& Others--Live (B-C)

Balloons

Wharton Tiers Ensemble/Balloons--Lit Lounge--5/14/05
When I arrived, it looked promising. On the stage were two Marshall amps, and an Ampeg bass amp on top of a two fifteen-inch speaker cabinet. BALLOONS soon took the stage, and were two guitars, a bass, and drums. The entire band were technically very good, and though their songs often included intricate progressions and chord patterns, they were tight and on top of every change. The two guitars gently intertwined, their runs twisting together, and bouncing off each other as if in conversation. Jam band warning signals were going off in my head, but even the longer songs had such intricate progressions, there was little room for improvisation. Unfortunately, even with the well developed structures of the songs, their were few dynamics, and the mellow performance of the band, which consisted almost solely of rocking back and forth on their heels and avoiding eye-contact with the audience, added almost nothing. In their defense, the intricate constructions of the songs needed their attention, and the singer, who sang in English, had an individuality that kept me intrigued. When they announced that there were only two more songs, it seemed a bit premature, but both songs were expansive, and filled with enough twists and turns to impress anyone still paying attention.

Bathtub Shitter

Bathtub Shitter/Id/Navicon Torture Technologies/Defeatist --NorthSix--11/22/06
BATHTUB SHITTER were four young men. The guitarists came out, got their sound right, and then left the stage. The drummer was out there on his own, still setting up his kit, when a group of guys wearing “Cripple Bastards” jackets started up a chant, accompanied by clapping, that went, “B-A T-H T-U-B Shitter!” They repeated it a number of times, and the drummer smiled, but it didn’t really catch on. It wasn’t long before the bassist, guitarist, and singer came out and joined the drummer. The singer pulled off his wool cap, let down his long black hair, and the band started into their set. Many of the songs rocked at a frantic pace, at other times they pounded on a slow pulse. I was told before the set that what they play is “Grindcore”. There was obviously a lot of punk influence, and some hard-core. Whatever you call it, though, they rocked, and they rocked hard. The guitar often sounded like it was scraping against steel. The bassist would emphasize moments by raising his guitar, sometimes above his head, or twisting it around in the air, as if trying to squeeze a new sound out of it. The drummer pounded away, often with a big smile on his face. The singer paced back and forth across the stage in front of the band, sometimes strutting, sometimes dancing, kicking his legs up into the air, and often throwing his head and his hair back when he sang. His singing was sometimes very low and commanding, and at other times his screaming drifted into squeeling. He wore black, knee-length, sweat pants, and moved about the stage, and out onto and around the dancefloor with an authentic grace. Some of the audience seemed to be mimicking him, pacing back and forth in front of the stage, but not banging into each other as much as they had during ID’s set. The band stopped and left the stage. There was a sprinkling of applause, a couple of shouts, a call for an encore, another call for an encore, and a shout of “You came all the way from Japan, and that’s all you’ve got?”. By then the applause had completely stopped, but the drummer headed back to the stage, and began banging out the rhythm of the chant, which the crowd took up, “B-A T-H T-U-B Shitter!” and soon the rest of the band were back. They triumphantly played two more songs, and left the stage to warm applause.

The Beaches

photo by John Li

Japan Nite: The Beaches/Detroit7/Ketchup Mania/Petty Booka/The Emeralds/Scandal--Knitting Factory--3/16/08
It was another great night of Japanese rock ‘n’ roll brought to us by Audrey Kimura and Benten/Sister Records. They sold out and Knitting Factory was jam-packed with smiling, happy people who knew they weren’t gonna get another onslaught of Japanese rock like this until Japan Nite rolls around again next year. Oh yes, and, of course, all the bands told us they loved New York.
THE BEACHES opened up with a song that repeated the lyrics, “Come on, Beaches! Come on, Beaches!” They closed out with a song that repeated the lyrics, “Goodbye, Beaches! Goodbye Beaches!” In between they played a kind of world/dance/trance music whose tempo almost didn’t change, and yet had most of the people in front of the stage dancing around joyfully. About half the crowd seemed to have gone home after being rocked so hard by DETROIT7, but those who remained used the extra space available to shake their booty. It was fun! It was a party, and even though we were exhausted by then, the ones who had stayed to check THE BEACHES out, stayed to enjoy their set to the end. THE BEACHES contain at least some members of a past band called JERRY LEE PHANTOM. They’re made up of a drummer, a bassist, a guitarist, and a woman on keyboards. The guitarist generally played a simple rhythm to emphasize the beat, and his effects boxes tended to up the treble and emphasize the percussiveness of his sound. The keyboardist, meanwhile, kept a good chunk of the rhythm going, while using her obvious technical skills to work some beauty into the worldly dance grooves, and add a good number of special effects including outer-spacey wailing and other exotic additions to the sound. It was good fun, and an enjoyable way to close down a wonderful evening.

