2003 by Tom Perry. 2003 by Dan Clark.
New York Shows Photo Collection
2003 by Frank Perri. 2003 by Ken MacGray.
I went to see Shonen Knife on opening night of their 2003 US tour in San Jose. They rocked!! I was surprised that they played alot of their older songs. Not a complete playlist but here goes...
konnichiwa
flying jellybean attack
bear up bison
twist barbie
riding on the rocket
esp
several songs from heavy songs (rubber band, whatever)
mysterious drugstore
lazybone
top of the world
They were all great...mana the new drummer rocks!
Hey all:
Just a brief check-in. They played the SF show last night, with local band
Deerhoof opening. Naoko told me that they saw Deerhoof play in Osaka not
too long ago and like them a lot, which is how they got on the gig for the
night. I can see why. Deerhoof seem to be getting a lot of namechecks
lately and they put on a GREAT live show, so if they ever decide to trundle
around the country in a van I'd check them out when they pass through your
town.
SK were in very good form. It was the second show of the tour, they were
very energetic, and as always seemed very happy to be on stage (Atsuko
always has this irrepressible smile when she plays and it was there again
last night). I don't think it was a sellout, but the place was pretty full
and the audience was very into it--a little slam pit even formed and the
band does play a lot of things a little faster now, so it was appropriate.
They sounded good. Oh, and they were wearing the 712 uniforms, which really
took me waaaayyy back . . .
All in all, a good night. Slim's (the club) treats musicians well both on
and back stage, which helps a lot with maintaining the good vibe. They're
definitely looking forward to the rest of the tour.
Cheers,
Carl
Sounds great! I wish I could have gone, but family commitments made it
impossible. I hope they don't stay away for another five years! Here's
to SK in the US EVERY YEAR!!!
My first time seeing SK live! I have to say it sure was great and that I
can't wait to see em again tonight.
SK in LA:
I agree, Robert - They were great! Did you notice that Att-chan has a
custom pink bass that matches Naoko's pink Fujigen guitar? Many true
fans there... Zack Webber - a fan I met at the Roxy in 1993! (He now
does the taxes for the Fan Club haha!) Jeff Gaskell from Hawaii - great
to meet you, Jeff. (He had a trip to the U.S. scheduled, but changed
the dates to be here for the L.A. Shows!) Martin Wong from Giant Robot
magazine! Yo, Martin! He said: "Naoko used to be the happiest drummer
in all of rock... now, she's the happiest bass player!!" (*smile* - he
is so right!)
There are 2 new Tshirts for the tour, as I mentioned before. The "pink
guitar" T only comes in large, but the "SK Kokessie" T is in all sizes
(very nice shirts). Advance copies of the U.S. release of "Heavy Songs"
CD are available at the booth, too.
If any fans along the tour route want to send in photos, or short
written reviews of their shows along the way - email/postal mail them to
me here at the Shonen Knife NeXuS - I'll set up a "Tour Notes" page for
exactly that: fan submissions & photos. Please include full name for
proper credit.
Also, we appreciate copies the handbills, local newspaper
clippings/reviews and poster stuffs from the trail, too. Thank you all
for supporting Shonen Knife. Keep them in your hearts with thoughts for
their safety, as they travel the long roads across the U.S.A.
Best!
George Ojisan
There's one thing I hated about seeing Shonen Knife on the two nights they
were here in L.A., now that I know how much they rock live: waiting to see
them again here in the states is going to be a real bitch. Hey George...I
wonder if you saw me...On the Friday night show I was quite close to the
center front of the stage along with my wife Maki and on the saturday night
show in L.A. I was the one wearing a Rush t shirt and standing at the front
of the stage right in front of Atsuko.
The Saturday show at the Knitting Factory was awesome!! Shonen Knife rocked LA with the beloved Twist Barbie, Lazybone, Sushi Bar Song and many tunes from "Heavy Songs". They have surely created a new history. Thank you Naoko-san, Atsuko-san, and Mana-san for such an exciting show. And George Ojisan! You are so wonderful.
That night became one of the greatest moments in my life. How can I thank you.
More power and joy to you.
Jasbi
from Music Square
My son, Paul saw you at Knitting Factory. I had to attend an art thing at Laguna Art Museum (I had artwork in it and had to talk to people, but would've rather seen Shonen Knife and the Muffs). Oh well, he got me a Shonen Knife T-shirt and you autographed the "set list" he snagged off the stage (thank you very much)...how very cool! His second cousin is Craig McCracken who did the Power Puff Girls...but we are all very far removed from that but enjoy it all still. Love and Hugs!
Well, the night has come and gone, and it was a fabulous show all
around. The place is on the small side, maybe 250 at max occupancy. I'd
say less than half that was there. There were also a few people trying
to peek in through the windows. It's too bad that it wasn't closer to
capacity. For some reason it seems to me that smaller crowds tend to be
a little more subdued. And I'm still regretting not taking a camera.
