Four Fantastic February Concerts

While everyone else usually hopes to get away from Japan during its coldest month, a number of local and foreign musicians poured into the Kansai area. Although there are always plenty more performances to see than time and funds permit, I was fortunate enough to see four amazing concerts this past February, visiting many venues for the first time.

 

Crossfaith

Hearing the name Namba Hatch one would expect a venue similar to other Osaka live houses; low-ceiling, cramped, dark, and unmistakable beer moisture at your feet. But upon entering, that same individual will be pleasantly surprised to find that far from being a hatch, this venue is one of Osaka’s most spacious. It was at this large venue that Japanese electronic hardcore band Crossfaith played on Friday, Feb 13, during their Madness Tour. That evening Crossfaith was also joined by Boom! Boom! Satellites from Tokyo and Architects from the UK.

The performances were strong and due to the stylistic difference between the bands, there was something everyone could enjoy. Boom! Boom! Satellites appeased fans of alternative rock, leaving the hardcore screaming for the following musicians, but like Crossfaith, they incorporated a number of artificial beats throughout their songs. Although increasingly common among metalcore bands, it’s often annoying if a band uses it without adding anything substantial to the song. Boom! Boom! Satellites demonstrated this perfectly by aligning their electronic beats to their talented female drummer, thereby taking away from the actual percussions. On the other hand, Architects largely avoided EDM additions while lead singer, Sam Carter, thrust the band’s fast pace forward with his constant coarse scream (although in a number of songs he does slow down and offer the audience a taste of his soft choir-like vocals). Although energetic and obviously talented – their previous album, the first with Epitaph Records, Lost Forever // Lost Together garnered much acclaim throughout the metalcore community – there was an enormous sense of awkwardness in regards to their interaction with the crowd. A number of “Wall of Deaths” – where the crowd spreads to opposite sides, then rushes toward one another – were called for and Carter was constantly thanking the crowd and having them clap for random people to avoid the notorious Japanese silence while his bandmates were preparing for the next songs.

However, where the other two bands fell short, Crossfaith, Osaka natives, demonstrated why they were the headliners that evening. They reminded me of a more polished Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, blending EDM and metalcore flawlessly. Though they sing in English it is clear that it does not stop them from obtaining a huge Japanese fan-base. Perhaps it’s the J-Popesque appearance with the black eyeliner and leather jackets paired with a bare chest that make up for the language gap. It’s also appreciated when the keyboardist/synthesizer (someone I usually consider to be simply a button-pusher) can support the band in other ways. In this case by backing-up frontman Kenta with his own scream. The band’s energy had the crowd jumping in unison a number of times and their breakdowns resulted in some of the more chaotic (better) moshpits I’ve seen in Japan. Also the band dealt with the silence issue in two ways; by simply playing prerecorded ambient sound, which led to a nice buildup for whatever song came next (something their counterparts should take note of), or addressing the audience to express their sincere appreciation. Overall, Crossfaith’s performance showed what a great show can look like when the confidence, brought on by international recognition, is paired with the comfort of playing in one’s hometown.

 

Radical Face

Walking from a “kids gone crazy” kindergarten class and into an esteemed Harvard professor’s lecture is the perfect analogy between Radical Face the following day and Crossfaith the previous night. First, the venue. Set far away from bustling Osaka and moderately bustling Sannomiya, Radical Face, who at times simply goes by his name Ben Cooper, played at the Kobe Guggenheim House. Never heard of it? Neither had I, but what an incredible find. A 7 minute walk from the Shioya JR station, this western-styled house offers a comfortable and intimate night with the performers. The audience of about 40 chose their seats in what could be considered a large living room with an adjoining kitchen serving alcohol and delicious smelling curry. After the show the musicians were also given a meal and allowed to stay the night in the upstairs bedrooms before heading to their next destination the following day.

As for the performances, it’s become apparent that concerts in Japan don’t necessarily promote opening acts for foreign bands, or other names are lost to the untrained eye in the kanji-filled concert descriptions. In this case, a small woman – who could have easily been mistaken for a staff member – climbed on stage with her acoustic guitar and thermal bottle of what I assume to be tea and softly addressed the audience before strumming her guitar. Thus began the soft-spoken singing of Rima Kato. At first glance and listen it’s easy to think Kato is an awkward musician who sings in English, but hasn’t quiet mastered it, using short sentences, dropping an s at the end of words (“the rain change into snow”), or forgetting articles (“I write letter”). However there is no denying that there exists a beauty in Kanto’s music, tinged by sadness and loneliness and both her manner of singing and acting make her a memorable individual. She accepts the vulnerability of performing and softly releases it in a form that has everyone nodding and swaying as if to respond, “We also know that feeling.”

