Girls Rock

After Sakae Spring, I was feeling very concerty. I saw some AWESOME bands, and I was feeling like I needed to see them again.

Lucky for me, Alexis was feeling the same way, so we headed back to Nagoya the Saturday after term ended (it was a very burn outy term, and I feel like I didn't really learn all that much, but I still managed an A+, so I get to move on, and this term I plan to be totally studious and Japanese-learny!), we headed over to the Girls Rock Magazine Fest!

It was AWESOME! We left after I got off work, and the first band we saw, 桜華(sakura hana), was unfortunately not good. They seemed a little bit too put on, and the singer annoyed me more than anything else. I was therefore worried.

Next up, though, was Shink, and my world was rocked.

They were vibrant and exciting, and they put on an AMAZING live show. Alexis also thought so, and we might go see them again when they come back to Toyohashi.

Then was Hysteric*Flavor.



I really, really, really wanted to LOVE them, as all of their merch was pink and punk looking and fun. And they were super cute! Unfortunately, they didn't blow me away. I think a lot of that could be because the vocals were so low that I couldn't hear them at all. Listening now, the youtube song is WAY better than their live was.

Then came Scusi, who, aside from the obvious (Skull Candy, to come) was by far the best band of the night. They were totally Less Than Jake style with two singers, and it was pure awesomeness. I was shocked to find out that they're a newish band.



I was also psyched to find out that they're from Nagoya - I totally plan on going to see them again (and maybe again and again and again). I was talking to the male singer later, and he seemed super nice. Even if he didn't seem to really be wanting to talk to me. And even if the bassist (guitarist?) was sitting far away on a couch and kept being shocked that he was talking to the white girl. All like, "You're talking to her? What'd she say, what'd she say?!?" I felt very zoo-animal-esque.

After Scusi, Bunny the Party.



I love Bunny the Party, so I was super psyched to get to see them, and of course, they were awesome. Unfortunately, when I was first talking to the Scusi dude, I totally thought he was the Bunny the Party dude, and it took me a minute to figure out why he was looking at me like I was crazy. He had to explain. I was embarassed.

Then Hybrid Statice.



They were fun, but nothing overly special. I wasn't surprised to learn that they're a new band, and I think that once they get their sound figured out, they could end up being awesome (especially as I'm really digging the song in this video). This whole Nagoya seeming to have a newish music scene full of the kind of music I love is more than exciting!
The drummer pretty much begged me and Alexis to come to their next show, and I really do want to go. But unfortunately, it's July 17, and I've already got a ticket to see Special Thanks (YAY!!!! I don't even know how to contain my excitement about the fact that I'm going to get to see them!!!!), so no can do. :-(

Then came the ハイファイコーヒーズ (Hi-Fi Koohizu). Unfortunately, at this point, Alexis and I had begun to wonder why it was SO hot. Turns out the air conditioner had broken, and as their set progressed, it just got hotter and hotter and hotter.



The singer was hilarious, and it was SO obvious that she really did NOT want to be performing in that heat.
After the Hi-Fi Coffees was Skull Candy, our reason for going.



They were, as they had been at Sakae Spring, AMAZING! Seriously. This band knows how to rock, and I hope to get to see them lots more times before I leave Japan.　　Despite the broken air conditioner, I barely noticed the heat.

By the time they were over though, both Alexis and I were sweating maybe more than we had ever sweat in our entire lives. Our clothes and bodies were literally so drenched with sweat that it was as if we'd jumped into a sweat swimming pool. Delicious.

This made watching the last band, fly sleep fly, rather difficult.



I'd downloaded their album the week before and had been listening to and enjoying them, so I was psyched to get to see them.
We ended up having to sit outside for most of their set, because it was just too painful to be outside. 超ー暑かった！　　And what we did see ended up being impossible to enjoy because it was just, so, well, HOT!

So there we go. . .my second music fest in Japan, and aside from the broken air conditioner, I think it might have even been better than the first. Sheer awesomeness!

Next post, no music, I promise (maybe).