Fishboooonneee! Great documentary featuring the most underrated band in the world. For lovers of punk/ska/reggae/funk/metal/pop music. Shows you exactly how hard it is to be a success in the (at times pathetic) music industry. When you get Flea, Gwen Stefani, Tim Robbins, George Clinton, Mike Watt and many others talking you up, you know you are doing something right. Unfortunately the suits at the top of the dung pile that are record companies could not recognize the brilliance of Fishbone. Too often thrown in the 'too hard to categorize basket. Too far ahead of their time, hopefully people will finally catch up and see how good Fishbone are and give them the respect they deserve. Watch it now!!!!

I had only heard about Fishbone because I knew my favorite bands were heavily influenced by them (311, The Urge, etc...). However, I've become a huge fan and seeing this movie makes you really respect them for everything they've done for the music industry. It's so inspiring as an aspiring musician to see a band that has stayed true to themselves and their fans and never sold out, despite their successors like the Chili Peppers becoming superstars. The movie does a great job depicting the Fishbone story showing highs, lows, infighting, their views on the industry, and looks into their personal lives. To sum it up, the reason I love this movie and Fishbone so much is because they define success as being original, not fame. Mr. Anderson did a great job of portraying that message.

Watching Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone at 14 Pews in Houston, you get the feeling you're in the right place to watch this particular movie. The church-converted movie theater is a beautiful venue with warm, red planks of wood lining the walls and ceiling as well as artwork displaying oil spills in vibrant contrasting colors. Five minutes prior to screen time, though, the venue is less than quarter-full and on the same day the media were falling over themselves singing the praises of the soon-to-be-open Sundance Theater downtown, you also get the feeling that more people really ought be here to appreciate a fine independent film and local art house. You can't help feel the same about Fishbone.The film is essentially a tribute to unfulfilled promises, or as Angelo Moore characterizes in the film, "famous but not rich." On some level, this film could have been about any brilliant, genre-challenged African- American band pre-2K, like Living Colour or Bad Brains. It just happened to be about the craziest. Central to the film is the relationship between Moore and Norwood Fisher, with Fisher at times debating between Moore's hyper-creativity and sometimes overbearing disruptive behavior, and Moore talking about every damn single thing he can. While the film mostly portrays the two separately in interviews, it's when the two are together fighting over the future direction of the band that you get a true sense of how much admiration and enmity exist between the two. It's a scene virtually every band or family plays out, but the shared history and stature of the two make the familiar argument more significant. It's like the first time you realize your father is human after all. However, the arc of the movie hinges on Kendall Jones. The events surrounding his tenure in and out of the band as well as the band's efforts to reach out to their friend bring an unexpected emotional pull from a seemingly care-free, everyone-else-be-damned band. It's here where I have my only criticism of the film in that Jones's account of events feels unfinished and unresolved. Still, as the film closes with the title song of the film, you get an understanding of what makes this band really great. It is and always has been in the performance. Sitting in the pews of the once-church with the gospel-inspired coda of the song bouncing against the walls, I could imagine a history of what this former place of worship might have been and what it could be with just a little promotion and recognition. In seeing the band on screen performing one of its best known, you could say the same for this collection of individuals both blessed and cursed by their unwillingness to do anything less than what they want for themselves and their art. And in leaving that night under a slight rainfall, I found myself rooting and hoping that a little sunshine would fall both on Fishbone and the neighborhood movie house.

I've loved Fishbone for a very long time, but I did not expect this film to be so good. I could see viewers who aren't even fans get caught up in this story. There is excitement, drama, humor, tragedy, conflict.... you name it. The famous musicians (who were not part of the band) that are interviewed have interesting perspectives and give the film an extra layer of credibility. The filmmakers were able to pull together some amazing live footage of the band in their heyday. They have really crafted this band's story into an amazing narrative. The members of Fishbone really put their soul into that band, and they pour their hearts out on camera.Do yourself a favor and go see this film!