Show Review: May 29th MTM Presents: The Shamisenists, BO-PEEP, Tokyo Sapiens

Ready to get back into the ways of rock, the 5/29 show started and ended epically. Stationed at an intimate venue, nestled on a third floor in Shimokitazawa, Rokudemonaiyoru was an excellent place to host our head-bashing lineup.

Tokyo Sapiens were the ones to get the night going, and boy did they set the bar high for what was to be expected for the night. Tokyo Sapiens are a fun group bringing incredibly high energy, and at no point did they let up. Throughout their performance, they kept an upbeat pace and the audience at full attention. If hard rock is your thing, then Tokyo Sapiens is the group for you. The icing on the delicious sweet Sapien cake was when Jack of The Shamisenists teamed up with the group to give us one helluva show. A preview to what was to be seen later on in the night.

Following the Sapiens was BO-PEEP. This trio, coming from Fukuoka, kept up the pace brought on by Tokyo Sapiens. In the spirit of the Olympics, they continued to carry the torch. If you didn’t know BO-PEEP before, it consists of two hardcore ladies and one battle-hardened fellow, who as a trio form the ultimate trifecta of kickass harmony. During their performance, they gave us nothing but unimaginable power sounds; it was mind-blowing. Their music would match well for an action-packed montage. The lead vocalist’s energy is unmatched; she was on fire! The drummer was beating them thangs as if they owed her money.  And don’t get us started on the bassist, who was going hard as hell. All analogies aside, BO-PEEP is the energizer we all need to power through life.

Last but certainly not least, The Shamisenists. Now, as the writer here, this was my first time seeing them in action. I’ve seen some of their stuff before, but to see it in person… literally blown away. Their act started with the building of anticipation, the calm before the storm. We just came back from a break, so they chose to start on a light note. As I was beginning to like what I saw, they turned up the heat in the place, and it got hot up in there. I had no idea how hardcore they were going to be; at any point, they would switch their sound and go from calm to maximum rage in a split second. At one point, a shamisen string broke. However, The Shamisenists are such pros that drummer Kyohei promptly took the lead, only for them to come back with a vengeance and give us an immaculate end to the night. Their resilience in the face of adversity was a spectacle! You can throw anything at them, and they know how to duck, dip, dodge, dive, and keep on playing. The Shamisenists are a group like none other. Jack is a monster, Yuji is a beast, and Kyohei is a savage. 

It was great to be back in the spirit of rock. It was love to be surrounded by good folk who just want to appreciate talented artists. We’ll see you at our next show on 6/6 with Robert Taira Wilson and Elliot Cormack and then 6/12 with SLOPE UP SESSION CLUB and Josiah Hawley. Sayonara!