Big Frog

Big Frog--Wetlands--4/24/01
Gary joined me on this outing, and I was happy to have him along, as he’s an aficionado of jam bands, and I’m not. BIG FROG are a five-piece band made up of guitar, drums, bass, a bare-footed keyboardist, and a female singer who also played percussion, kazoo, and a talking toy. They did two sets, which Gary informed me is standard for jam bands. The musicians were all technically adept, and the singer had a wonderfully bluesy voice, but tended to approach the songs from a jazzy perspective. The long instrumental breaks rarely had much in the way of real surprises, but the band almost always had a good groove going, and regularly reached joyful peaks. The fair-sized crowd was enthusiastic, and during the second set made good use of the available space by dancing happily. I was a bit disappointed that the woman’s vocals only occasionally were mixed above the band, because when they did rise up, most notably on their cover of ‘Fever’, they were stunning. A wide range of material was covered. Besides ‘Fever’, they did at least two GRATEFUL DEAD songs, BLUE OYSTER CULT’s ‘Godzilla’, Maria Muldaur‘s ‘Midnight At The Oasis’, and almost assuredly others I’m not familiar with. The most interesting moments for me were the second set opener, which approached free-form jazz, and some true improvisation they did while the guitarist changed a broken string. The band concentrated earnestly on the music, but the singer’s smiles, and the audience’s warmth easily made up for the rest of the band’s self-absorption. It was an enjoyable evening. Oh yes, and Gary gave them a thumbs up.

Blue III

Japunks Panic Jamboree 5: The Spunks/Blue III/Gelatine/Peelander-Z/Wussy/Dynamite Club--CBGB--4/14/02
After GELATINE’s magnificent performance, I wasn’t expecting BLUE III to amount to much, but I knew nothing about them. They’re a standard rock trio, and when the guitarist finally put down his nunchucks, he showed us that he’s a hot-shot guitarist. as well as a rather tall, handsome guy. The rhythm section are no slouches either. The band is tight, and if they had presented themselves on their technique alone, they probably would have done fine. Their material may be a bit limited, as far as originality, relying heavily on ‘70s-style boogie-rock, but they kept it jumping through hoops, adding reggae, samba, and other variations to their repertoire of styles. I just wanted to get that out of the way before venturing into a discussion of their showmanship, the constant variety of which left their style variations pale by comparison. This trio puts on a show that doesn’t stop! I’m sure I can’t even recall all their stunts and props, but here goes... I’ve mentioned the nunchucks demonstration. That happened several times, along with demonstrations of karate kicks, and countless jumps off the stage after paths through the crowd were cleared. A horse head was worn for a short time early in the show. Apparently, singing into the microphone through it proved difficult, so it was quickly discarded. There were Jedi lightsabers for each member of the band, used for a mock duel amongst them, and then for a quick attack on the guitar. Then there were the countless forays into the crowd. Usually it was just the guitarist. I believe both he and the bassist must have had transmitters on their guitars, because at one point the trio, with the drummer carrying his snare, danced up to the very front of CBGBs, and then back down the aisle again to the stage, playing the entire time. Another time the guitarist dragged a microphone out into the center of the audience and sang an entire song. Frequently he would jump out into the audience to display his pyrotechnic guitar attacks in a wide array of positions, at one point simulating a machine gun, which would have mowed down most of us. Another time he formed a line dance with about seven audience members, and they danced around in the crowd. During the reggae sequence he wandered through the club, sitting down with people at the bar and at tables to play intimate passages for them. He invited people up on stage to dance, and once climbed up on the bass guitarist’s shoulders. I’ve seen wild shows before. This one approached a circus atmosphere, and fun was had by all.

