Simple rules for submission: Make your report reasonably short & concise. Write your "Shonen Knife Experience" at the show, the "scene" there, any highlights with the band you enjoyed, etc. If you set up a webpage with photos & your report - send us the URL & we'll link it up here. (No embedded links to "questionable content", please - this is a world-famous, all-ages rock band, after all!) Photos: PLEASE do not send huge 3MB digital pix! They're great for posters on my wall, but difficult to downsize with the antiquated operating system all this is done with here! Good, ready-to-upload-to-the-site, reasonably-sized .jpgs are perfect! (Thank you for your cooperation!) Many fans can enjoy your own personal "Shonen Knife Experience" in this way, as the band rocks across N. America on their 2005 Tour!
Shonen Knife definitely enjoy reading your input here at the NeXuS. Thank you for your affinity and support for Shonen Knife, and we look forward to your comments here.
2003/2005 by Ken MacGray. 2003/2005 by Frank Perri.
2005 by John Cosentino.
Hello George,
I don't know if you are planning a tour report page this year, (why yes, Bill... & here it is!) but I thought it was terrific in 2003. Maybe this year you are gonna let the newsgroup postings suffice? (No, actually - I haven't even been to the newsgroup since late 2003... Shonen Knife don't read it.) Let me know, and by the time you reply I'll have a couple pictures to attach to my road trip report.
btw, I am ecstatic over seeing the girls again!!
Bill Olding
George,
My friend Mark & I went to the Boston show on March 9th and it was AMAZING!! I've enclosed some photos I took from the front row. Here they are, in case you want to post any on the site:
(Click here to view *all* of Tim's pics!)
like she'd been in the group for years! I hope I get to see them again someday...this was the best show I've ever seen!
Tim Hulsizer
Name: PLKC Mamiko Nakagawa
Subject: Postcard from New York!
Date: March 8, 2005
Hello, George Ojisan!!
I'm in New York now. It seems that I'm in a dream every day. I have seen Shonen Knife gig at NJ and NY. But, we suddenly go to Philadelphia, too. Naoko will be big surprise!!
Love,
Mamiko "Keep on Rocking!!"
(Visit Mamiko Nakagawa's special reports page from Japan, here on the NeXuS at:
Heartfriends of Shonen Knife. She will have some great updates and news, upon her return to Japan from her U.S. vacation!!)
Hello George,
I am so lucky to have been able to see two Shonen Knife shows on this tour. I had the time of my life! D.C. was an easy drive and I found the Black Cat easily. Etsuko and Atsuko came out to watch the warm-up bands for a little while, so I was able to say hello very briefly. I don’t like to be a bother before a show. The audience was very welcoming and receptive to SK, and everyone had a great time! The girls felt it too, and smiled brightly and played lively on stage. Etsuko is a very impressive drummer - a lot of power in a small package. Her fills on the toms are particularly nice. And she positively dances behind the drum kit while she plays and sings along!
The girls were in great form, and they played perfectly. They have an awesome set this time out, playing songs from their first album all the way to their unreleased new album. Some of the audience knew their songs and shouted requests at the encore break. They had such a good time in fact, that they came out for a second encore - something I'd never heard of before. What a special treat! After the show all three girls signed autographs and posed for pictures for such a long time that the club staff was asking people to leave so that they could close up. I am always impressed by SK's willingness to spend time with their fans.
In Philadelphia, SK played at the NorthStar Bar again. There is now a DJ that doesn't even stop thumping through the wall during a live performance on the stage side. I recognized some familiar faces from the 2003 tour. I enjoyed getting re-acquainted with them. I got to meet Frank Perry, who made me feel right at home. It was great to talk about my favorite band with him, because everyone else I know is tired of hearing me rave about SK. Mamiko Nakagawa was there as well. She is a very sweet person and she greeted me warmly, too. It was a real thrill for me to meet her.
During the show, I found myself in a great position right at stage-right, on a small platform. Atsuko, Naoko, and Etsuko played flawlessly once again. I can definitely tell they put a lot of work into their performances.
In Philly I got to see the white and denim suits for the first time. They are truly my favorite of all the suits I have seen in pictures. Also at NorthStar I was able to sit on the stage room during the sound check. They played parts of Kappa Ex, Mysterious Drugstore, Cobra vs Mongoose, and Konnichiwa.
Here is the set list for D.C.:
Mango Juice (playing through the sound system while they take the stage)
Konnichiwa
Twist Barbie
Flying Jelly Attack
A Map Master
Whatever
Golden Years Of Rock n Roll
S-P-A-M (on the new album, referencing spam email)
Spider House (also on the new album, to be released in June)
Mysterious Drugstore (especially nicely done in Philly)
Blue Oyster Cult (about eating poisonous oysters)
Philly: (Kappa Ex instead)
Tortoise Brand Pot Cleaner Theme - Pt 1
Tortoise Brand Pot Cleaner Theme - Pt 2 - Green Tortoise
Bear Up Bison (a rarity to be heard live)
Philly: (Lazybone instead)
Rubberband
E.S.P.
