Fishbone Surfs the Crowd at New York Show

With the 2010 Winter Olympics winding down, Fishbone frontman Angelo Moore decided Saturday night at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza that there was one event still to be held. Standing beside keyboardist Dre Gipson on the barrier separating the band from the capacity crowd, Moore checked his footing and prepared to stage dive. Degree of difficulty: 9.5.

Gipson, too, visualized his leap, while the rest of the group shifted from the sprinting ska of 'Alcoholic' to the brassy glam-rock bombast of Gary Glitter's 'Rock and Roll Part 2.' Then, in a flash, Moore, who recently spoke with Spinner about the band's legacy and documentary, and Gipson hurled themselves into the audience and began racing to the back of the club, literally swimming atop a sea of outstretched hands.

When they reached the far side of the room, they turned around and paddled back to the stage, their bodies held high by a diverse mix of black and white fans. Insofar as both Gipson and Moore completed their runs without breaking their necks, both were winners.

Such athleticism characterized Fishbone's 60-minute set, a precursor to the longer -- though not as energetic -- performance by the English Beat. The groups, both celebrating 30-plus years of existence, are crossing the country as part of the 'Spring Skaward' tour, a showcase for their unique hybrid-ska sounds.

Fishbone's approach centers on eclecticism. The Los Angeles-based septet flitted from funk to punk and reggae to ska, mixing in some metal whenever it saw fit. On the classic 'Lyin' Ass B----,' Moore ended the tune in gospel-preacher mode, excoriating the song's truth-bending female subject with holy-rolling fervor.

The English Beat, meanwhile, hewed closer to traditional Jamaican ska, albeit with the New Wave touches that characterized the U.K.'s late-'70s 2 Tone craze. The group was once signed to the label for which that movement was named, and with his trusty teardrop-shaped Vox Mark III guitar, singer and lone original member Dave Wakeling recreated such era touchstones as 'Tears of a Clown,' 'Rough Rider' and 'Mirror in the Bathroom.'

Wakeling also offered up a handful of tunes by his post-Beat band, General Public, among them the sublime 'Tenderness.' Before playing the song, he answered its central question: "Where is the tenderness?"

"It's right here," he said, pointing to the audience.

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