Out & About Nagoya: December 08

By Emily Millar

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Jingle Bells, Oh! Christmas Tree, Rudolph, blah, blah, blah... There's almost nothing more depressing than spending a Christmas in Japan as a single foreigner. You may think I'm nit-picking, that Christmas in Japan is a total crock anyway and there's really no point in getting all worked up about it, but Christ! Even Santa Claus is topping himself, on a crucifix nonetheless (so the rumors go...see this month's Santa feature). I'm not stuffing stockings this year, I'm just going to sit at home and stuff my face with KFC Christmas chook and cake on the 25th, wonder where the year went and why I'm not taking my own advice and getting Out & About. Well, for the rest of you emotionally stable couples, here are some wonderful things you can do together, as a couple, with your boyfriend or girlfriend over December in Nagoya. I'm not even remotely jealous of you.

Ah, how I do love a gig at KD Japon! Just when I think I couldn't possibly handle another rendition of Aladdin's Hi wa Mata Noboru on Hexagon (I'm a total sucker for baka idols), KD pops up and serves a whopping, creamy dollop of quirky indie goodness. If you're quick enough, go check out the UK's Jeremy Warmsley on Monday 1st - he's like a rather less glittery and precocious Patrick Wolf, with very good taste in waistcoats. Oh, and he's a fine musician, too - let's not forget that. Supported by the rather more quirky James Severy, plus über-cute locals One Day Diary. ¥3000/¥3500, doors open at 19:00, show kicks off at 19:30. 

And while we're here, we may as well keep going with what else Japon has to offer this December. Wednesday 3rd sees a performance of a most unusual caliber, with getting technical and using not only a laptop, but also an iPhone to create a visual soundscape. Anyone else with an iPhone is invited to participate. Masayuki Akamatsu is quite a prolific digital artist, having dabbled in installations, live performance, and seminars on creating art through sound. 19:00/19:30, ¥2000 at the door, or ¥1800 if you bring your iPhone to join in. Great, an entire roomful of people showing off their iPhones! Just what we need.

The Shut-ups from Georgia (that's the state in the US, not the oppressed Soviet nation) bring their new-wave synth pop to Japon on Thursday 18th. Dance like a robot from 19:00 (¥2000/¥2500). With support from youcan, JONNY, YO-chang and KO-chang. Then, finally, on Tuesday 23rd, come and check out local purveyors of Haiku-pop (and that really isn't as dull as it sounds) Ett plus HADA from 19:00 (¥2000). Seriously, Ett is wonderful. I defy anyone to not fall in love with Sayuri's trill la-las and totally adorable howling. Guitarist Kei is also fiercely talented, having done time with a plethora of Osaka psych outfits in the past. 

I'm always wary of kids in bands who are younger than I am. They should be in school, gettin' an education, not parading about on stage saying "like" between every second word and wearing bright red lipstick. And what's with the ridiculous band names, like Be Your Own Pet, Operator Please, Los Campesinos? Now you can add Cajun Dance Party to the list of underage indie babies getting pissed off at the press for not being able to write a single thing about them without reference to their age. Harmless pop ditties for anyone who doesn't feel uncomfortable that someone is more famous than you were when you graduated from high school. Where else but Quattro, on Tuesday 9th from 19:00 (doors open an hour earlier). ¥5800 - obviously their parents don't give them an allowance anymore.

Tahiti 80 head to Quattro too, this month on Tuesday 16th. Their electro-tinged sunny French pop is rather lovely, if a little forgettable. Starry-eyed girls front and center for linchpin Xavier Boyer, I imagine. He's, like, such a dream boat! 18:00/19:00, ¥6300. 

I'm writing this month's column as my ears slowly recover from the auditory assault they suffered at the hands of some insanely loud hardcore bands at Huck Finn last night. Must remember to stuff my ears with balled-up toilet paper next time - I hear that's the best way to combat short-term tinnitis. But you might not need to stuff your drums in preparation for Food For Animals on Thursday 4th - they're rather less noise and a little more hip-hoppy, but you might want to keep that paper handy for Black Ganion and Mangirl. 18:30/19:00 (¥3000/¥3500). 

More Frenchies! A quite unusual blend of melodic hard rock from le Aussitot Mort, plus local J-bands Heaven in her Arms and Akutagawa. That's on Tuesday 30th (17:30/18:00, ¥2000/¥2300). 

