I went to three rock shows in three weeks. Something amazing for me these days. I usually stay home with my pipe and slippers. (OK, a manner of speaking. I do like to stay home, but no pipe/slippers.)
The first show was at the venerable San Francisco club, Bottom of the Hill. Or as we musicians affectionately call it, BOTH (but really there’s only one). The band was Shonen Knife, an all-female, Japanese power-pop band that’s been around since the ’80s. Let me mention at this point that all three shows I attended had “old timer” bands, all of them formed in the ’80s. However, the women in Shonen Knife aren’t exactly wrinkled and gray. Truth be told, the bassist and drummer joined more recently and are in fact youngsters. The leader founded the band in 1981, probably before the two current newcomers were born. Still, she is very youthful and you’d hardly know there was such an age difference.
I’ve heard about Shonen Knife for many years, but aside from a few snippets here and there I’d never really checked out their music. Visually, their style is cute and bubbly; they have long, shiny hair and 60s-mod clothing. Keep in mind that this band is embraced by the indie/alternative rock world, and even Kurt Cobain was a fan. So I always assumed that the kitschy cuteness and naivety was a put-on, self conscious, presented with a dose of irony. Nope. After hearing their set, I can attest that there are no clever winks, there is no irony at all. They are simply cute, period. Fresh, wide-eyed energy is their thing and in a simple, direct way, that’s exactly the vibe they put out. Example: in between songs, the bassist, struggling with her English, said, “We not have time for sight-see. But we see Golden Gate Bridge! Fisherman’s Warf! Now have good memories.” All said with a beaming smile. She embraced the Kodak moment, wasn’t making fun of it. Then they launched into a Ramones-esq punk rock song—yes, even cute young Japanese women can rock hard. The songs they played include “Pig Out” (introduction: “Next song about barbecue party. Corns on the cob! Hot dog!”), “Banana Chip” (“Here’s a song about delicious snack.”), and my favorite song title, “Catnip Dream”.
When their set was over they rushed to the merchandise table and signed CDs and posters. The show wasn’t quite what I was expecting, which is a good thing. I guess I thought it would be too cutesy. If it had turned out they couldn’t rock, it would’ve been. Just goes to show that having the ability to rock out can often save the day. Viva Rock n Roll! Or as one man put it: Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World.
I’m tired now. (Pipe and slippers?) Guess I’ll fill you in on the other two shows in a later blog
