Japan Nite Tour 2008

Location: T.T. The Bear's, Cambridge, MA
Date: March 17, 2008

By Kamikazen


South by Southwest's Japan Nite Tour came back to Cambridge and I have to say that it was a total blast. Last year, I went to the show that Japan Nite put together at the same venue and subsequently blown away by the raw energy and incredible musical variety the bands brought. Expecting more of the same, what I got from the show that Japan Nite managed to put together this year was what I expected and somewhat more.


I managed to get to the venue a little ahead of time and hung out with friends at a nearby pizzeria. When I got there, there was a meager line of about 4-5 people. After waiting for the doors to open, my friends and I returned to find that the line had gotten a lot bigger while we had been away. But, we managed to get in and proceeded to check out the merch table that the bands had set up before the show actually started. T.T. The Bear's is a bit of a small venue by normal standards. Nevertheless, there was a pretty big crowd, big enough to fill the space at least. I was actually quite surprised to find that some of the people were a bit older than I expected. The stage itself was already set up by the time we got into the venue. SCANDAL's guitars were set up, complete with really cute guitar straps and a bizarre stuffed animal on top of one of the amps.


Soon after getting into the crowd, the teenage all-girl band SCANDAL took the stage. There were a couple things I was worried about SCANDAL before I came to the show. I wasn't really sure what they would actually look like, seeing as how all the pictures of them I had seen previously were in "anime" form. The other thing I was worried about with SCANDAL was the fact that they were essentially a high-school all-girl band, which arguably in most cases aren't very experienced or impressive on stage. However, SCANDAL really managed to erase any sort of doubts I had when they took the stage and performed a really tight set list. They managed to bring a lot of energy to the stage and the crowd definitely felt it. They almost reminded me of a poppier Titan Go King's. All of the members of the band also seemed pretty talented with their respective instruments and all of them actually contributed on vocals at some point in their songs. It was really entertaining in particular when SCANDAL tried to teach the crowd to say simple phrases with their local Osaka dialect in between songs. I have to say that SCANDAL definitely exceeded any expectations I had of them at the start.


After getting some signed goods and a picture or two with SCANDAL, who came straight to their merch table minutes after their performance, my friends and I eventually made it back to the crowd when Petty Booka took the stage. The world-famous female ukulele duo were joined on stage by an acoustic guitar player, a mandolin player, and even a banjo/slide guitar player at times. Although it wasn't as energetic as the previous band, Petty Booka was definitely a bit more interesting to listen to. If I had to describe their sound, it really felt like a bluegrass/country version of Alvin and the Chipmunks. Their entire set list was pretty much made of covers of famous songs such as "Que Sera, Sera" and "Do You Wanna Dance?". While the female duo was quite charming throughout the performance, the mandolin player actually got quite a bit of reaction from the crowd as he practically shredded it up on his mandolin during many of the songs.


The next band, ketchup mania, actually took quite a long time to set up compared to the other bands. I'm not sure if it was because they didn't get to test their equipment before arriving at the venue or if they weren't used to sharing equipment with other bands in general. But, eventually, they managed to set up and make an official entrance on stage. After that, despite their slow start, it was pure fast-paced energy from ketchup mania. The pop-punk band really made their presence felt from the get-go and never really let up. They actually were the only band that stimulated a mosh pit from the crowd. While the rest of her bandmates really stirred up the crowd, vocalist HIRO actually brought a bit of fun to the mix with her light, airy vocals and cute rock dancing on stage. Running into technical problems at one point, she had to switch mics with guitarist DAI for one song, but it didn't affect their amazing performance too much.


I have to say that, before getting to the show, detriot7 was one of the only bands I had heard of beforehand. This might have led me to have a bit of high expectations for the garage-rock band as they came on stage, but not only did they meet my expectations, they exceeded them. Before seeing detriot7, I had never seen a bass player rock out as hard as bassist Nobuaki Kotajima did. Violently headbanging and rocking back and forth like a manic throughout the performance, he really managed to impress a lot of the crowd with his raw energy. Drummer Miyoko Yamaguchi also brought a bit of energy to the performance, entertaining the crowd with a "glowstick drumstick" performance in later part of the set list. While her bandmates amazed the crowd, vocalist and guitarist Tomomi Nabana really mesmerized them with her unique onstage persona. Playing barefoot with a left-handed Fender Jazzmaster is impressive enough to some, but you really have to watch detriot7 live to witness Nabana's odd yet alluring on-stage antics for yourself.


THE BEACHES were up next and really managed to hold their own in this awkward spot in the show. Creating an interesting mix between the feel-good style of reggae and funk and the high-energy of rock and punk, THE BEACHES really specialized in playing to the crowd with their music. So, in the beginning, I kind of felt a little bad for the band. The crowd was probably tired by this point from all the high-energy bands, so the band probably didn't get the response they were hoping for from their early songs. However, the band finally managed to get some life from the crowd when, almost halfway through, vocalist and guitarist HISASHI the KID took matters into his own hands. Actually dropping his guitar and hopping into the crowd, HISASHI managed to energized the crowed for the rest of the set and the performance as a whole turned out pretty well for THE BEACHES.


Last but certainly not least were Japan Nite regulars THE EMERALDS, the one band that played at the show last year. The renown "Samurai Rock'n'Roll Trio" have really built up quite a reputation in the States due to their frequent visits over the years. Unfortunately, I was not able to stay for their entire set list, because I had to catch a ride back home. But, from the parts that I was able to watch before leaving, it seemed like the high-caliber performance that was expected of the veterans. I have no doubt that they managed to close the show out well. I would have liked to see if they had played more songs from their newly released full-length album, but perhaps the next time they tour the U.S. I will be able to see them for myself.


Overall, I have to say that SXSW really put together another great show for those in Cambridge who came out to watch and I really hope I'm able to see what kind of bands they bring out next year.



If you liked this review or want to know where to buy albums by these artists, click on the links below.
ketchup mania at JapanFiles.com

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