The opening act, Stay At Home Bomb, rocked pretty hard. They are fronted
by Alice Bag, formerly of The Bags. They play power pop punk (if that is
such a thing) with a strong sense of humor. They did a great cover of
Mother's Little Helper, which kind of fitted in with their take on the
stay at home mom. Alice (aka Mothra Stewart) even picked up and played a
washboard for one tune. She wanted the same showbill as I did after the
show. It was about 24 by 36 inches with the Powerpuff Girls on it.
Needless to say, I ended up with a different, smaller one.
I was disappointed to not hear any songs from Candy Rock. In fact, Naoko
was saying to the crowd that Heavy Songs was their new record. I'm sure
this was due to the North American re-release. With Candy Rock
containing mostly Japanese lyrics I guess it makes sense to not alienate
potential new fans.
Is it just me or does Mana seem to have a heavy jazz feel to her
drumming? She was giving herself and her kit a real workout and
obviously having a blast. I was very impressed. Between her and Atsuko
it would be hard not to catch a smile.
Speaking of Atsuko, wow! She can play good. If you know how to play a
bass (or guitar) you can't help but watch a musicians hands. You can see
when they know what they're doing, and she really knows what she's
doing. When you see someone play well, you want to grab your instrument
and do what they do. I definitely left last night's show just wanting to
play. Whatever was a great example of that.
Naoko's energy stole the show. From getting the crowd to chant the
chorus of Sushi Bar to not moving past the heavy parts in Cobra Vs.
Mongoose until we put our hands in the air giving the "secret devil
sign" (or whatever you want to call it), she had us enjoying every
moment, anticipating the next and missing the last. Although the music
was enough to do that, it always helps when the performer enjoys your
being there as much as you do theirs.
I would post SK's set list, but I figure you guys would want to hear it
on your own. Plus it may change from night to night for all I know. I
also don't remember exactly what order the songs came in. ;)
I think I can safely say that you who are expecting Shonen Knife in your
area are in for a real treat. Do not miss them!
Kevin
luv u guys. you are the prettiest women in rock 'n'roll. i have been listening to your music for years. i saw yu at the knitting factory. you guys rocked. however, i think you were more on fire six years ago at the Roxy. regardless. you are the closest thing we have to the Ramones. Go johnny Go, Go, Go,
I was fortunate to catch the Shonen Knife show at The Knitting Factory in LA this weekend, and thought I would let y'all know it was fantastic. I simply can't remember what songs they played, but I do remember that when they announced that it was Mana's birthday, someone threw a cute little stuffed lion onstage which she placed on her kick drum. The band was wearing what they described as their "Mondrian" outfits. It was my first Shonen Knife show, and hopefully not my last.
Patrick
I'm a little late posting this however I went to the Oct. 12th show at the Casbah and it was great !!! I got to meet Naoko and Atsuko when they came out after the show. They are very nice people. I didn't meet Mana though, maybe because drums take longer to put away. It was nice seeing Atsuko up in front playing bass. It was good meeting you also George, (I was the other long haired guy asking for the set list). I picked up some merchandise and a copy of Heavy Songs. It was kinda neat that the cover of this CD matched their costumes. Anyway, this was one of the highlights of my year so far I hope it's not another five years before they come back to San Diego again.
David Contreras
I just got back from the show. This is my fifth time seeing them live and this is the best show ever. I knew that it was going to be a good show, but I didn't think it was going to be such a kick ass performance. Talk about thunder boom, they were louder faster and more bad ass than ever before. They are the real shock and awe (to think I almost passed). I was so depressed when it was over. I do miss Michie, because she used to come up with the slower sweeter songs. However I can't complain about their new straight up rock and they did play old favorites.
Emilio Martinez
So happy to have Shonen Knife Land shaking again! Shonen Knife have
come and gone in Dallas and I am still recuperating from the late
hours (it didn't get started til 12:30 a.m.) and my ears are still
ringing! I find myself turning into Chris Farley and just saying that
it was awesome, man! I don't really have a lot to add because many of
the other posts have covered it all pretty well. I particularly
enjoyed the run through all those great songs from Heavy Songs (Map
Master, A A A, Golden Years of Rock 'n' Roll, Whatever) which I think
rank as some of their all time best but even sounded better live with
Mana's manic (Manic Mana?) energy. Another pleasant surprise for me
was getting to hear Atsuko sing Mysterious Drugstore which is just a
very, very lovely sad/happy song. And, well, Naoko. Needless to say,
Naoko was awesome (becoming Chris Farley again). All in all, I was
just a big goofy kid again having a really great time listening and
bobbing up and down to some great music and getting all excited to see
Naoko and Atsuko leaping off in tandem from the drummer stage
reminding me exactly WHO were the original Powerpuff Girls!