Banana Chips
Riding On The Rocket (with a fantastic flange effect)
Tomato Head
Cobra vs Mongoose (terrific poses)
1st Encore: I Wanna Be Sedated (Ramones cover)
Buttercup
2nd Encore (D.C. only): Lazybone
I put some Shonen Knife pictures from the March 7, 2005 show here:
Flying Jelly Attack.
As expected Shonen Knife was incredibly fun, especially doing some old "commercial" songs. I put in a flying jelly effect (adapted from one of my old javascript/VML effects). I have not finished getting pictures ready and expect to have more ready in a few days.
I put some Visqueen pictures from the same show here:
Visqueen.
George Snow
I am so excited about your show at the Corktown this upcoming Sunday! I've loved Shonen Knife since 1993. See you Sunday!
Christal
Your Montreal show was fantastic! As usual, I flew from Florida to see it. I especially liked "Lazybone", "Rubber Band", "I Want To Be Sedated" and "Mysterious Drugstore". The "Spam" song was really good, too. Thank you for signing my t-shirt and special thanks to Atsuko-san for the picture!!!!!!!!
John Foster
Subject: Shonen Knife in New York
Date: March 6, 2005
From: Garrett (Skinny Bones) Uhlenbrock
Konichiwa,
It was nice to meet you last night. I really enjoyed your show, I like your new drummer. I was in a band with Marky Ramone (The Intruders). Thank you in advance for going to our website, we are also on myspace.
arigato gosoymas from Lazy Suns.
If you go to my website, and click on "WORDS", then "SHONEN KNIFE", at the bottom of the page is a link to a video from Shonen Knife's encore from last night's performance at Maxwell's in Hoboken. Shonen Knife were TERRIFIC, and the fill-in drummer is fantastic.
George in New Jersey
The March 12th Toronto show was absolutely amazing.
I was right up front and I even threw Naoko a DVD, it has pics of my trip to Japan (all in a nice slideshow with music). Naoko, if you read this - if you're not sure what to do with the disc, just put it in a regular DVD player!
I took lots of pics since I was right up front. You can see the pics:
*HERE*
Jon Rogers
My girlfriend Cecile (Ce-chan) and myself went to the Toronto and Hamilton shows. They were both equally great, entertaining shows, and the band played so tight. The advantage of Hamilton was it was a smaller more intimate setting, so we were able to get close.
Canada loves you......you rock!
Thanks girls!
Andy B. (Toronto)
I'm looking forward to seeing Shonen Knife in SF on 3/26, especially after reading the great show reports!! I found a link to WFMU where Shonen Knife was a guest on 3/5/05 and sang several songs! Check it out!!
Michael Hinson
San Francisco
OMG! I logged onto Tower Records this morning to check out the latest release from THE MARS VOLTA, and right there on the main page was "Artist of the Month"... you got it... Shonen Knife! So on to the "Artist of the Month" page, there's a short paragraph about Shonen Knife. Then on to the featured article and interview featured article and interview. Looks like they're gonna be in town next week. I'll bet you're taking some time off to hang out!
Mary
Hi George,
Just got back from Montreal. Have attached three pics - none really great quality - one nice one of Naoko & Atsuko performing, one of Atsuko and one of my guitar case complete with new ticket stub, Shonen Knife guitar pick autographed by Naoko and 2005 button.
I was a bit worried the show would be anticlimatic after being blown away seeing them live for the first time in 2003 and seeing a really good Social Distortion show March 8.
Shonen Knife were better than ever. They packed the Cafe Petit Campus. The crowd was a mixture of hard-core Knife Freaks and people who had never heard of them. By the first song they had won everyone over and the pogoing had begun. There was even a small mosh pit. The sound was really good. They covered everything from very early stuff like "Lazybone" to two songs on a yet-to-be-released CD, one about spam email was great.
The highlights for me were the great harmonies on "Mysterious Drugstore" and seeing them do "I Want To Be Sedated" live. And they had extra-large size t-shirts! Yay! Of course I bought some stuff to be autographed - this is kind of funny - the show ended and I waited and waited by the stage and - they didn't come out for a signing. Finally realised they had exited the dressing room curtain and were signing on the other side of the club. No offense but they are so short I couldn't see 'em!