Peelander-Z/Blue III/The Spunks/Gaijin A Go-Go--Luxx--10/12/03
Wow! What a night!
BLUE III were out next, and in the very first song the guitarist ran out into the crowd and all the way to the back of the club. On his way back he managed to do some spins on the floor, all the while rolling off very hot lead guitar lines. The band is hot. Their technique seems even more impressive now than last time I saw them. Their high-powered blues rock doesn’t have a lot of range, but when you put on a show like they do, who could possibly care? There was a song early in the show when, again, the guitarist came out into the audience and played some very subtle and beautiful guitar directly to various members of the audience as he wandered about through the crowd, and then sat up on the bar with a few of the patrons. It was back to rocking very soon, though, and the rocking lasted through the rest of their set. It was still in the first half of the set when the drummer, Blue I, picked up his snare with a cymbal attached, and the bassist, Blue II, and guitarist, Blue III, all came out into the center of the audience and never stopped playing. The guitarist then began encouraging audience members to dance with him. Later on, the guitarist jumped out into the crowd while Blue I and Blue II kept rocking. He picked out about five members of the audience and formed a line dance to the driving beat of the rhythm section. He then took over for the drummer, allowing him to jump into the audience and start his own line dance. The bassist got his chance too. When a band can break down the separation between it and the audience as thoroughly as BLUE III do as a matter of course, it’s a wonderful thing! They continued the set with nunchuck demonstrations, Blue III playing the guitar on nearly every surface of his body, frequent twirling of the guitar as if it was a rifle in an army drill, and a leap out into a path cleared in the audience that at first appeared to have gone badly. No harm was done, though, and the guitarist had quite a few jumps left in him before the entire band collapsed on the stage floor with a resounding final chord. They were up again soon, though, taking their bows and smiling broadly, giving the impression that they had enjoyed it as much as we had!

Japunks #7: The Spunks/Gito Gito Hustler/Peelander-Z/54 Nude Honeys/Blue III/ Techma--CBGB--5/22/04
Japunks once more treated us to a wonderful evening of rock ‘n’ roll. I’ve actually seen all of these bands before, and yet there is no way I would have missed this. It was a great collection of bands, and the largely white audience got more than they ever could have wished for. The women carrying the cards with the round numbers on one side (each set was a round), and each band’s name on the other, were dressed tonight in black vinyl nurses outfits, with black crosses rather than red ones. Again, the result was a knockout show!
BLUE III took the stage next. They are a technically impressive blues rock trio, and tonight were dressed in matching outfits, including yellow shoes, yellow shirts, and the guitarists both had flying-V guitars. The guitarist, who bears a strong resemblance to Bruce Lee, is especially gifted, but the rhythm section are always right there behind him, and never let him down. In spite of their excellent musicianship, what they are most well known for is their showmanship. The performance is front and center and often overshadows the music itself. It wasn’t long before the guitarist motioned the audience to clear a path, and took a giant leap out into the crowd, playing a soaring lead as he made his way through the slowly increasing audience, as if to get a good look at exactly who he was playing to. A song or two later, the drummer pulled out a one-piece trap set, and all three of the band members came out and joined us. They played a full song in the center of the audience, and the guitarist intermittently took audience members by the hand and twirled them around as if ballroom dancing. Later the guitarist replaced the drummer, allowing him to move center stage and lead the crowd in a few cheers before making his way out into the audience and leading a line dance. Then it was the bassist’s turn. He immediately launched himself off the stage and crowd-surfed his way deep into the audience before leading his own line dance. At some point, which I don’t remember--there was just so much going on--the guitarist also did some crowd-surfing. Toward the end of the set the guitarist did a lead while flipping his guitar around his body, like a member of an army drill team might flip his rifle through various positions in a routine drill. In each position he would let fly a series of notes before flipping the guitar into a new position. At another time he finished up a searing lead and layed his guitar down on the stage, allowing it to feedback. As the rhythm section kept the song pounding on, he pulled out two sets of nunchucks and demonstrated his prowess with those instruments, climaxing that by banging them against the neck of his now squealing guitar. It was a joyous performance and elicited several outbreaks of slam-dancing. BLUE III left the stage at the end of their set, but soon returned for bows, and followed that by joining the audience one last time to hug as many people as they could. The audience was obviously delighted.