For me, seeing Shonen Knife is like hearing the Beatles for the first
time or maybe, in this case, plunking the needle on Blitzkrieg Bop for
the very first time. In other words, it's a transcendant rock and roll
experience. Don't miss it!
So does anyone else want to hear a CD with Mana on drums (as much as I
love Atsuko's drumming and how much it is a part of the Shonen Knife
sound)? Perhaps an album by the mysterious group known only as 712?
Now, if I can just get Naoko's guitar to stop ringing my ears!!
Casbah
Well, some bad news and some great news. Bad news is I'm home alone on what would have been the Kansas City concert date. Great news is I'm packing my bags for Chicago for the concert on Wednesday. I look very forward to the trip. And because SK really inspired a great love for all things Japanese in me, I plan a big shopping trip at the Mitsuwa Marketplace in that city. Maybe I'll even play a few games of shogi, my favorite game. I am also grateful that the Shonen Knife bandwagon carried me to find Puffy AmiYumi, now my other favorite band. Do you like them too?
Would you say SK inspired them?
Anyway, once again, LOOK FORWARD TO THE WINDY CITY AND SK!!!!
David Sanders
WOW, Shonen Knife was excellent! what a great show, i really hope they decide to go back to austin soon! it was fantastic, though me and my wife feel bad because we forgot to wish Mana a belated birthday.so, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MANA!
Shonen knife played extremely well, and were very nice, and me and my wife were super happy to finally meet Naoko, Atsuko, and Mana, thank you very much!!!!!! it was one rockin rock show!!
I was one of the fortunate few to see Shonen Knife at the Creepy Crawl in St. Louis on Monday Night. The crowd enjoyed the music, but was fewer in number than I expected to see. The new CD is terrific, I especially enjoyed 'A--A--A--' and 'Rubber Band'. Powerful? Indeed! I hope Shonen Knife will return to St. Louis in the future and will get the crowd they deserve!
Hi George and all Shonen Knife Freaks! I went to the SK show last night in Cleveland and it rocked! This was the first time I have seen them without Michie, whom I still miss but I was very impressed with Mana on the drums! Great show and they are still the best live band around!! No songs of candy rock, I really wanted to hear Messy Room live. But they did play some great ones from the past and a few off Heavy Songs. This was my 7th SK concert and ranks up there as one of their best! Hope everyone's enjoying this tour!
-Andrew
PS: Does anyone know why they are not playing in Seattle on this tour? I used to live there and I know many SK fans that were dissapointed that they didn't play Seattle where they have a pretty big fan base.
Just saw the show last night in Cleveland. That was one of the best rocking performances I've seen in a while! I've only recently started to listen to Shonen Knife (thanks Kirk!). I'm glad I got the opportunity to go. Mana was absolutely intense on the drums! There was definately a lot of high energy last night, more than what I've heard from the albums I've listened. Have you thought about putting out a live album from this tour? I think it would go over very well! Looking forward to the eventual US release of Candy Rock! =)
I saw Shonen Knife about 2 weeks ago here in Tucson, and it was one of the best gigs I've been to in a long time. Thank you so much for coming here and giving me a chance to feel sheer joy for an hour and a half.
Hi Shonen Knife fans! I had Shonen Knife fan site before, but now on George Ojisan's NeXus site.
I cannot go to see this US tour, I am reading and enjoying report. Thank you. I'm very glad their US fan loves new Shonen Knife, also support drummer Mana. Because, they have not gone to the US tour for about FIVE years. If you want to know about Mana more, see my Shonen Knife into page!
PLKC Mamiko
(Note from Shonen Knife NeXuS: Mamiko's page will have major new updates soon! Followup on the U.S. Tour from Japan, Shonen Knife news and fun!)
Hi George,
Your timing is perfect for this addition to your website! Here is my submission - I saw them just last night!
Road Trip:
I took the day off and travelled the 420 miles from Raleigh to Philadelphia to see my favorite band at their closest stop on the tour. I bought my ticket ahead of time on the web and followed the downloaded directions to the venue. I've been waiting to see Shonen Knife for ten
years! You can't imagine my disappointment when I discovered that this band of such huge importance would be playing in a dirty, run down neighborhood bar. Shonen Knife really deserve to be touring through concert halls and converted theaters, imho.
It turns out the venue has a bar on one side, with pool tables in the back, and on the other side is the concert area. There's even a balcony on a second floor. Thee Minks are a three girl band that are just starting out, and local to Philadelphia. Their rythm section really
rocks. Modey Lemon is just loud, ugly noise. Very loud. And the place is clogged with so much cigarette smoke it is very hard to breathe. During the wait, I took a few guesses and asked a few people if they were Butterfly Boy, since this is the tour stop closest to his home, too. Alas, I didn't meet one of the great contributors to this news group. But I did get to bow and say "Konnichiwa" to Mana-san, Atsuko-san, and Naoko-san in turn as they walked around the bar.