P.S. There is the guitar, w/autographed Naoko pick between the strings. Top left: 2005 Tour badge, Original Knife Collectors & Current Knife Collectors Badges... Middle: 2003/2005 ticket stubs, postcard from Australian tour... Bottom right: Promo photo. That brown bag at the bottom of the guitar case is a Tortoise Brand Pot Scrubbing Cleaner I bought at a grocery store in Yokohama. You can't see it, but the lid has a lock. The keychain is a Lolita No. 18 keychain Audrey Kimura gave me.
Take care,
John Foster
I've enjoyed reading all the tour reports! Thank you George - this website has been the coolest over the past decade thanks to your efforts. It's tough, but I won't be able to make any of the shows as I moved to Miami a month ago. But I've enjoyed reading the reports. And I have my memories of seeing them in Oct 2003 in NYC. I hope I can catch them next time. Sometimes I wonder why I love Shonen Knife so much (besides the fact they're cute:)). I'm a big fan of the Beatles and punk rock like the Ramones and the Clash (the Clash concert I saw in Texas in 1983 may have been the best concert I ever saw.) SK seems to combine my favorite types of music. I think what did it for me was when I saw them in concert at DC at the old 9:30 Club in 1994. They did a cover of "Heatwave" and I was blown away. I've always loved their covers - "Till the End of the Day", "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head", "Rain", "Daydream Believer" "I Wanna Be Sedated", "Don't Hurt My Little Sister." "Top of the World". Classics!!!! Their originals are of course great too. I love Shonen Knife!!!!!
Tim Treat
Terry
Hi George - Here are the Tour Reviews:
Friday (3/4) in NJ at Maxwells:
Japan Shonen Knife correspondent Mamiko Nakagawa crashed at my place in NY for 2 weeks to catch the Shonen Knife shows on the East coast so this was her first foreign SK show. This place wasn't bad, but a little on the small side. Mamiko had emailed Naoko ahead of time and we were on the guest list, which was a good thing as this place sold out and was not selling tickets at the door.
Out of the opening bands, the standout was Visqueen. They rocked hard and were very good. Good songwriting and great live chops - they were really tight. Plus, Rachel the lead singer gave Mamiko a whole bunch of buttons and one of their t-shirts (it was white with a red sun in the center) because it looked like a Japanese flag. Needless to say, Mamiko's a fan! So am I, and we bought their CDs. They were really rocking.
Shonen Knife took the stage and the crowd was huge. Not a bad show, but the band still seemed to be suffering the effects of Jetlag. They weren't 100% and Etsuko seemed to be having slight trouble with the drumming. Also the sound system was not good at all at Maxwell's. It was distorted and had a host of other problems. Ground Loop hums and bass rumbling all interfered with the band and made the soundman's job close to impossible. They did a good show, nevertheless but had a short encore - only played "I wanna be Sedated". Also, there was no exit from the stage so they had to push their way through the crowd to leave the stage and come back for the encore. Not very convenient. The crowd was really into them and it was great to see them again in America.
Saturday (3/5) at the Knitting Factory in NYC:
Visqueen opened again for them which was a really nice being we had seen them the night before. The Knitting Factory was completely mobbed and on the ground floor there was no where to stand and see the stage. It was packed all the way back to the entrance. We had to go to the balcony to watch the show which was actually a better position. We got to see the band from above and right behind the soundman so we were in the best position to listen.
Shonen Knife took the stage and the place went nuts. The show they gave in NY was a 100% improvement over the NJ show. Any doubts I had about them in NJ were completely erased in NY. Whether it was a good night's sleep or vitamins or whatever, they seemed to have gotten over their jetlag and came out kicking. Etsuko was playing 100% better then the night before and she was tight, and fast. At the NJ show I had doubts as to whether Etsuko had the chops to do the entire tour and keep up with the band. In fact both Mamiko and I had wondered about the fact that the Power Puff Girls song was left off the setlist and encore for NJ might have been because it was too hard for Etsuko. But in NYC, Etsuko came out fighting and kept up the pace all night. Not only were her rolls and fills tight but she played fast. In fact, "Bear Up Bison" was taken a little faster then usual (which is not a bad thing!) AND they played Power Puff Girls in the Encore. A fantastic show and complete turnaround from NJ. The rest of the shows were as good as NYC so I'm sure the girls just needed some time to get used to the tour.
Tuesday (3/8) at the North Star Bar in Philadelphia, PA.:
There were 2 local opening bands for this show, Beretta 76 and The Jane
Anchor. Both were very good and played music in a similar vein to Visqueen. Unfortunately this was not the best spot on the tour...it was a little on the dingy side, but the bartenders and waiters were very friendly so it balanced out. But it did have this great loft that overlooked the stage so you can look down on the band. A great view. The bar was about half full.
