Golden Age of Rock
Seize the moment—Japan’s music festival boom may be peaking right now

Since the Fuji Rock Festival launched in 1997, spawning a wave of major outdoors music events, Japan has become something of a paradise for music fans. Each weekend in summer seems to bring something bigger and better, with Fuji, Summer Sonic and Rock In Japan outdoing themselves to draw crowds of over 100,000.

But Japan’s coming population crunch could throw one seriously large spanner into the works. The number of 20-year-olds—the heart of the festival-going demographic—hit a record low of 1.43 million in 2005, representing little more than one percent of the population. By 2015, this number is expected to drop to under 1.2 million.

Consider the possible effects. When Fuji Rock started, there were roughly 2 million 20-year-olds. As attendance figures have climbed above 100,000 for Fuji and the other festivals, they have attracted a larger and larger chunk of a declining youth population. But how long can this continue? It’s likely that festivals are attracting as large a percentage of the youth population as they ever will, and when that population plummets, festival crowds may evaporate along with them. The profusion of festivals, and expansion in the numbers of performers and stages at each event of the last decade, may go into reverse.

In a rapidly aging population whose total is projected to drop from the current 130 million to under 90 million by 2055, one solution is to market festivals to the still sizable numbers of baby boomers. But the disaster of last year’s Udo Music Festival, which saw boomer megabands like Santana and Kiss perform to embarrassingly thin crowds, raises a major question mark over whether aging audiences are willing to make long treks out of town to endure the hardships and mud that outdoor festivals entail.

Sprawling events like Summer Sonic, with million-selling acts performing on multiple stages, also require huge investments to attract top-draw talent. If the crowds diminish, it’s fair to suppose that festivals may have to scale down both in terms of the star power and number of acts. Add to the population problem the rising costs of jetting all those bands in from far-flung corners of the world, and what you have is a somber bottom line issue.

Japan may be enjoying its Golden Age of Rock right now. As they say in the home country: Get while the gettin’s good!


mountain mayhem
Fuji Rock Festival

The Cure

Courtesy of Smash

The reigning eminence of Japanese music events, promoter Smash’s Fuji Rock Festival enters its eleventh year as the country’s marquee rock event, now firmly ensconced at the Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture.

The cancellation midway through the first FRF on the slopes of Mt. Fuji is now part of Japanese rock lore, but despite the torrents of rain that inevitably drench Naeba, the festival is a well-oiled machine.

Looking a bit uncomfortable in eyeliner at well past 40, Robert Smith’s reformed ’80s sensitive guys The Cure will be headlining the largest Green Stage on Friday, while Saturday’s bill is topped by the evergreen, ever-nasty Beastie Boys, who have just released instrumental album The Mix Up, and Sunday’s by English psychedelic techno duo the Chemical Brothers, who also have a new release out in the form of We Are The Night.

Often at Fuji Rock, the most captivating sets can be found at the smaller stages, such as the far-flung Orange Court, the Rookie A-Go-Go stage (for newcomers), or even the tiny makeshift stages on the pathways.

A few of the other bands to watch for aside from the headliners include Brooklyn’s engaging bohemians Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, angular Portland-based The Shins, irrepressibly “potty-mouthed” British starlet Lilly Allen, and Swedish mood rockers Peter Bjorn and John.

The best of the Japanese music scene is represented among others by the reedy-voiced Kenichi Asai, dynamic sampling duo Hifana, and ska punk outfit Kemuri, who readers of these pages will know are bowing out this year.

James Brown-influenced funk outfit Osaka Monaurail will be performing a special set with Brown’s 1960s diva Marva Whitney, while the Dub Ainu Band will be casting their Hokkaido spell with the Ainu instrument tonkori set to deep dub beats. The indescribable Seikatsu Circus, a band that when I’ve seen them seems to include a number of developmentally challenged musicians, singers and performers, will stage what is likely to be the most unrestrainedly unusual set of the festival.

