On Thursday, April 9, 2026 I left work early and headed to San Francisco, California to August Hall. The show of the evening was Bite Me Bambi opening for Fishbone on their In Your Face tour. Man, what a night!
It would seem that I missed the opening band to my dismay, but the second band was killer. They were Bite Me Bambi, and they shredded. With songs like “Want You Bad”, an Offspring cover, and “Girls Like You”, they definitely had the skills. When they played “Strippers on a Sunday,” they rocked all of our socks off, and they knew it. When they started “One Step Beyond” by Madness, they locked in as a favorite ska band. “Do the Damned” was a sing-along that the crowd was into. They were into it as the band played. When they hit “Bad Boyfriend,” they were full steam going for it. That was the highlight of the set, and following that, it was a plug for the merch table and a shout-out to Fishbone. The following was an impromptu track due to the guitar player having amplifier issues, and that track deserves to be on an album. It was that good. From there, it was time for their last song. That song was “Hot Lava,” and to tell the truth, we all could have listened to them for a while longer. They were that good, but Fishbone was up next.
Follow Bite Me Bambi band members on social media
Tahlena Chikami – vocals, guitar
Mike Berault – keys
Ryan Brown – bass
Dan Evans – drums
When Fishbone hit the stage, they were like a militia. Dominating the stage with a musicality that could only be Fishbone. Starting with a short instrumental with Angelo on sax, he quickly doffed that, and the mighty theremin came into play for “Post Cold War Politics”. The Following song was just as incredible. “When Problems Arise” was the title, and it was amazing.
The band’s showmanship was amazing. “Cholly” and “I Wish I Had a Date” were equally impressive as they jammed their set. Their rhythm had style and a purpose. It felt like every song was curated for that moment. Following these two songs was “Movement in the Light”, an epic song in their arsenal. It was mellow but powerful in all the right ways. Following that song was “Give It Up,” which was impressive as the crowd sang along. The next two songs were “In the Air” and “Turn the Other Way,” which were dynamite as they were jamming along.
“Knock It” was one of those songs that just rocks. The style and pace were fabulous. The following songs were “Simon Says”, The Kingpin,” which was an anti-Trump song, and then they leaned into “Swim” with Kendall Jones on guitar. That song was special because it was Kendall’s first time back after his cancer treatment. It was terrific to see him up there. “Subliminal Fascism” was next, and it dominated the set. The pace was a whirlwind, and its lyrics were fabulous as well.
When they hit “Skankin’ to the Beat”, it was awesome. Cheyanne Star Forever Moore (Angelo’s daughter) joined them on stage, and she killed it. Pairing well with Angelo, their duet was off the charts. She even donned the saxophone for a bit, which was equally impressive. The next song, “Racisist Piece Of Shit,” was a fabulous song that was right up Fishbone’s alley. Tremendous to listen to it live as the crowd sang along to complete the message.
The next song, “Last Call in America,” cut through the audience. It was definitely a favorite with the crowd. To follow that song, they played “Adolescent Regressive Behavior,” and the pit was in full steam. It was an upbeat song, and the crowd showed it. Following that song was my personal favorite, “Ma & Pa.” The crowd sang along, and the band played even harder. It was awesome to finally get to see it live.
The next song started with F*ck Ice. The song “Secret Police” was powerful in its message. Both literally and figuratively. Then they went in with “Black Flowers” before saying goodnight with the song “Sunless Saturday”. It was a fabulous show that only Fishbone could do. Do yourself a favor and check them out on this tour; you will not be disappointed.
Follow Fishbone band members on social media
Angelo Moore – saxophone, theremin, vocals
Christopher Dowd – keyboards, trombone, vocals
Spacey T – guitar
Jeffery Connor – bass
Hassan Hurd – drums
JS Williams – trumpet, vocals
Setlist
1). Post Cold War Politics
2). When Problems Arise
3). Cholly
4). I Wish I Had a Date
5). Movement in the Light
6). Give It Up
7). In the Air
8). Turn the Other Way
9). Knock It
10). ‘Simon Says’ The Kingpin
11). Swim (with Kendall Jones on guitar)
12). Subliminal Fascism (with Kendall Jones on guitar)
14). Skankin’ to the Beat (with Angelo’s daughter Cheyanne Star Forever Moore on vocals and sax)
15). Racist Piece Of Shit
16). Last Call In America
17). Adolescent Regressive Behavior
18). Ma & Pa
19). Secret Police
20). Black Flowers (with Kendall Jones on guitar)
21). Everyday Sunshine (on setlist but didn’t play)
22). Party At Ground Zero (on setlist but didn’t play)
23). Sunless Saturday (with Kendall Jones on guitar)
Follow Bite Me Bambi on social media
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