Emi Morimoto standing on her drums and Ritsuko Taneda rocking out.
New York, September 25 – As a part of their extravagant Yoshitomo Nara (奈良 美智) exhibition, Asia Society hosted a concert by Shonen Knife (少年ナイフ). Nara is a big fan of the band and designed some of their album covers including Happy Hour. In a larger sense, he has also credited punk music as being a major influence in his artwork.
In addition to the art exhibit, the performance was part of a new American tour that served as a coming out party for Shonen Knife's new drummer Emi Morimoto. She seemed to fit the band extremely well. Her drumming was exciting and filled with gusto.
The highlights of the performance were: Banana Chips, Super Group, and It's a New Find.
Click on the image for higher resolution.
The theater is pretty spacious, but one thing bothered me. The acoustics were really weird. I'm used to seeing Shonen Knife in small clubs with the amps blazing. However, the sound was reverberating off the wooden auditorium in a strange way. I can't really describe it. It sounds kinda like a rock band playing a school auditorium. The wood-paneled venue was built specifically for speakers and oration, and I'm pretty sure j-rock music was not a consideration in its design.
Despite the strange acoustics, the band rocked pretty hard and entertained the audience with their special brand of punk-pop music.
 Yoshitomo Nara watching the signing from the stairs. |
After the performance, the band did a lengthy autograph session and met with the audience. They are always very gracious to their fans. I also noticed Nara watching the signing event with camera in hand. He was just another music fan at the rock show.
Related Links:
2 comments:
I love this band so much, I was quite disappointed when former drummer Etsuko was fired, but newcomer Emi has revitalised the band's live shows with her amazing personality! :) I saw them play live in Toronto, in Oct.
Mikey
I'm old enough to see band members change in all of my favorite bands. Life obligations and the passage of time lead to a lot of personnel changes.
As long as they still create interesting music, I'll be a fan.
Post a Comment