Full-body Gore-tex, space blankets and portable ashtrays recommended.

When: July 27-29 Where: Naeba Ski Resort, Niigata Prefecture Tix: ¥16,800 (one day), ¥39,800 (three days) Tel: 0180-993-998 Web: http://fujirockfestival.com Fan site: www.fujirockers.org


urban vibes
Summer Sonic

Gwen Stefani

Courtesy of Creativeman

Naoki Shimizu, the founder of promoter Creativeman, is setting his sights on a record total audience of 200,000 for this year’s eighth Summer Sonic. Japan’s equivalent of England’s urban Reading Festival, Summer Sonic takes place simultaneously over one weekend in Tokyo and Osaka, with bands traveling between the two cities in a complex logistical exercise.

With tours under his belt by bands like Radiohead and having observed the viability of Fuji Rock, Shimizu held the first Summer Sonic in 2000. Rather than FRF’s mountainside approach, the idea was to do something more accessible from town for a younger demographic with less disposable income.
Summer Sonic occupies Chiba Marine Stadium and the nearby Makuhari Messe convention center, allowing festivalgoers to trek between the two main venues (buses are available for the weary).
A recent expansion to the shoreline with a new beach stage has brought a welcome breath of (erm) fresh air to the proceedings.

This year’s SS welcomes back English youth rock phenomenon Arctic Monkeys as certified superstars. Last year’s set inside Makuhari was rammed; this year they’ve been booked as headliners for the outdoor Chiba Marine Stadium.

The rest of the bill indicates Summer Sonic’s ever-clearer focus on the youth market. The overseas chart-toppers are represented by hip-hop group the Black Eyed Peas, punk princess Avril Lavigne, Kasabian, pop chameleon Gwen Stefani and of course the Arctic Monkeys.

Domestic artists include casual hip-hop supergroup Teriyaki Boyz, melocore boys Ellegarden and belter AI, while a set pitting eccentric jazz singer Akiko Yano against eccentric electronica wunderkind Rei Harakami promises to be the most, ah, eccentric.

When: Aug 11-12 Where: Chiba Marine Stadium and Makuhari Messe Tix: ¥15,000 (one day), ¥27,500 (two days) Tel: 0180-993-030 Web: www.summersonic.com


world music pilgrimage
Earth Celebration

Kodo

Courtesy of Kodo

Two decades since founder Toshio Kawauchi launched a festival to “create channels for world culture to flow in new directions,” acclaimed taiko percussion ensemble Kodo’s Earth Celebration is a sacred pilgrimage for world music fans everywhere.

A three-day festival hosted by Kodo at its base on distant Sado Island in the Japan Sea, the Earth Celebration combines earthshaking beats, instructional workshops, flea markets and
a freewheeling spirit amid a lazy island atmosphere.

Since 1981, the devoted members of Kodo have been spreading their gospel of global unity across the earth through tireless touring and through the EC. The grand finale each year sees the guests joining Kodo onstage for a collaborative performance, with always-unpredictable results.

This year’s 20th-anniversary EC is a special edition, with a number of favorite guests from previous events invited to return. Among them is New York City tap collective Tamango’s Urban Tap. Founded by French Guianese dancer Tamango, the group blends tap with Brazilian capoeira and hip-hop, as well as percussion, wind instruments and vocals.

Also to appear are veteran Indian tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain and Puerto Rican percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo along with domestic guests jazz pianist Yosuke Yamashita, Okinawan dance group Ryukyu Geino-dan, and others. But the real star of the festival is the massive o-daiko, played with steely discipline and brio by the members of Kodo themselves. Earth Celebration is also unique in being the only festival with a participatory element: attendees are invited to take part in a range of workshops in everything from noh theater to hula dance.