After the encore, Naoko and Atsuko came out to the merchandise table to talk and sign autographs. I got to show them my "Candy Rock" cd and brag that I knew this is their "real newest release". They signed it for me, and then I got Mana to sign as well while she broke down her drum kit. I even got my picture taken with Naoko and Atsuko! Fantastic!! Then I watched as they were very gracious and patient with each and every person who came to them. These girls are just so absolutely fabulous! I can't put it in words!
Bill
Sound Check: parts of: Daydream Believer; Sushi Bar; Ah- Ah- Ah-
The Show:
Play-in recording: Mango Juice; Konnichiwa; Flying Jelly Attack; Lazybone; Twist Barbie; Mysterious Drugstore; Map Master; Ah- Ah- Ah-; Golden Years of Rock 'n' Roll; Happy Song; I Wanna Eat Chocobars; Sushi Bar; E.S.P.; Buttercup; Riding The Rocket; Cobra vs Mongoose.
Encore: Daydream Believer; Banana Chips.
Hey George! The Shonen Knife show at Southpaw was fantastic! Here's the review:
Shonen Knife at Southpaw 10-25-2003:
Shonen Knife got a late start at the Southpaw. There were a total of 4 opening bands before them! They were, The Newborn Naturals (from NY), The Hentchmen, The Gore Gore Girls, and the Paybacks (All 3 from Detroit!). Especially in my mind, the Gore Gore Girls and the Paybacks were actually very good. Shonen Knife finally hit the stage at midnight and the crowd went wild! They opened with "Konnichiwa" and then went into "Flying Jelly Attack". Mana especially sounded good on the drums. This was a nice surprise since this is the first time North American Shonen Knife fans have heard her with the band live. Atsuko had no problem stepping up to the bass and Naoko, as always, rocked.
They play old favorites such as "Twist Barbie", "Cobra vs.. Mongoose", "Riding on a Rocket", and "E.S.P." as well as new ones "Rubber Band" and "A Map Master". They encored with "Top of the World" and then "Banana Chips". All in all, it was a very short show...too short considering how much good material they have. I didn't time the show but it couldn't have been longer then 40-45 minutes Unfortunately this was probably due to the fact that there were 4 opening bands and Shonen Knife didn't go on until midnight.
Frank Perri
Hi girls,
I hope you are doing well and holding strong on your tour of U. S. I know you don't remember me personally, but I said ichiban, at your Cleveland show. Thank you very much for signing my CD. I like the little faces too.
You brighten my world.
Robert Nossek
From: Megajim, NYC
Subject: Shonen Knife at Knitting Factory 10/26/03
Date: October 26, 2003 11:18 pm
One of the best concert!:
Hi there if there any SHONEN KNIFE FAN out there please do not miss their show... they came to N.Y.C at the KNITTING FACTORY and they rock the place down... they perform some old music and new tune from HEAVY SONGS. the songs include:
Map Master
Rubber Band
Golden Years Of Rock'n'Roll
Top of the World
E.S.P
Riding The Rocket
those are most of song they sang.... the new drummer really fit right in - she can pound the drum with ease plus she's very upbeat and always have a smile. so when shonen knife come to your town go get a ticket and see their show - it is great to see them again can't wait to see them more when they roll into nyc again.
ENJOY THE SHOW
BIG SHONEN KNIFE FAN FROM NYC
JIMMY
What a great show Saturday night at Southpaw! It's the first time I've seen you ladies and you all rocked! I'm going to try to catch the show tonight at the Knitting Factory. It's going to be hard to do because I'm visiting my parents tonight, but let's see what happens.
Take care.
George Cerezo
Shonen Knife, Sunday 10-26-03 at the Knitting Factory:
Hang on the Box opened first and they were good. They seemed to have a large number of fans in the audience. They played a few originals and one cover version of Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady". The playing was solid and the tunes were good, although sometimes I wonder if their lack of English was responsible for the sometimes vulgar lyrics. "B*tch and "F*ckin' A*shole" were prominently repeated ad infinitum.
Modey Lemon was, as Bill from PA put it, "Ugly Noise". They had no bass player. Just two guitarists and a drummer who looked like the wrestler Mankind. They also had 2 Moog synths, which anyone who is a keyboardist can tell you are capable of either awesome sounds or really ugly noise. Of course Modey Lemon used it for the latter. At one point the singer broke a string to which he stated "I have to change a string. I'll leave the Moog to entertain you." He then proceeded to take the longest I have ever seen to change a guitar string while the 2 Moogs whined, squealed and howled in digital pain while "Mankind" just tried to lay down a beat to make some semblance of the Moog's cackling. Ouch!
