Concert Review: Delicious Bump Show 2010 featuring the pillows

Never before have I traveled so far to see a concert, but then, the pillows aren't just any other band. the pillows have a sound that is somehow able to brighten your day no matter what kind of mood you're in. You could be sad, angry, depressed, and still somehow, the pillows are able to break the language barrier, and uplift the soul with their music.

My journey took me from Chicago to the city of Pomona at The Glass House, which is about two hours east of LA. You wouldn't think much would be going on here in this city, but the pillows and their friends were able to make quite a statement. This was the band's fourth tour in North America, however it was their shortest. Only two shows were played, both in the state of California, and it didn't help their bassist Jun Suzuki was unable to make it due to passport issues. However, front man Sawao Yamanaka brought three bands from his label, Delicious Label, to give the US a taste of some truly great alternative rock.

The first band to perform that night was all girl band Pop Chocolat. Consisting of the standard three piece band and a keyboardist, the band got the show off to a bit of a rocky start. The guitarist's amp went out immediately after the first song started, and made for an awkward moment as the tech guys tried to fix it. The band seemed to be a bit shaken up from it, but during their short set were able to show some signs of life. The band was pretty unique in that their was no clear lead singer. One song would be the guitarist, the next the bassist, and all throughout the girls would make some lovely harmonies underneath. Even the drummer was able to get in on it, and definitely seemed like she was having fun doing so.

After their quick set, the next band, Monokuro came up. Now the lead singer/guitarist was wearing a Sonic Youth shirt, so I knew what was in store. The trio was very loud, abrasive, and used plenty of distortion... a perfect combination. Excellent melodies were inside the walls of fuzz that came through the speakers, and the singer/guitarist was very showy, and was able to really get the crowd moving. He played at a frantic pace, as if his life depended on getting through the song.



With the first two openers done, one of the bigger names came to the stage, an all-girl alt-rock outfit named Noodles. One can compare the Noodles to a Japanese version of The Breeders. There's plenty of quirks in the band's music, written almost solely by vocalist/guitarist Yoko. Her silvery vocals sync up perfectly to her poppy hooks blended with fuzzy guitars and bass, making many interesting melodies. The band did seem to put out better material before their lead guitarist left the band several years ago, however. The band never reached out for a replacement, leading to more simple structure songs; it was most of these songs that were played. Still, there was plenty of great material being played at this show from different parts of their catalogue. The song Traditional Case was played early in the set, and hearing its blaring guitar was really amazing, especially during the short little guitar solo that followed. The crowd began getting into the show more at this point as the Noodles have also toured the US several times, with many people yelling out random song titles. Another stand out track from the set with bubbly pop rocker Ingrid Said, with the lyrics seemingly asking the audience "What do you want?" If the people wanted some alternative rock with inventive melodies, well they got it. It wasn't long after that song was played that the people really got what they wanted... the pillows.

Yamanaka and the rest of the band walked out to the crowd amidst plenty of cheers and fanfare, and he wasted no time giving in to the people's desires. The band led of the set with fan favorite I Think I Can. Right away, lead guitarist Yoshiaki Manabe ripped into the song. Having seen the pillows two times prior to this, I've come to realize that when Manabe plays his guitar live, he does it effortlessly. It's almost as if he doesn't need to try, it comes naturally. During the solo he'll be swaying from side to side, or walking up to someone near the edge if the stage and showing off his technical prowess. While the band played mainly songs from the TV anime FLCL, some new songs were peppered in, including a couple songs from the band's latest album released last October, OOPARTS. Yamanaka prefaced it saying these were band new songs (not to some fans however) and began playing the dynamic album opener, Dance With God. While the song was somewhat lacking in feeling on the studio version, playing it live brought out the emotion tenfold as Yamanaka wailed during the lyrics to the roaring guitar during the chours, and then becoming more pensive during the quieter verse segments, which were punctuated by dueling guitars, something that Yamanaka has dabbled in on past albums. Drummer Shinichiro Sato, though quite in demeanor, had some excellent licks and fills going on in the song as well, showing off his own cunning.

The band continued to go through a number of classics such as the anthemic Little Busters, bass-heavy number Funny Bunny, and of course the classic theme from FLCL, Ride on shooting star. While it was great hearing all these songs again, the performance could've been a bit tighter had Suzuki made it out to play bass. Instead, the bassist from Monokuro filled in for the night, making the set list very static. When chants erupted to play golden classic Swanky Street off of 1997's Please Mr. Lostman, all Yamanaka could do was smile and shake his finger as the interm bassist didn't know how to play the song. Having a band with such a large discography totaling over 200 songs, it'd be great to hear more variety, especially this being the band's 4th tour in the US. But with the situation the way it was, the pillows were still able to cater to the majority of the crowd, and put on a performance full of energy during their 12 song set.

the pillows eventually came back for a two song encore, leading off with as close to a ballad as you can get with the band, One Life. Manabe hit his parts perfectly and you could tell every single person's eyes were focused right on him as he drove into the lifting guitar solo, swaying from side to side as if in a trance. Yamanaka then announced the final song, one everyone knew was coming, Last Dinosaur, a song one can't help but jump around too. The entire floor seemed to begin shaking as the audience couldn't contain themselves to one spot on the dance floor. Yamanaka's vocals, though getting tired, were full of life, as Manabe went into his solo with a blistering pace; a perfect way to end the night.

All in all, the pillows put on exactly the kind of show their fans have become used to, full of energy, intensity, and spirit. Even with the band all in their 40's they show no sign of slowing down. Yamanaka addressed the crowd halfway through the set saying that even though the band was old, they were still young at heart, and will keep on making new music. This was of course greeted to a raucous applause. With 20 years and 16 studio albums under the belt, you'd think they would slow down, but this band never does, so all we can do is expect more great music from them in the future. Yamanaka expressed hope that they'd be back in the United States again someday. If and when that day comes, as the band isn't getting any younger unfortunately, it's a show that simply can't be put off. To see great music and one of the most lively performances from a band in any country, the pillows top the lists of must-see live bands.