Shonen Knife rocked it hard. They put on a good show, even to a half empty room. I did get to meet SK Fan Bill Olden here so that was a nice treat. The sound here wasn't as good as NYC but it was better then NJ. On the annoying side of things, the stage is adjacent to the bar, and the bar had a DJ playing, so in-between songs when Naoko was talking, you could hear the bass pounding through the wall. Not nice at all. Interesting note: Mamiko and I drove 5 hours in a snowstorm to get to this show (Normally a 2 hour ride), Bill Olden drove all the way from the Carolinas (I think South), and I also had met some fans who had driven from South Jersey for 2 hours. Shonen Knife might not have a tremendous fan base in America, but they are intensely loyal! I don't think that there's many bands that could claim to have people drive in from hours away to catch a one-hour set.
Wednesday (3/9) in Boston at the Middle East Upstairs:
We left NYC at 2 and got to Boston at 7:30. Boston was sold out and Mamiko didn't tell Naoko we were coming so we needed to speak to her so we could get on the guest list. We asked the bouncer at the bar about SK and he took us to the dining room where they were eating dinner. They were shocked to see us there and happy to see Mamiko. They pulled up a table next to theirs and invited us to eat dinner with them! How amazing is that? All I seem to remember is that Naoko had salmon. :)
The Middle East was a nice place but very small. It was a sold out show and it was hard to get a good place to see the show. I spent the majority of time watching the show from between people's shoulders. It was even quite a struggle for Mamiko who is 5' 1" - but we had a good time. I didn't get too many good pix here because of the fact that we were in a bad position and there was no room to move. They still rocked hard, but they kept the talking to a minimum. This was probably because the next day they had to hike it all the way up to Canada for the next show. Long drive. They signed autographs after the show but didn't hang out too long as they did on the other shows. Again, probably because they had to hightail it up to Canada early the next morning.
A fantastic 4 shows and a fun SK Road Trip! Mamiko and I also got to meet Nick and Robin (the road crew and soundmen/roadies/merch salesman) and found them to be most friendly and gracious. All in all, a great experience!
My pics from all 4 shows are *HERE*:
Thanks again,
Frank
Frank Perri
Keyboards - Arranging - Underscoring
Tel: 917-361-4158
Fax: 718-845-9252
The Show in Detroit was amazing and the band was in top form (as usual!). Shonen Knife opened up with their Mango Juice intro and exploded into Konichiwa to open the show.
It's always an honor to see this legendary band from across the sea play in my home town. They jammed with skill that seemed virtually effortless. Some people in the audience were new to the band and I believe that the Yamano sisters and Ettchan left a lasting impression on them. I loved the two news songs that the band performed and I am really looking forward to the new album! It was also great to hear such cool rarities as Kappa Ex and Lazybone back in their set.
All in all it was a great show I am so happy to have seen one of my all time favorite bands perform again!
George, I hope you're well. (I'm doin' just fine, Tom - thank you!) Here is my review of last week's Shonen Knife show at Lee's Palace in Toronto. I've been too busy to write until now but better late than never! I hope to have some pictures from the show soon, too.
A packed house awaited our favourite band from Osaka in Toronto on March 12, 2005. By the time the openers, The Leather Uppers had
finished, Lee's Palace was jammed with what seemed to be upwards of 500 very enthusiatic Shonen Knife fans. I'd gotten there early to get a good spot close to the stage.
Entering to the strains of "Mango Juice" from their last release, the
ladies launched into "Konnichiwa" followed by "Twist Barbie." At first the sound was a touch muddy but that was soon corrected as Naoko, Atsuko and support drummer Etsuko bashed through many favourites from the past twenty years, touching on almost every album they've put out. "Map master", "Rubber Band", "Golden Years of Rock n Roll", and "Whatever" from "Heavy Songs". Other Knife standards such as "Flying Jelly Attack", "E.S.P." and a very beautiful rendition of "Mysterious Drugstore" served as bookends for songs on the next Shonen Knife releases with Naoko explaining how she hates spam e-mail ('it makes me mad!") and launching into "SPAM" followed by "Spider's House" which on first listen may become a future staple of Shonen Knife shows.
We got a real treat when they did "Tortoise Brand", incorporating the
rough and tumble early version with the later reworking from "Let's Knife." "Kappa-Ex" followed and the show really took off at this point with the band tearing through "Riding on the Rocket" and "Lazybone" and "Banana Chips" backed by Etsuko's fierce pounding on the drums. She measured up well in comparison to Mana Nishiura who drummed on the "Heavy Songs" tour.
