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From The Stalin, to Polysics, to Shonen Knife, some of the most incredible punk rock of the past few decades has come from Japan. One of the most prolific Japanese punk bands around, TsuShiMaMiRe formed in the late 90s and have been playing together ever since without a single lineup change. A-To-J had the opportunity to see the band on their recent tour, both in Los Angeles and in Fullerton. This is a review of their Los Angeles set at The Echo, along with photos. Arriving early to The Echo, smack in the center of Echo Park, we were treated to the chilled-out folk rock (almost dream pop, even) of My Hawaii. They weren't too bad, giving a nice vibe to the few people who showed up early. Maybe an odd choice for a punk show, though.  My Hawaii by Justin Ashby © A-To-J Connections, 2016 Even if they felt super out-of-place for the lineup, they actually had some pretty good songs. You could tell that it was the wrong environment for the band which is sad because I felt that they didn't get much appreciation. I was really into the mostly instrumental song which the singer said came to him in a dream. It sounded like some kind of psyched-out film score.  My Hawaii by Justin Ashby © A-To-J Connections, 2016 The second support act was Skapeche Mode, a ska band who exclusively covers 80s post-punk and pop songs. They played some hits like Duran Duran's "Girls On Film", The Smiths' "Girlfriend in a Coma", and Depeche Mode's "People Are People". They also played.... the Popeye theme song? They were pretty fun.  Skapeche Mode by Justin Ashby © A-To-J Connections, 2016 Skapeche Mode closed out their set with "Just Can't Get Enough", but before that they played a TsuShiMaMiRe song which they learned just for this tour! Unfortunately we don't remember which song it was and it's not reflected in their setlist, but it was a great time overall.  Skapeche Mode by Justin Ashby © A-To-J Connections, 2016 Finally, it was time for the main event. TsuShiMaMiRe set up their own equipment, something I rarely get to see from touring bands. Combined with the extremely small venue, the show felt really intimate. The band came up and introduced themselves before launching into the hit "Speedy Wonder". They sound amazing! Even compared to the high energy found on the band's albums, they somehow are even better live.  TsuShiMaMiRe by Justin Ashby © A-To-J Connections, 2016
 TsuShiMaMiRe by Justin Ashby © A-To-J Connections, 2016 Noticeably absent from the setlist are classics like "Sex on the Beach", "J-POP", and "UFO FOR YOU". Still, old songs always have to get cut when a band is touring with new material. I'm not complaining, I LOVE the new album! After the set, we were able to hang out with the members, take lots of pictures, and buy lots of merch. Overall, a really great time. TsuShiMaMiRe is one of the best bands I've seen live in a long time, really scratching the "Japanese pop punk" itch that so few bands can manage (even fewer who actually tour internationally). I'll definitely be seeing TsuShiMaMiRe the next time they come back!
The next day, A-To-J's Manuel and Teepu went to see TsuShiMaMiRe in Fullerton and got an interview with the band. Look forward to that!  TsuShiMaMiRe's setlist, photo by Justin Setlist: 1. Speedy Wonder 2. My Brain is Shortcake 3. BUBBLES 4. Hanami Soto de Sake 5. Psy-A-Kuma (Bad Dream Bear) 6. Human Coating 7. Ebihara Shinji 8. Time Lag 9. JAGUAR -------------------- 10. Tea Time Ska (encore) (NOTE: The band also played "Hyper Sweet Power", but it's not on the setlist and I'm fairly certain "Tea Time Ska" was the only encore. It was great though!) -Justin TsuShiMaMiRe Mari (Vocals/Guitar) Mizue (Drums) Yayoi Tsushima (Bass)
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