Yellow Studs Acoustic Live Performance at Moon Romantic - by Michele Tanabe

If you wanted, you could search right now and find thousands of articles online arguing which is better, live shows or recorded audio.  Suffice to say, if you’ve found your way to this particular piece of writing, you’re more than likely to stand with us, the avid concertgoers who will argue that live shows are indeed superior.  Don’t worry, I’m not adding to the large number of listicles that sway you one way or the other, I’ve already come to my conclusion. 

Live music is better—the end. 

And while I enjoy listening to my daily playlist on Spotify, or queuing my favorite music videos via Youtube and dancing around like mad in my living room, there’s truly something about attending a live performance.  Of course, there’s the music, that’s what brought you in, but also, there’s the comradery and sense of togetherness that can unite complete strangers in pure musical bliss. 

It was that craving, for togetherness and socialization meshed with exceptional music, that made me crawl out of my cave and into a more populated one, at Moon Romantic.  On this particular night, the room was packed beyond belief and I somehow pushed my way to the front of the crowd.  

"Short people luckily get a pass from the angry side-eye when moving their way closer to the stage, well…at least at Moon Romantic I did. "

I took my place next to a gaggle of women donning long mismatching plaid skirts, platform studded boots and oversized black cut-out sweatshirts. Punk-prairie girls? I loved their vibe and moved a little closer. It was clear they were there for Yellow Studs and were wearing their makeshift uniforms proudly in support of the band members who also wore plaid button-ups.    

Yellow Studs began their performance with a folksy number fused with violin and accordion that couldn’t help but remind me of Jack and Rose twirling arm-in-arm within the underbelly of the Titanic. Who are Yellow Studs exactly? Their musical discography dates back to 2004 and can closely be described as rock & roll sprinkled with a Goldilocks-approved “just right” amount of jazz. However, when their acoustic version made an appearance, like on this night, lines started to blur from their usual sound to indie-rock with folk and jazz dominating individual songs. 

After their intro, which effectively brought everyone to a synchronized bob, the band effortlessly shifted into a swingy jazz number that left me breathless.  On accordion, lead singer Taichi Nomura’s gruff voice weaved in and out of the billowy bass riffs drawing everyone in closer with each beat.  Once the first couple of songs concluded, Nomura made his way to the keyboard while rallying the audience with jokes and a few words in English.  

The second half of the show was dramatically different from the first half. While the accordion peppered the first few numbers with a folk flavor that anyone would take a hungry bite into, it was Yellow Stud’s classic sound that kept fans drooling at the mouth. As soon as Nomura’s fingers touched his keyboard, suddenly he was right at home and the crowd went wild! Yellow Stud’s classic sound made its way into our hearts. 

This journey of sub-genres meshed all into one is why Yellow Studs’ live performance is so special. You simply cannot find a performance like this anywhere else except here in person with Yellow Studs. Plaid shirts and all.  So instead of plugging in for a listening session, head on out in the wild and see Yellow Studs in action, live. 

To find out when Yellow Studs will be performing next, refer to their website and event schedule. 

If you want to catch the next live show at Moon Romantic click here!