They finished with "Cobra vs Mongoose" with the sisters hamming it up
doing the "devil's horns" and hair band moves. Shonen Knife returned to do an encore of The Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated", a nice little tribute to a band that was such an influence on SK. The ladies then ended with their Power Puff Girls song, "Buttercup". The Toronto crowd really loved'em and demanded another song. They came back to do "Bear Up Bison" which I'd never heard them do at any other show. We got a damn good show for only ten bucks and Naoko, Atsuko and later Etsuko all came out to sign autographs for those fans who waited. Let's hope for another tour soon!
Tom Perry
The show on March 13th @ the Corktown was the most fun I've ever had!!! I first learned about the band through Kurt Cobain's journals at the tender age of 15, and have been hooked ever since. I was so impressed with their minimalist approach to rock and roll, and from 'Konnichiwa' as their opener, my face was aching because I was smiling so much :) Also, when they came out for their encores, *I* was the one who shouted "I WANNA BE SEDATED!!!!!" and Naoko looked me right in the eye, and said with a big smile on her face, "Yes, we will play that now." So rock and roll.
They kept me hopping for hours after the show was done. I was lucky enough to meet the girls afterwards, and got my picture taken with Atsuko (she is so adorable!!)
I'll post my pictures shortly, I was impressed that my crappy camera took shots of that quality! I will keep you all posted.
Party on!!
Scottie Jay
Here it is! This was my first show BTW and I enjoyed it so much! (My
friend & I are the ones Frank Perri mentioned who drove from South Jersey).
Shonen Knife (w/ The Jane Anchor, Beretta 76) - North Star Bar, Philadelphia, PA. 3-8-05
After almost backing out on going 'coz of the winter storm yesterday (that is until I saw all the roads were clear), I saw a great show last night!! The cast of characters for the show besides myself were Andy & Matt. The ride to Philly was fine. Roads nice and clear, Traffic pretty managable. We did get lost for a bit on the way to the venue but found our way. Parking was tough. We ended up on a small side street that was a sheet of ice. Walking to the bar was a challenge. We walked in around 8:15. There was only a small crowd for now. The North Star is a pretty small place. We walked right into the main room and were watching Shonen Knife soundcheck for a bit. I think we could've stayed but I found out we weren't even supposed to be in there. Damn, Wish I didn't find out! So we all went back to the bar. Matt bought me some Miller Lite beer. I was gonna gonna get that Michelob Ultra but they didn't have it. So I ended up having 3. I'll count that as my dinner last night! A line was starting to form to get in the main room so Andy and I went up.
I started talking to a guy from NYC (Frank Perri) who saw shows there and in North Jersey over the weekend. His friend was from Japan (Mamiko Nakagawa) and is friends with the band. She wanted to surprise them in Philly. Andy managed to sneak back in and watch more of the soundcheck. After about 15 or so minutes they started letting us in. We went down by the stage and sat off to the side by the dance floor. Both opening bands were from Philly I believe and I enjoyed both of them. 'Berreta 76' I liked a bit more. A 4 piece with a female
guitarist/singer. She kinda had the Joan Jett vibe going and I enjoyed their set. The 'Jane Anchor' was next. They were a 4 piece too. With another female singer/guitarist and a female bassist to boot. They had more of an alternative sound. I enjoyed their cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Dreams".
After their set it was time to stand up and work our way up to the stage. We were stationed right by where the guitarist Naoko would be. They came onto the stage to a rousing cheer and were waving to the crowd! They kicked into their set. Couldn't believe 2 of my favorites "Twist Barbie" & "Flying Jelly Attack" were so early in the set! Then they played 4 new songs from their upcoming CD. Naoko was saying how it might be available in Japan only 'coz of some mix up with the record company. Dammit! I'd like to check it out as all 4 songs were good. One was about Spam emails! They played 2 more of my favorites later in the set "Lazybone" & "Riding On The Rocket", but even the songs I wasn't familiar with had me tapping my toes and a big smile on my face. How can you not enjoy Shonen Knife? They have so much fun playing too, doing the choreographed moves and rocking out. Their touring drummer Etsuko kicked ass too! Goddamn did she look young! Naoko was joking she was only 13! She looked the part with her hair in pigtails. Naoko & Atsuko both looked good and have to be in their early 40's by now.
They finished up with "Cobra Vs. Mongoose" that had us all rocking out!
They left the stage and like the gentleman I am, I held the gate/door for them to go downstairs off stage. They came back for the encore which featured The Ramones "I Wanna Be Sedated"! Such a great show! I held the door for them again when they left, hi-fiving them as they went down the stairs.
