of the new release of their first album, I immediately thought, ‘Problems Arise’… Fishbone has always been dance music to me. With my version, I wanted to accentuate that feeling and push it somewhere personal.” — George
Patrick Stump – “A Selection”
“The first time I was exposed to Fishbone, I was 7 years old watching TV. It was an explosion of punk, ska, soul, metal, reggae, and funk played by one of the tightest bands I’ve still ever seen, and it all flowed together seamlessly. To this day I can trace my obsession with musical eclecticism back to that moment.” — Patrick Stump
Catbite – “I Wish I Had a Date”
“On a global scale, Fishbone changed the musical landscape forever… It has been a privilege to share the stage with Fishbone, and now even more so to contribute our modest offering to honor their legacy.” — Catbite
Wheatus – “Movement in the Light”
“When I saw the DM from Fishbone, I stared at it for like 5 minutes, reliving the moment I saw Angelo do a front flip into the crowd while wearing a saxophone at Lollapalooza '93… I still can't believe this is happening. Omfg.” —Brendan B. Brown
The Ratchets’ “Give It Up”
“It is seemingly impossible to imagine coming up in the alternative music scene of the 80s and 90s and not being inspired by the unique, energetic, and genre-defying style of Fishbone… It is an absolute pleasure and honor to get the opportunity to do so." — Zak Kaplan
Silversun Pickups – “In the Air”
“We’re Angelinos… If you lived here and you liked to drag mud on the carpet and all the wrong things in the world… you had to know Fishbone… This was a huge honor for us, and we’re extremely proud to be a tiny blip in their legacy. — Brian Aubert
Kimya Dawson – “Turn the Other Way”
“I was honored but intimidated to be asked to record this cover; the song felt far more complex than anything I could replicate, especially on a tight deadline. But after sitting with the lyrics and reflecting on what In Your Face meant to me at 14, when I first saw people being weird, outspoken, and unapologetically themselves, I found my footing. I’m not a technical virtuoso, but I know how to be me. So, I took Fishbone’s words and did it my way. That’s what they taught me: be yourself and speak up. It means everything to be recognized by a band that inspired so many of us, and 14-year-old me would think 53-year-old me landing here is cool as hell. — Kimya Dawson
Doom Regulator feat. Tim Armstrong, Jesse Michaels, Joey Castillo & Spencer Pollard— “Simon Says ‘The Kingpin’”
“Tim and I have been listening to Fishbone since the 80s. Operation Ivy used to rock their demo on the boom box on our way to band practice… It’s an honor to pay tribute to them.” — Jesse Michaels
Dave Hill – “Post Cold War Politics”
“I’ve been a Fishbone fan since I was a teenager… I am absolutely honored and totally freaking the hell out.” — Dave Hill
The current lineup includes Angelo Moore, Christopher Dowd, James Jones, Hassan Hurd, John “JS” Williams II, and Tracey “Spacey T” Singleton.
Looking forward, Fishbone has launched “Fishbone—Powered by the People,” a Kickstarter campaign running through March 11 to fund the upfront costs of recording a new studio album (for release this summer), upgrading touring gear, and manufacturing vinyl. True to the band’s fiercely independent ethos, the campaign places listeners at the center of the process, offering a wide spectrum of Pledger rewards that range from the new album on CD and exclusive special-color vinyl to LP + CD bundles and signed editions, to higher-tier experiences that include deluxe bundles, a private listening party and MORE!
Revisit their critically acclaimed June 2025 album, Stockholm Syndrome.
SPRING TOUR DATES:
Supporting acts noted below, with more to come.
April 9—San Francisco, CA – August Hall with Bite Me Bambi as support
April 11—Seattle, WA—The Crocodile with Bite Me Bambi and Kimya Dawson as support
April 12—Portland, OR—Mississippi Studios with Bite Me Bambi as support
April 14—Salt Lake City, UT—Urban Lounge with Bite Me Bambi as support
April 15—Denver, CO—Bluebird Theater with Bite Me Bambi and Dead Pioneers as support
April 17—St. Louis, MO—Off Broadway with Sinister Dane as support
April 18—Chicago, IL—House of Blues supporting Dance Hall Crashers
April 19—Detroit, MI—The Shelter
April 20—Columbus, OH—Scully's Music Diner
April 22—Albany, NY—Empire Underground with Catbite as support
April 23—Garwood, NJ—Crossroads with Catbite as support
April 24—Philadelphia, PA—Brooklyn Bowl Philadelphia
April 25—Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
April 27—Cambridge, MA—The Sinclair
April 28—Washington, DC—Black Cat
April 29 – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
May 1—Orlando, FL—The Beacham Theatre
May 2 – Atlanta, GA – Terminal West
May 4—Dallas, TX—Studio at The Factory with support from Piñata Protest
May 5—Austin, TX—Mohawk with support from Piñata Protest
May 7 – Mesa, AZ – The Nile Theater with support from Piñata Protest
May 8 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom with support from Piñata Protest
May 9 – Pomona, CA – The Glass House with support from Piñata Protest