Bonkin’ Clapper

Japan Nite 2002: Bleachmobile/The Salinger/ Understatements/Bonkin’ Clapper/Nananine/Clammbon--Elbow Room--3/18/02
Again Supervoid.com sponsored Japan Nite, and like last year, as we left we were given a various artists CD with two songs each by ten Japanese bands, five of whom had performed for us that night.
BONKIN’ CLAPPER were the next up, and they came out in war-paint, but they didn’t wage war. They waged party. They’re a powerful trio, with a spunky young woman on vocals. All four of them are top-notch. They were all over the stage, and all over the map as far as musical choices. They started off strongly on the side of funk jams, but the longer they continued, the more rock guitar riffs got ground up as fodder for their funk machine. The bassist never strayed from his throbbing funk production, but the guitarist and the song arrangements threw all kinds of wonderful things into the mix, and all but the drummer bounced about the stage having the time of their lives. Nao Yoshida, the singer, led the party with all manner of funk chants, calls for celebration, and joyous rebellion, as she ran through an impressive array of vocal theatrics. It was wonderful to be a part of their party, and the music they created for the cause was inspirational. They were easily my second favorite band of the evening. That’s not bad when you’re playing with five other bands.

Boredoms

Boredoms/Jim O’Rourke/Growing--Bowery Ballroom--5/25/05
BOREDOMS were up next, and I was able to move to the front of the stage, so I did. Three drum sets were set up, each facing the center of the stage, along with some electronic equipment. In between the bands tonight, The Bowery Ballroom didn’t have any music playing, which actually was a nice change, and everyone seemed to enjoy being able to have extended conversations without yelling in each others’ ears. It took too long, but eventually Eye came out on the stage with two glowing balls. The movement of one triggered a synthesized chime sound. The movement of the other triggered the sound of a roar, like a wave crashing, or thunder. Before moving either of the balls, though, he began singing, “Hey-oh!” in a very loud voice, but he wasn’t using a microphone. He manipulated the balls, raising and lowering them dramatically, and from the edge of the stage was able to use the hall’s natural reverberation to amplify his repetition of those two syllables. After a minute or so, the drummers came out and joined him, taking their places at their individual kits. There were two men, and a woman who had a keyboard next to her kit, and, of course, was Yoshimi. Eye continued to sing and wave the balls about, and the drummer closest to him leaned away to make sure he didn’t get clobbered. After the opening, Eye went back to a collection of electronic contraptions, which seemed to be tone generators, oscillators, and various effects. The drummers started up, Eye manipulated the humming tones of the electronics, and on top of them he added his eclectic vocal interjections, singing, roaring, and occasional screaming. Eye was well supported by the three drummers. They were all very good, and watching them, I slowly realized that everything they were doing was well worked out. They were not just playing off each other, though at times they did that, too. They were playing through composed pieces, and a good deal of the time they were all three playing the exact same things, and changing the beat and routine on cue. Later in the set, I noticed Eye giving the cues, and often conducting them at times, but early on in the set the pieces seemed to be elaborately worked out, and all three of the drummers seemed to know exactly when the changes came. None of them seemed to be leading the pack. Halfway through, Yoshimi did a short vocal piece, and after that her vocals regularly interacted with Eye’s. I only noticed her playing with the keyboards a few times, but it was nice to have her vocals added to the mix. It was a powerful sound to have the three drummers all pounding away and adding a tribal element to Eye’s elaborate constuction of humming electronics. They must have played for over an hour, and I wasn’t expecting them to come back for an encore, but they did. The encore seemed a bit more improvised. The drum parts weren’t worked out as meticulously, and Eye was doing a lot more conducting, but like the rest of the set, they created a warm monstrosity of sound that brought the night to a majestic close.