After the show we made our way over to the merchandise table. So many
goodies were there! I ended up buying 2 of the 4 re-issues of their earlier albums, "Yama-no Attchan" & "712" as well as a signed pick by Naoko, 2 buttons: big & small, And a cool poster that the guy said they would sign when they came up after the show. OK, I hate to go with stereotypes, but boy - are they tiny little things! The sisters must be only 5'0" & the drummer probably 4'10"! I had Atsuko sign it first. She was friendly and all smiles. I think Etsuko doesn't understand English too well, but she was all smiles too. We had to wait a little bit for Naoko to come up but she signed it as well. Andy had gotten to tell Atsuko they were the reason he picked up the guitar and started his first band. They really were accommodating to the fans, signing everything and posing for pictures. The poster looks great! Not only do they write their names in English but Japanese too! And they each add a cute little animal face for each one! Think I'll have to frame that one. What a great show and such a good time. If they come near you go see them! You won't regret it!!
Frank King
P.S. - Our band "The Sheckies" plays punk rock ala The Ramones and there is a strong Shonen Knife influence as well. Check out song samples on our website: The Sheckies. Maybe next time we could open a few shows! :)
I just caught the show last night at Brick by Brick, freakin' awesome !!! This is actually the third time I've been fortunate enough to see Shonen Knife live. The first two times were at The Casbah. In fact at the first show I turned the ladies on to a good resturant in Little Italy prior to the show. I mentioned it last night and they still even remembered the name of the place.
As always, they stuck around after the show and spoke with their fans. They are always so nice and approachable. Earlier in the day they did an interview at a local radio station and got some of their songs played on the air. I picked up all four of the newly released CD's but was a little bummed that they didn't have any XXL t-shirts. If anyone knows where and how I can get one please e-mail me and let me know. A good time was had by all, weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
D. Contreras
Hi George Ojisan,
This is my Shonen Knife review in New Jersey. March 4, Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's:
Me and my friend Frank arrived from NY Queens to Maxwell's by car in 35 minutes. The road around Maxwell's was full and we parked at a space about 10 blocks from there. The tickets were "Sold-Out." When we were standing in a line and waiting, Shonen Knife members came there.
Mamiko: Naoko-san! I came here AT LAST! New York is too much cold than Tokyo!
Naoko: Thank you! Your name is put on the guest list tonight.
Atsuko: Rochester, NY was colder more!
Mamiko: Oh, I did not know it! I have already bought the ticket. I am
looking forward to the gig tonight.
Opening act "Visqueen" was good! After the show, I got their CD and their vocals & guitarist Rachel gave me her autograph on that. Also she gave me a big hug. :) I was moved deeply and happy with tears even before Shonen Knife's stage set.
A.M. 0:30 ~ Shonen Knife appearance! I was in the front of Naoko. It was the same gig as in Japan. But, here there was old Knife Fan friend Frank next to me and many American fans are in the surroundings! If it is expressed another way, it is the difference whether favorite professional baseball team is seen at a home game, or to be seen by their game far away. Japan is the home gig and U.S. is like "away."
Frank said after we have returned to the car: "I was so happy, I can see it together with you, a legendary fan!"
"Hey Frank, I am not dead yet! But I was dead happy to see Shonen Knife gig in U.S.!!"
Next: New York soon... Philadelphia and Boston are long!
Please wait!
Mamiko Nakagawa
Heartfriends of Shonen Knife
March 5, New York, NY @ The Knitting Factory:
Me and my friend Frank have eaten much food at native restaurant, seen much live music, were taking a walk in Manhattan at midnight, every day.
So I was sleepy anyhow. (-_-)zzzz
However, it is now the Shonen Knife's show (the 45 times anniversary show for me!) I wanted to see in a little better condition. haha!
We parked the car at the road by the Knitting Factory side around 21:30. A crowd of many fans was in the first floor, the stage could not be seen at all, so we went on the second floor. It was the good position!
Their performance began from 1:30 a.m. It does not start that hour in Japan. This show was the BEST I have seen in U.S.!! The cover "I wanna be sedated" of the Ramones was breathtaking climax! It was sung enthusiastically by all the crowd. I was happy to listen to this song in the local New York of the Ramones.
Mamiko: "It is 2:25 a.m. now!
Atsuko: Wow! It's too late!
Mamiko: But, I don't have to worry about the return in NY. It's good!! However late it may be, I can return by his car. I am happy that I can see my 45 times anniversary show here! Next, let's meet in Tokyo. Bye-bye!"
.......... I was able to go to sleep in 1 second!
That's my record!!!
Next: Philadelphia!
Mamiko
Heartfriends of Shonen Knife
Hi, George Ojisan,
Mamiko's Shonen Knife Tour Adventure!
Mar. 8 Philadelphia, PA / North Star
I said to Naoko and Atsuko at Knitting Factory, "Next, let's meet in Tokyo."