"Hey Radix, long time, no see! What's on this month?" 

"Well, funny you should ask, because on Sunday 28th we're presenting the NACHT Tour '2008 Final Destination', with Petter. He's some Swedish dude from Border Community, alongside James Holden and Nathan Fake, ya know - people like that. He's into his minimal techno/click, that sort of thing." 

"Sounds very nice. Tell me more." 

"Ok, Youhei and dsk will also be DJing, along with a few others. It'll start from 22:00 and cost ¥2500/¥3000." 

"Jolly good! Thanks Radix!" 

"No problems, Emily! Do you find that talking to a club in your column as if you're old friends from way back makes you sound authoritative and like you actually know what you're talking about?" 

"To be honest, I've never tried it before, and I guess I won't be trying it again anytime soon. Nice talking with you, Radix!" 

"Sure thing." 

"Probably won't see you on the 28th, then!"

Tokuzo once again busts open the doors of conventionality with a big bruising kick to let in some of the more eclectic acts heading to Nagoya this month. Among them is Norwegian avant jazz group Atomic, free-forming and free-styling away as only avant jazz musos from Norway could. Head along on Wednesday 3rd from 19:00 - ¥4000/¥4500, hepcats. Then, everyone's favorite local psychedelic shamans, Acid Mothers Temple, once again trip the heavy fantastic at their annual AMT Festival on Saturday 13th. Time to get festive! ¥2800/¥3000. 

Club Rock 'n Roll are again hosting the coolest moms in Rock 'n Roll, Afrirampo, on Friday 19th. Their bubs are definitely going to need a whole lot of scrunched-up toilet paper stuck in their ears for this noise-fest, ably supported by Nisennenmondai from 19:00 (¥2000/¥2300). Rock 'n Roll moms are cool! 

I have a thing for older Japanese dudes in rock bands. I can't explain the attraction. Perhaps it's that seemingly eternal youth thing they've got happening. After all, you don't seriously look at bands like The Who or The Rolling Stones and think, “Hmm, I’d like to get a little action from Mick,” or, “Ooh, that Daltry fellow is pretty hot stuff,” do you? (Yes, Emily. We do. Maybe it's a man thing... Ed. Staff.) But for some reason, when I see guys like the members of Japanese band Radio Caroline, I do think illicit thoughts about older men in leather jackets rockin’ old style 70s classic-like tunes. So what? Rock ‘n Roll dads are cool, too! If you dig geriatrics, head to Club Upset on Wednesday 3rd and check them out on their Death or Glory tour. Show kicks off at 19:00 (¥3150). 

Then, on Saturday 20th, check out local popsters Hooveroover, seagull loop and Karesi from 18:30 (¥2000). I’ve fallen in love with Karesi recently. They channel everything that was great about 60s British music. And their singer wears a crown. 

Time for some uplifting art-pop in the mould of Sufjan Stevens and Broken Social Scene at Tightrope this month, with Chicago collective Anathallo. Lots of pretty bell-like noises and strings make for some joyous sounds. Supported by Aie, Ichi and Climb the Mind. Tuesday 9th, 19:00 (cost TBA, but you're probably looking at around ¥3000).   

Young indie fashionistas of Nagoya, your time has come! Better make the most of it before you're considered passe - you've got a few more weeks, at least - and head to Domina for EPI on Saturday 6th. There'll be live bands direct from Tokyo, like Aaps and Faron Square, and a heap of epi DJs with numbers and letters for names, both capital and lowercase. Sometimes I worry that an artist will get mad at me for accidently capitalizing a letter that should have been lowercase, so it's safer just to not name names in the first place. Head along at 22:00 - tickets are ¥2000/¥2500.

Timmy Regisford is heading back to Club JB’s, and this time he’s helming the JB’s New Year’s bash presented by Crown and Joker. DJs Shige, Shusaku and Hide supporting, it’s gonna be heeeyuge. ¥3000/¥3500. 

Seriously, who can even believe this year is nearly over? Not I, that’s for sure. But I'll wish you all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and hope you don’t do anything at your year-end parties that you’ll live to regret. Bye peeps, looking forward to bringing you more occasionally-riveting-but-sometimes-painfully-excitement-free Out & Abouts in 2009.     

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