Boris

Boris/Hidden Hand--Knitting Factory--10/17/05
The room packed a little tighter in anticipation for BORIS. I donÕt know what it is about metal shows, or record conventions, but males tend to outnumber women about nine to one, and perhaps because of that, a good portion of them seem not to have bathed recently. Now mash them all up close together, and the stench can become very intense. BORIS’ drummer came out first, put his kit in order, and then left the stage. In a little while, the guitarist, and the bassist/guitarist/vocalist came out and put their guitars, amps, and boxes in order. Once things were set, they began emphatically striking chords, then letting them resonate before striking the next. This went on for several minutes, and eventually brought the drummer back out. He positioned himself behind the drums, and gestured with his mallots for the crowd to respond, which they enthusiastically did. Soon he was banging on the large gong behind his set, and the show had begun. BORIS are a trio. The guitarist is a woman. She has an amp set up on the front of the stage so she can adjust the controls from where she’s playing. The singer plays a two-necked guitar, one a bass, the other a guitar. Generally he concentrated on the bass, except when the band was into lengthy instrumental exposition. The first few songs started off rocking at a good pace. Having understood that the band was known for creeping, monolithic, metal sludge, I was a bit surprised. Their rock wasn’t terribly original, but they were rocking. The lyrics tended toward repeated phrases. Two I thought I heard as, “Livin’ in the city!” and “Relax and reload!” Whether that was actually what he was singing, I wouldn’t swear to, but it worked. The band was technically good. Then halfway into the set, they descended into the sludge. The guitarist turned up her amp and let the effects take over. Noise overpowered the sound, and the drummer went back to banging on his gong. They slowly came out of the audio cloud, and were back to the slow resounding chords, mixed with a variety of effects, and the occasional swirling lead guitar shrapnel. It was a soundtrack for walking on a barren moonscape with no gravity or momentum. It went on for a good twenty minutes or so. They did rock again once after that, but the set was on a downswing it couldn’t recover from. Though the bassist/guitarist sang, he never spoke to the audience. Only the drummer made any attempts to communicate directly. They closed their set, and each waved as they left the stage, the guitarist shook a few hands, but the applause was light, and they justifiably didn’t return for an encore. I recognized the bassist of YURA YURA TEIKOKU as I left the main space.

Bossston Cruising Mania

Japan-Smacksdown-NYC: Do Thank Anal/10 Yen Ana Kinoko/Petit Mit/Bosston Cruising Mania/Electric Eel Shock/Techma/Mong Hang--Continental--10/17/00
This show, apparently presented by Micro Music who handed out a complimentary CD of their artists, was well attended throughout the evening. About half the audience wasn’t Japanese this time, which was nice to see, and Continental was the perfect club for this event.
BOSSSTON CRUISING MANIA disappointed me, mostly because they’ve got such a great name. The band is made up of two guitars, bass, drums, and a singer. Not nearly the extroverts that ELECTRIC EEL SHOCK are, the singer spent much of the time hunched over, singing to the floor, or with his back turned to the audience. The band tended to get into a groove and stay there, plowing it for all it was worth. Toward the end of their set they managed to get a very active mosh-pit going, by chanting the word “Mosh!” over and over. It was an effective way to close their set.

The Captains

The Captains/Gelatine/The Wellington Ladies Welfare League--Knitting Factory--9/12/07
THE CAPTAINS came out, set up, tuned up, and then disappeared. In a couple of minutes they made a grand entrance to some offbeat ‘60s instrumental music. All four of them were dressed in red, military-style uniforms. The lead singer, Kizuhiko, came out last, carrying a rose in his mouth, and soon they were rocking. Kizuhiko also plays rhythm guitar off and on, but he regularly puts it down to concentrate on the vocals and the theatrics. The rest of the band, drums, bass, and guitar, who all did some back-up vocals, are technically very good, and easily handled the artful variety of music they played. They bill themselves as “The last group sounds band”, and I don’t think anyone’s arguing with them at this point. Group Sounds, in case you’re wondering, were the Japanese bands inspired by THE BEATLES and the other English Invasion groups. THE CAPTAINS’ music, besides being well played, captures the innocence, the energy, and the simple dramatics of the mid-‘60s, as well as a slightly comic romanticism. The surprising thing for me was that they don’t play the music tongue-in-cheek at all. They play it straight, and they pull it off. Besides the romantic humor, illustrated by Kizuhiko bringing roses out into the audience, gifting young women (usually) with the flowers, and occasionally even fainting, overcome by his powerful emotions, he also, more than once, pulled out an ornate hand-mirror, and admired himself in its reflection. Jun, GELATINE’s guitarist, had remarked earlier how beautiful Kazuhiko looked, and that he had felt lucky to share a pizza and a soda with him the night before. Props, besides the roses and the mirror, included a bullfighter cape, an umbrella, and a large Japanese flag with the kanji characters “Shishin’ written across it, meaning to be overcome by the emotions of love. There may have been other props, but I was trying to take pictures, and at the same time protect myself from the overly rambunctious Genki Shock mosh team. A pushing match eventually ensued between the Genki Shockers and Hayden, of Karate Rice, who had set up the show, and it took the glory off THE CAPTAINS’ encore, which involved the singer being brought back through the crowd on someone’s shoulders, and singing the last song standing on a chair, but nothing could take away the fun that THE CAPTAINS had brought to us. I wish them good luck on the rest of their U.S. tour, which will finish up again here in New York at Pianos.