But, Frank said on the night of the 7th: "We can go to Philadelphia in 2 hours by car tomorrow. How about going there?"
2 hours? It's very short! I agree. I have not been to Philadelphia until now. It is the first visit.
Next noon, when I got up, it was snowing and 2 inches of snow. 1:30pm departure - Safety first, Frank!
We go across Verrazano Narrows Bridge, pass along Staten Island, and are to New Jersey. The traffic was moving slowly for the snow. We sang along, hearing Shonen Knife music with a mini-disc in the car. It took around 4 hours and Philadelphia was fine weather! Many those who are running like "Rocky" were in the city Government building neighborhood famous for Movie "Rocky."
North Star Bar was the bad neighborhood location distant from there about 20 minutes. We drove around as long as 2 hours, after checking near the venue.
19:00pm -The near road of the bar was frozen and was difficult to park a car. Our car tried parking over and over. I stayed in NY for two weeks, but that Philadelphia night(?) ~ it was the coldest in my life!!!!!!!!!!!
About ten visitors were in the bar, Shonen Knife having not come there yet. They arrived after a while. I said to Naoko: "Next, let's meet in Tokyo."! Naoko and Atsuko were surprised that I came!
Naoko said, "One of tires of our trailer got out of joint after it slipped because the road was frozen near the venue. It was so cold and slippery, and passers-by and we gave our trailer a push!"
The crowd also came as time arrived. I met Bill Olding, who lives in South Carolina. He had written to Shonen Knife BBS and I replied to it. He was a warm personality and good man. I was glad to meet him.
The Bar was warm, but the Hall was cold and the crowd saw the gig with their coats worn. It was the same as just looking outside.
"It is colder in the underground dressing room." said Naoko, and she saw the opening act next to me together. Shonen Knife appears at 23:30 pm. I saw them from the central best position. The fat man who is dancing by "Kappa EX" made me laugh!
0:30 am after show, They came out and autographed for the fans. I said to them: "Next, let's meet in Tokyo."
When returning to the car, the water of my bottle was frozen. The road condition for our return was good, and we arrived at NY in 2 hours and a half.
It was cold anyhow!
Mamiko
Heartfriends of Shonen Knife
Mamiko's Shonen Knife Tour Adventure!
March 9 Boston, MA @ "Middle East"
When writing in BBS of Shonen Knife official site at 14:30 p.m., Frank said:
"The tickets for Boston are sold-out, but it will become possible for us there, if it is you arriving for the show. Do you want to go? We do not have other plans for today..."
I thought, "What was the purpose of my visit to the U.S.? It is to see Shonen Knife gig in America! If this is it, I have to go to the location which is the show nearby."
I did not worry. It was decided immediately. I have taken a day trip to Boston from NY for sightseeing once in the past.
We left NY at 15:00 and arrived there around at 21:00. I had not done such a long drive yet. However, I love a drive. I like sleeping in a passenger seat. :)
It was cold in Boston, covered with snow more than New York and the road was frozen. Frank asked the bouncer at the bar about our situation, and that kind person took us to the dining room where Shonen Knife were eating dinner. They were surprised again to see us, at such a far and cold location!
I said to Naoko: ..."Hi! Came again!" We put the seat close and had dinner together. I ate chicken sandwiches.
I gave Etsuko a pocket warmer! Naoko said, "Ettchan has oversensitivity to cold, so that was a good gift for her!" Etsuko was very much pleased with it.
Mamiko: "I was made to translate the Japanese into English by the person who got the set list of Philadelphia."
Naoko: "haha! I am writing it in Japanese intentionally overseas. It is for preventing from understanding, by the fan in the front row who looks in."
Mamiko: "I agree. I think for them, the Japanese is more precious and they would enjoy it."
After, they went to the dressing room. Frank and I talked with their tour staff, Nick and Robin. I often see them also for shows in Japan. I am happy that I've become friends with them. The (concert) hall is located in a place passing through the kitchen in the inner
part of the restaurant - it seemed strange for me. It was small there, so justly sold out.
23:20 p.m.! Shonen Knife appearance!:
I was short, & could hardly see them at all... only Atsuko was sometimes seen. So, instead, I observed the fans & people there. I like watching them! It seemed they were all really happy. Everyone loves Shonen Knife!
Thank you! Shonen Knife, Frank and U.S.!!
I will also come to the U.S. next time!
My Shonen Knife Adventure this visit:
New Jersey / first foreign SK show!
New York / the 45 times anniversary show for me!
Philly / the coldest in my life!!
Boston / 5 hours drive and dinner with Shonen Knife!
(P.S. - I spoke Japanese only with Shonen Knife, but not others during my stay for two weeks!)