Usually after great pain and sacrifice comes great triumph and in the tradition of that, after Modey Lemon, Shonen Knife took the stage at 11pm! Tonight they were wearing the outfits from "Candy Rock". (Friday they wore the outfits from "Heavy Songs"). The set list was similar to Friday night...opening with "Konnichiwa" and then into "Flying Jelly Attack". The show was a little longer then Friday's show which was a blessing! They played the usual old favorites such as "I wanna eat Chocobars", "Lazybone", "Cobra vs. Mongoose", "Riding on a Rocket". Followed by the newer ones "Rubber Band", "Mapmaster" and "Whatever". They encored with "Top of the World", "Banana Chips" and then "Antonio Baka Guy". A 3 song encore! Better then Friday! It was a good show full of energy. The only thing I that kinda bothered me was that the setlist was virtually identical to Friday. A lot of the people I saw Saturday were also present at Friday's show and they'll probably be the same people I see Monday night.
Frank Perri
Shonen Knife 10-27-03 at the Knitting Factory!:
Tonight was an early night for Shonen Knife! They had only one opening band, Modey Lemon and then it was showtime! Shonen Knife came on at about 9:10pm and played until about 10:00pm. They added some more songs tonight and left out some others. They took out "Rubber Band", slid "Banana Chips" from the encore the past 2 days to the regular lineup, and added some more oldies like "Bear Up Bison". The encore was Daydream Believer (Top of the World for Sat & Sun so this was a nice changeup), ESP, and Twist Barbie. They wore the "Heavy Songs" costumes from Friday.
I was up against the front of the stage and I could see that both Atsuko and Naoko have custom made Fujigen Guitars. On the headstock of each they say, "Shonen Knife - Naoko" and "Shonen Knife - Atsuko" respectively. Very nice touch. Mana, who has been incredibly impressive all weekend, played a very aggressive set (I assume being their last night in NY). On songs like "Flying Jelly Attack" she laid down 16th and 32nd notes on the hi-hat during the chorus which gave the song a frantic and energetic push. Overall, it was a good show. Tonight seemed to be the longest night of the three, and they changed up some of the songs.
Out of the three nights, I'd have to say that even though it was the shortest, Friday night was my favorite. The Southpaw club in Brooklyn was a bigger and brighter venue than The Knitting Factory and seemed to have a great crowd. Monday night was actually only about half full, if that much. Either way, it was a great 3-day weekend and it ended all too soon.
As I've said before, my only disappointment was that I wished they had changed more of the material over the three days, but it was still a fantastic weekend and passed way too fast considering it took 5 years to get here.
Frank Perri, NYC
Shonen Knife, Hang on the Box, New York, October 26 at The Knitting Factory:
Just returned from NY after a full weekend of music topped off by two of my favourite bands. A small review now that I'm back in Toronto: Local openers Secret Weapon took the stage early and were finishing as I got there. They are an all female trio which played basic, rock and despite the muddy mix they got played well. I assume that Hang on the Box were invited on the bill as they were appearing at the CMJ music marathon which ran this past week in New York. HOTB took the stage before SK tour openers Modey Lemon at about 9:00, which is a bit of a shame because a lot of the SK crowd came later and missed a chance to see a band that is still evolving and getting better all the time.
Playing mostly tunes from their latest album "Di, Di, Di" HOTB showed how they've really developed as a band, with a wide variety of musical styles incorporated in their set. It's been an eventful year for them, with two US tours and the return of Yilina on bass and the departure of guitarist LiYanfan now replaced by Xiao Gan. The band were in fine form, and although the crowd didn't know their material, they were won over by a rousing version of Hendrix's Foxy Lady. Overall they were impressive, but seemed still to be a slight bit uncomfortable in front of American crowds. Wang Yue, makes a great vocalist and actually sounded much better live than on their recordings but the language barrier seemed to hold her back. Shenjing, on drums, was pretty confident in English and kept up a steady banter between songs. An amusing moment: she claimed "we are the first all girl band from China!" and someone yelled back "but, there's a guy on guitar!?!" They started out as all female anyway. I would've liked to hear a few of the earlier tunes such as Kill Your Belly or I'm not your Baby but this was still a great show and I can can only expect them to get better.
Modey lemon were up next and maybe one of the most mismatched tour opener i've seen in awhile. Two guitars, no bass, and a trashy garage band sound that was way too loud. Perhaps they'll get pointers on tune writing from seeing Shonen knife a least a dozen times. They might do well to bring a spare guitar also. It took five minutes for one guitarist to change a broken string while the audience endured tuneless noise from a moog played by the remaining guitarist.