Charisma Pampie

Charisma Pampie--CBGBs--8/4/01
I was told they were going on at 1AM. I arrived at 12AM, and their set was half over. Still, I saw enough to see that this Tokyo band of a bassist, a guitarist, a quena (a South American reed flute) player, along with a support drummer, were all very good musicians. Uniquely enough, the quena was the lead instrument. The music was quite upbeat, and though not my style, it was very enjoyable. I wish I had been able to see the entire set. Shuhei, the guitarist/vocalist, was honest and straight-forward, almost humble, when dealing with the audience. Which fits the name of the band. I understand that ‘Pampie’ is Japanese slang for ‘ordinary people’. “We are Japanese,” Shuhei announced. A patron handed him some chopsticks. “Yes,” he continued, “we are part of the Japanese economy, but we are trash of the Japanese economy.” At times, the quick strumming of the electric, hollow-bodied guitar sounded more like a synthesizer. The subtle, but active, bass provided the bottom, and the quena sprightly danced along on top. It’s a unique and envigorating sound. Shuhei kicked his sandles off, and played the last couple of songs barefoot. They were generally well received, and there was some sporadic dancing.

Charisma Pampie/Cober/Matt Turk & His Band--CBGBs--3/7/02
It was good to see CHARISMA PAMPIE again. They took the stage obviously pleased to be back at CBGBs. Everyone in the band is technically quite good, including the new drummer who seemed to help them rock harder than I remembered them rocking last time. Unfortunately, the flute player, who plays a South American style flute called a quena, and is usually their lead instrument, was the least audible member of the band. The flute out in front of the band gives them a very unique sound. Without it they had a more typical rock sound. The bass guitarist is never static, keeping the bottom in a constant state of flux, but he stood off to the side of the stage as if he didn’t really want to be involved. Shuhei, the guitarist/singer, plays a hollow-bodied Gretsch, and like the bassist, plugs directly into his amp using no boxes of any kind. This time the flute player used a mouth mike. It just didn’t work. CBGB’s inexperience at miking flutes became obvious, and blaming it on the guitar being too loud was a bit hard to swallow. Most annoying was that there seemed to be a live mike on the stage that took a hit whenever the flutist landed from one of his leaps into the air. He was actually told to quit jumping on the stage! He must have thought it was a rock club, or something. Still, in spite of these problems, CHARISMA PAMPIE played their songs with authority, and gamely kept the crowd amused and entertained throughout the set.

Clammbon

Japan Nite 2002: Bleachmobile/The Salinger/ Understatements/Bonkin’ Clapper/Nananine/Clammbon--Elbow Room--3/18/02
Again Supervoid.com sponsored Japan Nite, and like last year, as we left we were given a various artists CD with two songs each by ten Japanese bands, five of whom had performed for us that night. There was a respectable size crowd for a Monday night.
CLAMMBON opened up the evening. They’re a trio of a drummer; a woman on keyboards and lead vocals; and a guy on bass, a Korg synthesizer, and background vocals. They started off with some very pleasant pop music with some lite-jazz overtones. It reminded me quite a bit of Akiko Yano. They were nice tunes and the vocals, though they reminded me a bit too much of the cat in the Meow Mix commercials, were sweet. Plus, she provided us with the very best English of the evening. As the set continued, their sound expanded surprisingly. The jazz became more improvisational, often with portions where she slowly, and rhythmically pounded on the same chord, while the bassist took the band into the realm of psychedelia. They’re all technically very good, and surprised me with a much larger range than I initially expected.

Clione-Index

Clione-Index--Pianos--8/28/06
The time for the show got pushed back an hour or so, but it turned out very nicely. I got to talk with the band, and maybe just to thank me for supporting them and other bands like them, they each bought a Rock of Japan T-shirt, the first ones I’ve sold in several months. Thank you, CLIONE-INDEX! As the band before them, TITUS ANDRONICUS, broke down their equipment, a somewhat intoxicated young man jumped up on the stage, praised TITUS ANDRONICUS, and then announced to the crowd that the band coming up next, CLIONE-INDEX, were the best thing he had heard in a long while, and that everyone should do themselves a favor, stay for the next set, check ‘em out, and treat their ears to something special. Very few took his advice, but as CLIONE-INDEX played their set, the crowd slowly grew until I no longer had a clear shot of the stage and was raising my camera up above people’s heads as usual. CLIONE-INDEX started off each song with one guitar, sometimes with strums, at other times with intricate picking, but always very delicately. During the first song the bassist and second guitarist crouched at the front of the stage and didn’t stand and join in until the drummer started in with his mallots. As the song began to slowly swell, the drummer switched to his drumsticks, and the band began to sway to the rhythm of their music. As the songs grow more intense, their movements take on a jerkiness. The entire band is technically very good. They are an instrumental band. There were no vocal microphones on the stage, and the band never said a word. Their songs start gently, and slowly, gradually, grow to a thundering climax. The only times they changed their general pattern at all were that one song started off in a waltz tempo, and the last song, fittingly, rocked harder than the others. As an instrumental, Japanese, rock band, theyÕre going to be compared with MONO. At this point, MONO would win in a face-off, but if you like MONO, this is a band well worth checking out, and they’re good guys, too.

