Fujirockers: The official Fuji Rock Festival blog

Hideki Kaji All Smiles On Shokudo

In 2006 Broken Social Scene became the first non-headliner I have seen do an encore at Fuji Rock.  Tonight Hideki Kaji became the second.

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Get close

Moriarty’s Friday afternoon show at the Gypsy Avalon may be my favorite set so far mainly because it was such an unexpected surprise. There was therefore no surprise when the France-based sextet took the tiny Naeba Shokudo stage at midnight on Saturday, though it’s a good bet that the folks who were occupying every mud-slathered nook and cranny at that odd venue had no idea what to expect. The reaction was all the more rewarding. Continue Reading…

I met Rory just before his Naeba Shokudo performance started. He struck me as a genuine guy, just as indicated on the Don’s preview piece. Kinda genuinely happy that I’d be watching.

The rain started a few minutes in, and built up steadily. Good thing? It certainly made for a more intimate show, as everyone crowded into the postage stamp size undercover area at Shokudo. I wanted to catch Rory at some point this weekend, and had decided this would be the pick. I think this kind of thing is best enjoyed in a small space. Continue Reading…

A Food Court Open For Grazing

There’s only so much epic music a man or woman can handle in a single night, and after Them Crooked Vultures* and Broken Social Scene I was epic’d'out, so Muse was out of the question. Instead, I had dinner. With everyone at the festival at either Muse or !!! (or further afield), the food court was empty, and I had the rare treat of selecting the perfect meal from multiple vendors. This will heretofore be a thing which I do at Fuji Rock, take advantage of the empty food stalls while the main attractions are drawing the attention of the rabble.

Then I sat down and took in a bit of Yuzoband at the Shokudo stage.

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Love me tender, love me deux

The French rockabilly revivalists Mustang are one of the ubiquitous bands this weekend. By they time they took the tiny stage in back of the Naeba Shokudo near midnight Friday, they’d already played twice, and there was still at least one more gig to go. At the Red Marquee the previous evening during the pre-fest party they were greatly aided by the crowd’s anticipatory verve. The band was rather stiff, making their old-style rock-n-roll feel a bit academic, but people would have whooped and danced to Mozart’s “Requiem” at that point. Continue Reading…

The 9 Miles

As Jinki says, Fuji is a place to discover new acts, even before the festival. I don’t know who the 9 Miles are, but they’re great. They’re playing the Naeba Shokudo on Saturday. They’re not on YouTube yet. Click here and listen.

Go Chic

And by this, I mean bands, not attendees or virgin Fujirockers like Clay.

One of the things myself and fellow Fujirockers really look forward to each year is getting a chance to see which new (or near new) bands get to give it a shot on the Rookie A Go-Go stage late in the evening at the Palace of Wonder. Continue Reading…

Rory McLeod playing trombone

I’d already been to two Fuji Rock Festivals when I first realized that the Naeba Shokudo was an official stage and not just one of the food places letting some buskers throw out some impromptu tunes. I knew there was a stage called the Naeba Shokudo, and I knew from the map that it was somewhere near the Red Marquee, but it never occurred to me those first two years that the little wooden platform next to the noodle place was it.

Usually it plays host to some cheeky little Tokyo act that didn’t mind catching the bus to Naeba. This year is the first year there’ll be an international artist on the Naeba Shokudo stage that I’ll make a special effort to see: Rory McLeod.
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MUSTANG

Last year’s additional stage was the Moulin Rouge-accented Cafe de Paris tent way at the ass end of the festival. We haven’t heard yet whether or not it will be continued this year, but if it is there are plenty of French or Francophone artists on the menu to provide it with the proper je ne sais quois, though we doubt seriously that the two pop techno freaks of Air would ever deign to play such a puny venue. They are, after all, headlining the Red Marquee Sunday night. Moriarty, though they generally sing in English, is based in France, and they’re already playing at least two gigs during the weekend so it’s likely they could be talked into a third. Then there’s the French swing ska punk ensemble La Ruda, who’s slated for the Orange Court Saturday afternoon. With eight members it might get a little tight in the CdP, but I’m sure they’d be game. And while singer-songwriter Emeline Michel is Haitian, she sings in French and creole and would likely fit right in. Continue Reading…

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Flickr and Vids to come.

jinki