Shonen Knife came on as an instrumental version of Mango Juice was playing to what appeared to be a full house --- I was right up front so it seemed well attended. The ladies launched into their now standard opener, Konnichawa followed by Flying Jelly Attack. Other old and unexpected treats followed: Lazybone, I wanna eat chocobars, Twist Barbie all played with joyful abandon. Their sound is tighter than ever and they seem to improve each time i see them. They laid down a tough guitar sound with Naoko and Atsuko playing pink Fuijigen guitars made especially for them. The whole thing was anchored by the awesome drumming of Mana Nishiura --- she pounds her kit adding a fuller sound to the show. They played many tunes off Heavy Songs running through Map Master, A-A-A and Golden Years Of Rock n Roll back to back. Atsuko took over vocals for Whatever and Mysterious Drugstore one the prettiest tunes that SK has ever done. They seemed to touch each period in the groups' history : E.S.P. from Brand new Knife, Buttercup (which A LOT of people knew judging by the reaction).
The band has always had a good sense of humour with their faux rock star moves (think of bad eighties hair bands), and used this to full effect on Cobra vs mongoose, flailing about during the slow parts and making the audience give them a two finger 'heavy metal" salute before launching in to the fast part of the song. Rest of the show was one great fun tune after another: with an encore of three songs; Baka Guy, Top of the world and Banana Chips. There were a lot of really great tunes i wished they had done, such as Wild Life, Wind Your Spring, Explosion, and far too many else too mention. This was truly a great show and I managed to get them to sign my copy of Heavy Songs afterwards. and they were surprised I had the Japanese version. I'm so used to the import that I probably won't bother with the domestic release. I just hope they don't wait another five years to tour again.
Tom
Would you think less of me if I said I'd developed a crush on Shonen Knife? Naoko especially is much better looking in person. Hers is the approachable, knowing-smile prettiness of a hot mom. The guy fans at Sunday night's show were much more enthusiastic than the broad fans -- surprising, considering Shonen Knife's an all-girl power pop trio with songs titled, "I Wanna Eat Chocobars", "I Am a Cat" and, yes, "Riding on the Rocket." Then again, the band's lyrics ("I wanna be Twist Barbie") and presentation (baby doll dresses, China doll bobs, pink guitars) simultaneously satirize and celebrate femininity. Men, of course, spend half their time satirizing and celebrating femininity. The question isn't "Why do they have a male following?" but "Why don't they have Andrew W.K.'s male following?" With lines like "Let's go surfing on a tidal wave of melted chocolaaa-aaa-ate," Shonen Knife prove themselves Regular Joes.
I hope the band enjoyed the chocolate lollipops I threw onstage. I'm sorry - I ate one of the pops. Set-list included (in an extremely rough order): Konnichiwa, Flying Jelly Attack, Mysterious Drugstore, Lazybone, Twist Barbie, Map Master, AAA, Golden Years of Rock'N'Roll, ESP, Whatever, Rubberband, I Wanna Eat Chocobars, Buttercup (I'm a Supergirl), Riding on the Rocket, Cobra versus Mongoose, Top of the World, Banana Chips, Antonio Baka Guy. By the way, Modey Peaches rock. And, hey, try to catch the stage-divers next time, c'mon?
Juan-Jose Pichardo
Last night was the first Shonen Knife concert I've ever attended, and being such, I was excited for weeks beforehand. It was well worth the wait, for it was among the best shows I've seen yet. I arrived early, picked up a copy of Heavy Songs (Finally! I have been looking forever), and claimed a spot at the front and center of the stage. The venue was far from filled out, but what the audience lacked in size it made up for in enthusiasm, as evidenced by the screaming handful behind me that were moshing and scheming to raid the platform. That nuisance aside, I had an amazing time throughout, standing at arm's length away from Atsuko and Naoko. I haven't been that close to a band I love since the last "They Might Be Giants" in-store...
But the real surprise was the drummer. I had never seen Mana before, and I found her talented enough to put away any apprehension about the lineup change and immeasurably cute as well (What a smile!). Many times throughout the show, Naoko and Atsuko came together to play about a foot from where I was standing, as if I wasn't close enough. They played several of my favorites, all of which have been listed in a previous report by one Frank Perri (Did you see me there, Frank? I was the kid with the blue sunglasses and the green coat). I am eternally jealous that he actually found Mana after the show, as she is the only member I couldn't track down when it ended. Oh well...plenty of time ahead of me.
There is no doubt in my mind that I will from here on take every opportunity to see this phenomenal live act every chance I get. I hope the photos come out well, and I hope to see some of you at future shows. I just got back from New York (I came from Cape Cod, MA) and need some sleep, after which I will resume my bass lessons. It took me about ten minutes to learn all of Flying Jelly Attack, haha... I suppose I'll end this long-winded report with the usual mantra, appropriate for my first post: Peace, Love, and Shonen Knife!
Joe Magnus
The Chicago show was super!!! It was well worth the train ride from Kansas City! The other bands were great, too! Too bad I couldn't stick around to meet the girls, but hey, maybe next time here in Kansas City.
Once again SK, Thank you for a great show!!!