Condor 44

Qypthone/Himawari/Creme Blush/Spoozys/Peelander-Z/Condor 44/Fantasy’s Core--New York-Tokyo Music Festival--5/26/02
        This night of the New York -- Tokyo Music Festival was quite the success. Let’s hope it does become an annual event! The pier was a nice place to be. The wide variety of bands was intriguing. The MC regularly mispronounced the bands’ names, when he knew them at all, but that’s a small complaint. The bands set up quickly and kept coming.
        CONDOR 44 were up next. They’re a trio. The guitarist and drummer were quite good, and the female bassist played inventively enough. Unfortunately, the soundman had her vocals down so low you couldn’t hear her at all. They may have tried to turn her up, but if so, she must have started singing even softer. The guitarist’s vocals were audible and good, and they also had a back-up singer who joined them for a few songs. The music was a thoughtful spacy pop which provided the guitarist room for exploration with the other musicians. Their lack of performance allowed the music to speak for itself.
        PEELANDER-Z’s party spirit was much appreciated after CONDOR 44’s mellow set.

Core Of Soul

Core Of Soul--CBGB--11/13/03
When I arrived, I was surprised by the crowd. There were a good number of people, and a fair number of them were obviously there to see CORE OF SOUL. Their equipment was already set up. All six of them took the stage at the same time. There are only three members of CORE OF SOUL, and they were out front. They were supported by a rhythm section, and a keyboardist. Up front on the stage we had Keisuke Iizuka on keyboards and a good-sized collection of boxes. Song Rui was on guitar and did an impressive job, playing many of the key elements of the songs, and often not sounding much like a guitar at all. Everything he did was very tasteful, and, like Keisuke, he mostly kept to himself, looking down at his instrument, but he let loose with a few flourishes. Fukiko Nakamura on vocals was the show. She took center stage, and sang like she meant it. The band sounded good and full, and her voice is pretty wonderful. She spoke comfortably in English, asking the audience how they liked the band, and smiling happily when a fan called out his love for her. Their material is well written, though it never strays far from pop ballads. When she raised up her arms to add a little drama, and belted out her songs, she had a good portion of the audience rooting for her. In one of the early songs she claimed, “I’m no angel!”, but I don’t ever remember a band on CBGB’s stage sounding quite so wholesome. After the show, while the guys packed up their equipment, she happily talked with fans and signed autographs. They finally asked her to leave the stage so the next band could set up. With her equipment in hand, she stepped down off the stage and kept talking with whoever wanted to say, “Hi!” or get a picture taken with her. The band was still talking with fans when I left the club.

Cornelius

Cornelius/Natural Calamity/P.J. Olsson--Bowery Ballroom--11/9/98
I felt like I should try to see CORNELIUS again, since they’re so big in Japan and were playing the Bowery Ballroom, one of my favorite clubs. I didn’t try hard though. I decided that night that I’d like to see the show. I called them up to see if it was sold out yet. It wasn’t, so I walked down there. Finally, CORNELIUS emerged. Keigo Oyamada’s first words were, “CORNELIUS is a band.” They had a standard four-piece line-up, with a few plusses. The lead-guitarist also played keyboards, and Keigo played not only guitar and vocals, but also theremin, tapes, various boxes, and he controlled the videos that played behind them. As a band they were all strong musicians, and the music was wide-ranging, covering pop, hard-rock, psych, and adding some new frontiers. I was quite impressed with Keigo’s theremin work. At times when the lead-guitarist was on keyboards, he would play rhythm-guitar and do the leads on theremin with the neck of his guitar. At one point he played ‘Love Me Tender’ on theremin with Elvis on the video-screen behind them. The thing that impressed me the most was how synced they were with the videos behind them. Seemingly, without even looking, the changes in the songs were instantly reflected on the screen behind them. However they managed to do it, that shows an incredibly tight band. The weak point was the material. Though it was impressively wide-ranging, and the theremin and other toys added interesting effects, the songs themselves didn’t really do much for me. This may have been partially due to the fact that they were sung mostly in Japanese, but basically, beneath the cleverness and strength of their chops, they were little more than a pop band.

