*cool photos by Chris & Jeff...*
We ventured back to the Knitting factory & saw that a line had just started about an hour before the show. After a short while, the kind staff were convinced to let us in because of the cold. Some of the merch table was setup already & I picked up myself a Japan Nite '08 shirt, & was convinced to buy the Scandal pack ("Space Ranger" single/Scandal anime 4 shirt/& Scandal anime 4 x 3 pins) for a low low price by the dealer & was glad I did. ^_-
Although the crowd was meager by comparison than '07, & not as Japanese as the previous years, we were hopeful to hear some great music & made our way right to the front... and by the end of it... literally, this was about the best $12 I ever spent. ^_^
SCANDAL: The show kicked off on the right foot with the indie all-girl quartet "Scandal." Having their Japanese girlschool uniforms, adorable faces & chubby legs, they were an instant hit, & we were so close to them that I took some amazing photos of this rocking 4-pack. This was the 1st time we had seen what this band actually looked like as they hid behind their anime alter-ego's online in promos, & the band was beyond cute with their catchy hooks, endless enthusiasm, & good looks, everyone warmed up to them immediately as the stomped through their songs with a ferocity more seasoned musicians sometimes lack. They got down, & had the crowd captivated thru their whole set, & were so infectious, you couldn't help but love them... At the end of the show lead guitarist Mami HANDED me her guitar pick for all the pics I took of them & for being a good fan, (she did not through it out & I just happened to catch it), she actually HANDED it to me, & it will remain one of my many jrock treasures & a favorite memory of mine from this show. I clicked about half of my Japan Nite '08 pictures just of them!!
^I got Mami's guitar pick!! ^_^
THE EMERALDS: Long time Japan Nite heroes "The Emeralds" where up next. They started off with a thud as their signature song "Juliet" was plagued with sound issues, so bad in fact that they stopped the show. Left the stage, had the sound corrected, & reappeared triumphantly in sunglasses & coats, covering their previously seen trademark apparel, & brought the crowd back to a high point with style & laughs. They did not re-perform "Juliet" as to not cut into the other following band's stage time, & performed some new material with their trademark speedy vocals & some of their other catchy numbers. They had 1 crowd participation song that was really sweet, & the drummer did a lot more MC this round as compared to the previous year's. The sweat was flying off the lead singer under those hot lights, some may have landed on Brian...lol. They were actually much better & more commercial than when I saw them in 2007...
PETTY BOOKA: There is always a band that people don't quite get in the Japan Nite lineup's that I've seen & it seems it is usually the one that is the most distant from the alternative rock bands usually presented on this tour. In '07 it was Pistol Valve that suffered the most from this to a lesser degree, & this year it was much more evident by Petty Booka. The Japanese cover novelty act where so cute you could pinch them as they went through their traditionally flavored US cover songs. Their Japanese mandolin player was exceptional, best I have ever seen, & they also had another US guitarist playing acoustic as they strummed their ukulele's thru a passive set. This was the 2 new female members 1st time out, & they received heavy promotion through their record label that sponsored the night, through flyers, CD's & adverts. This band almost seemed like an intermission, & brought the crowd to a calm, though they seemed somewhat un-entertained at times, most stayed respectful. Definitely a unique band that I could see appealing to the older crowd in Japan.
"In The Summer Time"
KETCHUP MANIA: The band we had been waiting for, Ketchup Mania came out next, & the relaxed crowd got tight again as their adrenaline returned... this band was the best known by the concert house fandom & it showed. The 3 musicians set up & started right in with an unlikely set from their blistering US fan-fave CD release"Greetings From Tokyo" with the song "Girl's Mind" as singer Hiro bursted on stage. The band ripped through a speedy barrage of their punk anthems as the crowd just bounces around & eats it up!! They performed my all time Ketchup fave "Namida Vacuum Sound" right in the GFT order & I couldn't have been happier. Wani is one of my all time fave drummers, & he slammed through those songs with such an intense speed as Dai shredded on his guitar. They were AWESOME!! Worth every memorable second. They also performed their newest single at the time "Bad Bad Bad" which rang well with the audience. As I was clicking pics singer Hiro actually grabbed my camera & shook it in a playful way, that super awesome!! They changed some unfamiliar people mind's that day about being a powerful musical force inspired by the likes of J-alternative greats like Judy & Mary, for such an amazingly young band, they show tons of promise. This band & Scandal were my top 2 for the night. And to think I was interested in them about only a year previous because I liked their fun name, & here I am a year later seeing them live 2 feet in front of me... How cool is that??
DETROIT7: After Ketchup left the stage, alot of the audience cleared out... & Detroit7, being one of the better known bands in the lineup, reved up & pulled the crowd right back in. South paw female singer Tomomi's gruff voice is surely unique. She played like she was possessed, & looked like she came from "The Grudge" film while performing with her eyes rolled back & devil horns. She was awesome, & would get right in the crowds faces. Bassist Nobuaki was not afraid to attack the crowd either as he thumped thru the 60-70's flavored j-rock. But perhaps the most impressive was drummer Myoko, which was literally the best female drummer I have ever seen, she was INSANE beating the living daylights out of those drums. With fan favorites like a "Beautiful Song", & playing the crowd with the anime cover of "Mahou tsukai Sally" & another handful of loud & monstrous songs, D7 proved to be one of the BEST of the night.
setlist:
1. Love & Confused
2. This Love Sucks
3. Mahoutsukai Sally
4. Beautiful Song
5. Kiss The moon
6. Buzz Off
7. In The Sunshine
8. Owari Wa Hajimari
possessed!!
"Beautiful Song"
THE BEACHES:
The final act "The Beaches" looked to have the oldest members this evening but had a fun factor that seemed similar to their namesake. With a trance like beach anthems the band rocked the remainder of the crowd (that had not cleared out for good after D7) with a set of psychedelic songs that had the j-rockers dancing, a couple of us retired to the balcony after being slaughtered by D7, to enjoy the band from above & away from the crowd as they definitely had a unique, noisy, experimental, & fun appeal. This is the only band I have not seen any music available online & would be interested to hear how their excitable live sound translates in the studio... They closed the night well after a very solid lineup of very different bands....
The show ended very timely & earlier than the previous year so there was enough time to snag more merch now that it had all been set up & get autographs. Scandal did their autographs at the end of their set, as I guess their management would not let them hangout after the show like most of the other bands, & I guess this reoccurred at every Japan Nite '08 show, I was hoping to score a Scandal autograph, but maybe some other time. I think the "pick giving experience" more than qualifies as my personal prize of that band. ^_- Petty Booka was also not there, but had lots of merch for sale, more than any other band. And The Emeralds were right in the thick of it with the crowd, posing for photos, selling their new CD & were overally available to everyone, as well as all the members of Ketchup Mania, who if you tracked them down could get an autograph on their US CD release "Greetings from Tokyo" now being sold at the 2nd merch table & photo op if asked. Hiro was behind the merch desk, & Bri, MK, & I scored a KETCHUP AUTOGRAPH from all the members & photo with guitarist Die. I told Wani he was one of my favorite drummers of all-time, which seemed to make his day. Bassist Yousei showed up last & introduced himself when signing. It was all very sweet. The Beaches hung out by the bar, & D7 was by the exit. It was one of the most amazing shows as well as one of the most rewarding J-rock experiences I have ever had. It was a great time for me & my friends, both seasoned vets, & the newcomers alike...A stellar lineup made me a fan of all of them, & now I can't wait untill 2009!!
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