David Sanders
So, I guess all the superlatives have been used up by now, it being so close to the end of the tour. Shonen Knife played the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto to a very full house. The doorman said that the show was sold out and I tend to believe him as they wouldn't let anyone in to even the front part of the bar without showing a ticket. (the backroom is where the bands play). Capacity of this club is somewhere around 300 - 400 people so they did well to sell it out. When they allowed people in at 9:00, the merchandise table was swamped with business. A lot of T-shirts, Posters and CD's were sold. I got my share the booty before the show and a good thing too, as the line after the show was huge! Shonen Knife has always done well in this town and a great number of people seemed to be return fans judging by the number of "Happy Hour" and "Brand New Knife" shirts I spotted in the crowd.
Openers Modey Lemon took the stage at ten and treated the now filling club with their brand of garage rock. I'm still puzzled as to their inclusion on the bill; their Primus meets REO Speedealer via Nashville Pussy sound doesn't mesh well with the upbeat, pop-punk sounds of Shonen Knife. Toronto crowds are polite though, so they were well received.
The ladies from Osaka came on about 11:30 after an earlier false start when the soundman treated us to the intro "Mango Juice" music for about a minute or so. They seem to have had two sets throughout the tour judging by reviews of the early shows, substituting "Top of the World" with "Daydream Believer" and "Bear up Bison" with "Sushi Bar" or the addition of "Antonio Baka Guy." We got the latter. So what superlatives are untouched? Probably none. This night they were simply incredible; probably the best I've seen them in years. Certainly the most fun! They roared through "Konnichawa" with abandon running straight into "Flying Jelly Attack" amidst feedback from Naoko's pink Fujigen guitar. Tonight they were wearing the Paisley outfits to "match our new CD, "Heavy Songs", which we want everyone to buy", as Naoko put it.
They didn't let up for a moment, treating the audience to a very tight, professional show with the usual Knife humour: Naoko's self deprecating wit in "Map Master", one of the crowd's favourites, Atsuko and Naoko doing the metal band moves during "Cobra vs Mongoose". The general glee with which they approach their stage show, anchored by the powerhouse drumming of Mana Nishiura, makes Shonen Knife my nominee for 'happiest rock band in the world'. They've a loyal following that shows up consistently: at one point when both Yamano sisters were momentarily silent someone yelled out "we love you, Shonen Knife" making the ladies laugh and work even harder to please.
Other highlights: Atsuko's beautiful spin on "Mysterious Drugstore". A great version of "E.S.P." and another crowd favourite: "Buttercup". I'd already caught them in New York, but perhaps because this is my hometown or because the crowd was so excited to see this band after five years, this was a special show. I was really quite surprised at how much the audience was getting into the show. I'd brought along a friend who had become very jaded about live music and he was completely won over by the half way point of the set. Only a slight flatness in Naoko's singing at the start of "Riding the Rocket" stood out as a small blemish; but they have toured North America for a month so this is a trifle considering how great they were overall. After an hour of sweaty, loud rock n roll - they departed and then returned to do "Top of the World", "Banana Chips" and "Antonio Baka Guy". This show was only $10 dollars Canadian but the band gave the crowd a concert worth far more, with a set of tunes like the bouncy "Rubber Band" and the fun "I wanna eat Chocobars" ( i still laugh when Naoko sings "two pers bars everyday").
Atsuko and Naoko reappeared to sign autographs after the show and were almost swamped: people with vinyl, posters, T-shirts etc., some even wanting their pictures with the band. Mana also came out for autographs and it's a testimony to Shonen Knife's patience and willingness to please their fans that all three ladies signed everything and chatted with fans for close to a half hour. I got them to autograph a poster and a "SK vinyl killer" which they were surprised to see. Atsuko laughed when I told her to come back soon: "we will" she said, adding, "arrigato!". Truly a special evening that I'll have fond memories of for a long time.
tom
Shonen Knife mini-review of their 10-25-03 show in Brooklyn, NY:
The one other time I had seen Shonen Knife, it was sometime in 1992 at "TT The Bear's" in Cambridge, MA. Still mainly known only in Japan, the band was pretty new around these parts. That didn't stop a packed house from showing up, no doubt having heard the band on college radio. I was one of those people. This 1992 show is probably my all time favorite club show. I remember that the girls were just blown away at the reception they got, wearing wide-eyed smiles throughout a very fun and energetic show. The performance ended with a shower of jelly beans from the band into the crowd during "Flying Jelly Attack". There was fewer candy thrown this time around, and they played the above song right off the bat, but there was no shortage of fun or energy.
During the show, Naoko mentioned that the last time they played in NYC was five years ago. Let's hope they get back over to this country sooner than that.