After Kato left the stage as quietly as she had entered, Radical Face (Ben) climbed on stage with his friend and Japan touring partner Josh Lee. While touring Radical Face comes in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes Ben may have a whole band with him, other times it might just be an acoustic performance, but tonight he had his guitar, controlled a foot pedal drum machine, and Josh played the cello. What followed was Radical Face’s usual indie-folk with an orchestral flavor. With the majority of his songs being about family, love, and loss, it made for a beautiful, though somewhat depressing Valentine’s Day evening. However, his down-to-earth manner and off-centered humor filled the night with bouts of laughter and he even surprised us by taking a fan’s request as one of his last two songs. Truly one of the last musicians I thought I’d ever see live, much less in Japan, the performance and the venue’s atmosphere made for an unforgettable night.

 

New Found Glory

The following week it was back to Umeda for two shows at Club Quattro. The first was a nostalgic gut-punch with New Found Glory wrapping up their 2015 Japan tour. Opening for the pop punk veterans (and sporting NFG t-shirts as well) was Septaluck, a Tokyo-based band also making its way across Japan on its own Diamond Tour 2015. FIN on vocals offered the usual nasally high pitch recognizable in most pop punk bands and was supported by Chu strumming the bass, Junichi Uchino on drums and both Ussy and KAT on guitars. Singing in both Japanese and English, the band was a nice warm-up for the main attraction.

After about five songs, New Found Glory took over and it’s hard avoiding the first thought of “Damn, these guys are old,” but then when reminded that they were one of your favorite bands in middle school it’s understandable. Good thing most of their songs are filled with sing-a-long hooks that allow vocalist Jordan Pundik to catch his breath every once in awhile. That being said, even with some wear and tear, there is no denying that the band can still keep up with, if not surpass many of their younger counterparts. Some of that may have been due to the energy of a slightly younger drummer Mike Ambrose, formerly of Set Your Goals, filling in for Cyrus Bolooki, who was taking time off for the birth of his baby. NFG also did a great job in keeping the energy high by mixing their setlist with some of their most popular songs like “Sincerely Me” and “All Down Hill” while promoting songs from their newest album Resurrection, which after a few preliminary listens definitely stays true to their older style. As they thanked fans for their continued support (and gave a shout out to a few who had been to every show in Japan), they left with the promise that they will be a band forever as long as we the fans wanted it – a reassuring statement especially after popular guitarist and lyricist Steve Klein’s departure in 2013.

St. Vincent

Finally to finish this fantastic month filled with musical talent there was recent Grammy-award winning artist St. Vincent. Even on a moderately sized stage St. Vincent showed why she’s worthy to be listed on so many top album lists of 2014 and number one for NPR’s Bob Boilen’s Top Concert of 2014, as the audience soon realized we weren’t simply going to stand and listen to music, but see a performance in every sense of the word. An automated voice asking the audience to please refrain from using cameras and cell phones during the show (a request this author begrudgingly followed) quickly set a digital theme for the night. When St. Vincent entered the stage on what appeared to be a moving walkway, but was actually perfected quick steps, she looked out into the audience with twitchy back and forth movements, a wide-eyed blank stare, and a chilling smile and, along with her bandmates, engaged in unique and quirky choreography during many of the songs. For all intents and purposes she was a flawlessly programmed robot. That is of course, until she opened her mouth to sing and unleashed her fingers on the guitar. Not that these actions weren’t also flawless, but they were without a doubt the heartfelt, passionate creations of an individual who has figured out a way to put her diverse spectrum of emotions into beautiful songs. Perhaps the best portrayal of her humanity came when she lay on the crowd during a tremendous guitar solo at the end of “Birth in Reverse,” trusting the audience to safely carry her while at the same time allowing them to reach up and play chords to continue the solo. Like all of the shows I’ve seen in Japan I was left deeply satisfied, but slightly saddened that it had ended so early.

 

Sean Mulvihill