LILAC, GURIGULA, UZUHI VISUAL KEI CONCERT, AMERICAN J-ROCK BANDS. J-SUMMIT AT NEW YORK WEBSTER HALL, J-POP MUSIC USA.
Confession. After seeing legendary Visual Kei bands in Tokyo — Versailles, Moi dix Mois, Gackt — I doubted that an American J-rock concert could send shivers up my spine. But I went to the J-Summit at NYC’s Webster Hall with what they call a “positive attitude,” and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the live. (All photos by Shichi.)
I was expecting a full Visual Kei roster, but the first act was on the completely opposite spectrum. As in an Okinawa folk band in traditional costumes… hey, I still rocked out. The second group, Happy Fun Smile, was equally amusing: the lead singer belted hyper retro J-pop and forced the audience to dance in a circle. All together now: push-push, shovel-shovel!
Then Lilac took over and put on a classic feedback-blitzing rock show. Singer/guitarist Hitoshi lit up the room with his stage presence (and literally, too, with his glowing devil horns). Lilac has been together less than a year, yet the trio has found a tight, hard rock sound that Shichi compares to Vamps.
The head-banging continued with the US debut of Japanese VK group Gurigula. In his review, Shichi writes: “This band had a retro sound with a modern aesthetic. That distinctive early 90s Visual Kei sound was alive and well here. Perhaps evolved, and slightly more tuned to modern tastes but you could definitely hear roots in bands like Luna Sea and Die in Cries.”
We left before Uzuhi, but managed to catch the fashion show. Dorian Hellfire’s male J-rock clothes rocked and her teen models were too cute for words; I wanted to pack them in my bento box! I had a grand time at J-Summit, I truly did — and it seemed everyone around me did too.
I couldn’t agree more with Shichi’s sum-up: “People who don’t go to Japanese-American J-rock shows really are missing out [...] It’s usually cheaper, and these groups really do care about the local scene and spend a great deal of time before and after sets interacting with fans. Some of these bands are really good too; I guarantee you won’t feel you’ve wasted your time and money if you went to say a Lilac or a [geist] or a Uzuhi show. I personally feel they are a lot better then some of the obscure Japanese bands the VK scene likes. If anything, these shows also end up being great social events. Support your scene! Come meet people!”
On that note, I’m always looking for new ways to open discussion and interact on this blog. What do you think of a new feature: daily musings and quotes? Below is the first installment; if it hits a nerve with you, please let me know your thoughts.
(PS: To comment, simply click on the Comments link on the bottom right of each post. You can comment as a Guest if you don’t want to sign up with Disqus. If you’re having trouble, shoot me an email or Tweet me.)
Musing of the Day #1: “Libertine” can be a positive word. Instead of “morally dissolute and depraved,” it can refer to someone who’s not bound by social morals, free to think and act for himself. Part of why I am drawn to the Gothic aesthetic/lifestyle is that it finds beauty in what’s feared: death, darkness. It turns norms on their heads; shows them to be paper tigers.
Song of the Day #243: Anything by Lilac at the NYC J-Summit! Here is a playlist of videos from the show.
This entry was posted on Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 at 02:53 and is filed under Nightcrawling, Visual Kei + Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
November 22nd, 2009 at 03:34
Viva_La_Escapism says:I envy you~… So much! I wish that some VK bands would come to Australia *Whine* They look so amazing! I'm definitely going to go listen to their music now!
November 22nd, 2009 at 12:35
Millarca says:<3
November 22nd, 2009 at 15:42
Lemon says:I agree with your musing about being a libertine. I find it quite amazing that people are bound in their thinking by things that they claim “just are”, that “just have to be that way”. But you can ask “why?” to anything…you can philosophize about anything.
November 22nd, 2009 at 16:31
Vampire Girl says:omg ur so cool
November 22nd, 2009 at 16:31
Ginger says:I love discovering new stimulation … I am a true, reborn Libertine. (yes, @lacarmina … look at the latin root “libre” ) To be free.
November 22nd, 2009 at 17:55
Leslie says:What a timely subject! I had the fantastic luck of seeing Dir en grey in concert last week here in Chicago – what a phenomenal experience. I'm still gushing about it!!! ^_^
You're right, jrock/jpop musicians seem to make extra effort to connect with their fans, pouring their hearts into each performance.
There is such strong support for visual kei and music from Japan in the US/Canada. I'm hoping we see more tours in 2010!!
November 22nd, 2009 at 18:34
lacarmina says:Ah, my friend in NYC saw Dir en grey last week too and said it was phenomenal! With some exceptions, I also think there is far less distance and pretension among J-rockers (both from the US and Japan); I think they're excited to play US shows and meet supporters.
November 22nd, 2009 at 18:34
lacarmina says:Love it!
November 22nd, 2009 at 18:36
lacarmina says:Blood often tours in Australia — they are great performers! I think since Japan is pretty close to Australia, there should be acts in town now and then… I'd say you're lucky! :)
November 22nd, 2009 at 21:59
Moon Maiden 90 says:I think it's a great Idea! It's always good to hear a few random tidbits of information, for all to muse over.
November 22nd, 2009 at 22:00
lacarmina says:Awesome — I'll try this out!
November 23rd, 2009 at 04:45
shichi says:Blood disbanded though I think
November 23rd, 2009 at 09:43
lacarmina says:Ah, where is my head?? I meant GPKISM!
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:33
shichi says:I like how my pics turned out with the new mini softbox for my flash.
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:48
lacarmina says:These are some of the best pics on this blog!!
November 23rd, 2009 at 13:25
shichi says:You think so? I'm flattered, thank you. =D
November 23rd, 2009 at 15:47
Pam says:Awesome!
November 24th, 2009 at 11:43
Hitoshi says:thank you so much! i like it.
we will post the link on our myspace with your name :)
November 24th, 2009 at 12:10
lacarmina says::D Awesome! Hope to catch the next show.
November 24th, 2009 at 19:43
Hitoshi says:thank you so much! i like it.
we will post the link on our myspace with your name :)
November 24th, 2009 at 20:10
lacarmina says::D Awesome! Hope to catch the next show.
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March 11th, 2010 at 04:03
samuraibeatradio says:Lilac & Uzuhi are great local bands. Both Toshi and Gosha have this aura around them that attracts others. Gosha is a REALLY funny character. We interviewed Uzuhi yesterday and he really cracked us up with his sense of humor.
March 11th, 2010 at 18:43
lacarmina says:Awesome!! I hope I can see them perform again soon.
March 12th, 2010 at 00:02
samuraibeatradio says:They will be at Poly Tech Spring Fest NY this Saturday in Brooklyn. Then they're going on tour for the rest of the month. They'll end the tour with a performance at Santos Party House NYC on April 2. If you like to listen to the interview with Uzuhi, you can check it out at: http://blog.samuraibeatradio.com/2010/03/10/pod...
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