Thanks, Ken
Hey! I just went to the Shonen Knife show at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto and they rocked!! I recently discovered Shonen Knife and since then have become a big fan. So when I saw that they where coming to T.O., I couldn't resist the chance to see them live! They played a good mix of old and new songs and were very energetic. The new drummer is spot on! She rocks! The band was also super cool about signing autographs and taking pictures after the show, and me without my camera! Doh! Anyways it was a great time and I will definately be seeing them again the next time they come to town.
Robert
Hi, George: Here is my and my wife Grace's experience with the Montreal show.
First of all we drove 1,368 miles to Montreal with our 7 year old daughter, Justina. We stayed at my Mom's and all got bad colds - I was sick the night of the concert :( Cafe le Petit Campus is small - I counted 75 seats. The show was supposed to start at 8:30. We got there at 7:00 to get a good seat. The manageress, Nancy, was quite nice, asked us to go get dinner and come back. Somehow, Grace managed to talk her into letting us hang around - man, was that a stroke of luck!!
Then, minutes later roadies start bringing in the Knife's gear. After a while three very tiny women all bundled up for the cold walked in - it was THEM! I didn't want to bug them, but said "Konbanwa" and got a a smile & bow back. Then they did their sound check. Mana needed a new snare drum head and took a lot of time getting things right. She is a GOOD drummer! They they came out in street clothes and Naoko sang "E.S.P." and Atsuko sang "Mysterious Drug Store". It was like a private concert for us. I was blown away. Grace took tons of pictures. Then they changed into their stage clothes (the 80's Mondrian outfits) and did an MTV interview.
Their merch was selling really well, and just like I have always read, after about 10 minutes all three women came out and made sure EVERYONE who wanted anything autographed got what they wanted. They are SO NICE.
Best, John Foster
Konnichi-wa Knife-ichibans!
Just took in the October 30th Toronto gig at the Horseshoe tavern, with a friend. Loved the chemistry between the sisters, and the bonkers drumming by fellow Libran Mana. Saw them at Lee's Palace also in T.O. May 1 1994 on the "Let's Knife" Tour, but further away, more people.
This friend of mine whom I turned SK onto, also did the same with me about PuffyAmiYumi, seeing them last year on their first tour.
Liking "Heavy Songs" now after getting them at the gig along with another t-shirt. And I would love to thank them for signing the '94 concert review I have from a local paper featuring me interviewed in the line-up!
Mut go, d-a gozaimasu gojira rules so does daikaiju eiga!!
doug
I got to see a couple of the NYC shows last week and they were great! I saw them in '94 and '97 in DC and in '98 in NYC and I think this tour was my favorite. When I hear a song like "I Wanna Eat Choco Bars", I can't help but think "genius". This is the perfect band. I hope it won't be another five years before I see them again. Thank you, Shonen Knife, for a great tour!
Tim
My girlfriend and I attended Shonen Knife's Halloween show in Detroit and it ROCKED! The band was in top form and sounded very good. I was pleased to hear a great mix of old and new material, including such early favorites as "I Wanna Eat Choco Bars". And as far as musicianship and stage presence are concerned, their performance was nothing short of spectacular! I was equally impressed with Mana's drumming abilities, which I think adds a great element to their sound. We had a great time, although there were a few drunken idiots at the show that didn't really care for the music and let that sentiment be known in the most obnoxious way. At some point, one such fool actually jumped on stage and proceeded to jabber incoherently into the microphone while a suprised Naoko Yamano looked on. This proved to be the first of two such occurances. Fortunately, Naoko didn't acknowledge either one of them with so much as a shrug. Drunken fools aside, the show was amazing (I even caught Naoko's guitar pick!). And after five years since their last visit, Shonen Knife are better than ever!
Matt
well... for some years now i have managed to miss Shonen Knife every single time they came to the detroit area. i either had to work or had some other committment which prevented me from attending - but not this time! i was fortunate enough to have seen their performance halloween night at the magic stick (which is a club inside an old 1920's converted movie theater which now houses a club, several bars, theater and a especially cool bowling alley).
their records are really good but it doesn't really prepare you for their in-concert performances. i was especially shocked at how entertaining they are in their performance and great in their musicianship - they can really REALLY play those instruments! i really laughed when the bass player was introduced as "the former drummer and the person who made their stage outfits".....you would have to search long and hard to find someone who can play drums, bass guitar, sing AND sew a really cool 'mini-dress'.
several of their songs were from the new cd but others included "buttercup" from the powerpuff girls which drew a big cheer from the crowd. i am 'knifed' for life and will always be a fan and go to their performances when they come to town. i took several pictures during their show and afterwards was lucky enough to get to meet atsuko and naoko... getting their autographs and taking a picture with each of them. Shonen Knife 'rocks'!!!
jerome
Tour reports from Fans ~ Return to top of this page.
Shonen Knife NeXuS Main Page - Return to the Main Page.
- Shonen Knife Online ~ Official Shonen Knife Homepage in Japan
gwiz@earthlink.net EMail address for the Shonen Knife NeXuS.
