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I thought this was going to be a rather faceless Japanese band (Of what kind? With a name like that? Dub?) when they marched onstage looking like they had just taken the train from Shibuya. And then I saw the string quartet warming up in full chamber music finery. Ah, a faceless Japanese band with class. Nice.
The strings couldn’t much be heard once the band started, but with a flautist, trumpet player, a very excitable boy standing (not sitting) behind the drum kit, and a generally happy man sitting (not standing) behind the congas and percussion, plus assorted guitars and keys, what they are is a dance and party band, big pop-band celebration music (a little disco, a little ska, a little punk, even a little hardcore) that I just realized I see a lot of in Japan. Only took me ten years to spot this trend. Somebody call Newsweek and ask them if they need a Japan correspondent.
Ooooohhh...waaaa....ooohh
If you’ve been in this country awhile you know exactly what happened for the duration of the show (by that I mean, you know the kind of smile everyone had and the kind of dancing everyone did), but I don’t mean to sound cynical. They got a good percussion jam going at one point and busted in with some really interesting harmonics between guitar squeals and flute. But mainly it was the atmosphere. I was kicking back while it was all going on, but the whole thing brightened my mood considerably. I’m easily infected like that.
-Kern
photo by terumi. more here