Cornelius/Dymaxion--Bowery Ballroom--8/9/02
While they prepared for CORNELIUS’ show, they raised a screen up in front of the stage. At first they played a short video centering around the Point cover. Then it stopped and we watched shadows moving around behind the screen for awhile. When a song finally did start up, another video began, and Keigo Oyamada would point to an area of the screen as a word would appear. It was a clever way of beginning the show, and the sold out crowd was appreciative, though not as appreciative as when the front screen came down and the four piece band was unveiled. They consisted of a bassist, another man on a healthy variety of keyboards, an occasional guitar (and there must have been some tapes and samples there as well), a blonde-haired woman playing very emphatic drums, and Keigo on a variety of guitars. He seemed to be changing guitars for nearly every song, and once, with the help of an audience member, he played ‘Love Me Tender’ on theremin. At another point, while the video played clips from Planet of the Apes movies, he interacted with the audience by encouraging those in front to join him in pressing buttons on a large toy sampler. Four large lights positioned at each corner of the stage regularly shone their lights, often erratically, around the room, providing a circus-like atmosphere. The band was very tight, and played through a wide variety of CORNELIUS’ previous material, though, of course, concentrating on the latest release, Point. Throughout the show, videos played on a screen behind them. Many of them were quite clever, and fun to watch, but the band concentrated on playing the music, and let the videos do the visual entertaining. Keigo occasionally raised his guitar upright in the air, or said, ÒThank you.Ó at the end of songs, but the music and videos were pretty much the show. The music ranged from light pop to some nice rockers, and the opening chords of songs regularly elicited cheers from the audience, but eventually the videos seemed to leave the crowd a bit stupefied, like when you watch too much TV. CORNELIUS closed the set with ‘Brazil’. A video of clouds played, and the lyrics flashed on the screen as Keigo sang them. It was a surprisingly warm moment, and as the band left the stage the crowd began stomping enthusiastically for an encore. They were rewarded with one videoless song in which the keyboardist played some guitar and jumped about more than anyone in the band had during the entire show. The music was good, and the videos were fun, but it was a shame that they so dominated the show. The lights came on and it was over.

Curlies

Curlies--Knitting Factory Tap Room--10/10/06
CURLIES are Hiroki on guitar and lead vocals, and Nozomi on drums and back-up vocals. After watching an exciting set by GELATINE, with Seiko dancing around in her diapers and bandages, two women, Nozomi and her friend Miki, walked around Arlene’s Grocery saying, “If you like Japanese bands, you should come and see CURLIES. They are from Tokyo.”
So there I was at Knitting Factory, several days later, having managed to see as little as possible of the three heavy metal bands who had preceded CURLIES. Being one of the few people there to see them, I was able to talk a little with them, their friend Miki, and Nozomi’s parents, who had flown in the day before to support their daughter, and see CURLIES play live in New York. They were all very nice people. Finally Hiroki and Nozomi took to the stage, and after setting up their sound, they launched into a quirky and animated rock ‘n’ roll set. Many of the punkier songs have a very fast pace, and the lyrics fly by like verbal gymnastics. One of the most offbeat things they did was to seemingly end their songs, and then, after a brief pause, they’d start the same song up again, sometimes several times. They played their instruments pretty well. His singing was OK, and her background vocals were sweet, often kind of chirpy. Most of the time they really seemed to need another instrument to fill up their sound, but Hiroki seemed to be enjoying himself in an energetic, and slightly nervous manner that had him flitting about the stage when he wasn’t singing. During their cover of ‘I Just Want To Make Love To You’, Nozomi spiced things up with a very nice harmonica break. They also covered THE BEATLES’ ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’. On a late Tuesday night they didn’t have much of an audience, but those who were there stayed, and seemed to be enjoying themselves right along with Hiroki. Nozomi was working too hard to show joy, but I’m sure she was feeling it. Or maybe she was nervous about her parents being there.