Mamiko
Heartfriends of Shonen Knife
March 26th at Slim's in San Francisco!
Although I had a flight in San Jose at 6am the next day I could not
have missed that concert!
The Gore Gore Girls opened really nicely, those girls have energy and
from the front row the decibels were kicking in! Shonen Knife came on stage with great style in their attire, a change from the usual trashy rock stars. Although their first songs were a little rough for me, the concert moved on with more and more rhythm and energy!
Playing the Ramones was awesome! These girls keep it simple, polite
and original!
I had their songs on my mind for the rest of the week!
Jean-Francois
Great show by all at Slim's the other nite. Keep on rock n !
Hey George!
It was very nice to meet you at the Shonen Knife Show. I am sending you some photos that I took at the show. ~Enjoy!
Your friend, Stacey
I was lucky enough to see Shonen Knife's (2) Bay Area shows in SF and San Jose. San Jose was their 500th show! Naoko passed out something but ran out before she could reach me. She said that she would have more for their 1,000th show! (Mike, I think it was chocolate! G.O.)
They were great! The only difference in the shows was, at SF they sang "Kappa EX" and "Lazybone" while in San Jose they instead sang "Blue Oyster Cult" and "Bear Up, Bison". Naoko's guitar work was very impressive, Atsuko has great energy, and Etsuko was very powerful - especially on "Cobra vs. Mongoose!!"
I would have gone to Sacramento to see their last minute show, but I was in Reno on that day. Believe me, I was tempted to drive to Sacramento to check out the show.
Oh well!!
The Show in Vancouver was excellent, the girls set was much the same as former postings for the tour, Great Energy throughout the entire set, New Drummer Ettchan did a fine job and it was Fantastic to see Atsuko on Bass, Naoko was Amazing as usual!
Highlights for me were "Konnichiwa", "Cobra vs Mongoose" and Best of all, a Smoking Hot version of "Kappa EX"!! I hope the girls will continue to play a few old Classics on every tour. (Would love to hear "Public Bath"). After the show, the Girls were signing autographs and taking photos with fans.
I have been seeing The Knife since 1994 and they are as classy and entertaining as ever! I hope they will come back to Vancouver next time.
Thanks for the Excellent Show!!
signed: T-Head Gord
I would just like to say thank you Naoko, Atsuko, Ettchan, Robin, and Liam. The day I saw Shonen Knife turned out to be the best day ever.
So they wouldn't let Adam in to the show because he was 5 days shy of 19 (bar age in Canada). So I had to go in by myself. I had nothing better to do so I went to the SWAG table to browse the merchandise. I started talking to Robin. I told him my story of not being old enough to see the show at Chop Suey in Seattle so I came all the way to Victoria. He said by yourself? I said no! My friend couldn't get in because his 19th birthday was in 5 days! He said let me see what I can do for your friend...
Minutes later I meet up with him again and he says good news! If you can get a hold of him he can sit in the dressing room! So I tried calling Adam a kabillion times I even used directory assistance and
called the hotel (can I just say that my bill is going to be so high...) And then he showed up! Just in time for the show! Which
totally rocked! I watched from out front of course to take pictures
and the like. O and did I mention the show totally rocked?
The band was so energetic and they looked like they were having a good time along with the crowd. Their costumes are just too cute. I believe Atsuko made them. They looked like polyester (my favorite!).
Once again I just want to say thank you so very very much. O and the
show totally rocked!
Ever so Lucky (hee hee)
Bethany Triebelhorn + Adam Arnold
March 31
Place: Chop Suey - Seattle, WA
Well - overall one of the best shows i have seen. At first i wasn't sure about it only because i have never been to a bar before, but it was nice. I went with my friend Aki and her boyfriend Erik who was also a knife fan. Aki is from a place near Osaka. My favorite song that i
heard for the first time was "Rubberband".
What energy they had - it was amazing! It seemed to me the crowd woke up when "Mango Juice" intro started and went wild until the last note! One girl did a stage dive. Plus, Etsuko was a great drummer and what a small person. Naoko's playing was great as well as Atsuko's. I really liked that Atsuko got to sing a song. That was a nice treat.
The highlight for me was meeting them afterward and seeing how they are normal. They are the best band to their fans and i cannot wait until next tour and the tour after that.
I can only hope my friend Lisa is 21 by then!
Moira
P.S. George the pictures are in a zip file
Thanks Moira... I'll have the photos added in here, shortly!
The Oklahoma City show was incredible. I never thought I could get so close to the girls! The Conservatory may be a small place, but it was jam-packed with at least 200 screaming fans!
And afterwards I met the girls. It was "The Night I Finally Met Shonen Knife." Thank you again for this wonderful experience." LOVE YOU SK!!!!!"
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