When: Aug 17-19 Where: Ogi Town, Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture Tix: Prices vary for individual events Tel: 0259-81-4100 Web: www.kodo.or.jp


homegrown
Rock In Japan

Guitar Wolf

Courtesy of Sony Ki/oon

First floated in 2000 as J-pop’s answer to Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic, Rock In Japan reportedly outdraws its international rivals, making it Japan’s largest single-location rock festival. If the aforementioned population crunch unfolds, this trend may continue, with much lower artist fees and transportation costs allowing the promoters to maintain the scale of RIJ. Produced by Rockin’ On Inc., publisher of the eponymous magazine, Rock In Japan spans three days at a seaside location in Ibaraki Prefecture with a lineup that takes in everything from hip-hop to punk to indie-rock.

Day one features noise trio Guitar Wolf and the delicately discordant Zazen Boys; day two’s bill is topped by melocore quartet Asian Kung Fu Generation (“Ajikan” to its faithful) and R&B divas Bennie K; day three sees sets from Oreska Band, a determined group of girls in high school uniforms who play surprisingly proficient ska, and earthy jam band Overground Acoustic Underground.

When: Aug 3-5 Where: Kokuei Hitachi Kaihin Koen, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture Tix: ¥10,500 (one day), ¥27,000 (three days) Tel: 0180-993-611 Web: www.rijfes.co.jp


keep the flame alive
Japan Blues & Soul Carnival

Koko Taylor

Courtesy of M&I Company

Renaming his long-running Japan Blues Carnival the Japan Blues & Soul Carnival last year, M&I Company’s Kazuya Kitamura launched Japan’s premier American roots music festival more than two decades ago.

“Queen of the blues,” 78-year-old Koko Taylor headlines this year’s carnival at the centrally located, outdoor Hibiya Yagai Ongakudo amphitheater. Born in Shelby, Tennessee, in 1935, Taylor made the traditional trek north to Chicago, where she was signed to famed blues imprint Chess in 1965. Known for untamed vocals and a commanding presence, she continues to perform 100 concerts
a year and has recently released the aptly titled new album Old School on Alligator Records, distributed in Japan by P-Vine.

Also on the bill is fellow Chicagoan, blues guitarist Lurrie Bell. The son of famed harmonica player Carey Bell, Lurrie recently returned from years of drug addiction and mental illness to take his rightful place alongside Chicago’s leading axemen. The pair’s difficult father-son relationship has been documented in the film Mercurial Son: The Blues of Lurrie Bell.

When: July 22 Where: Hibiya Yagai Ongakudo Tix: ¥7,000
Tel: 03-5453-8899 Web: www.mandicompany.co.jp


electronic all-nighter
Metamorphose

Mad Professor

Courtesy of Metamorphose

Outdoor electronic music festivals in Japan were once the sole preserve of dayglo tribes dropping acid and getting out of it to trance music. Techno babe Mayuri Akama sought to do something about that in 2000, and the result was Metamorphose, which takes in plenty of techno (no trance thanks), but also runs to progressive rock and experimental music.

This year’s eighth edition in the hot-springs town of Shuzenji features top-drawer techno talent in the form of Canadian minimalist Richie Hawtin and onetime Underworld member Darren Emerson.
Giving the lineup a broader perspective will be performances by UK dub genius Mad Professor, West Coast indie-electronica-rock combo Tristeza, Japanese psychedelic jam project Rovo featuring possessed violinist Yuji Katsui, and jazz/house keyboard phenom Ryota Nozaki, aka Jazztronik.

When: Aug 25-26 Where: Cycle Sports Center, Izu City, Shizuoka Prefecture Tix: ¥10,500 Tel: 03-5436-9600 Web: www.metamo.info


hep cats
Tokyo Jazz

Duke Ellington Orchestra

In 2002 public broadcaster NHK called on the legendary Herbie Hancock to take the reigns of Tokyo Jazz, giving him the difficult mission of finding a future for jazz while maintaining its traditions. Hancock is no longer at the helm, but Tokyo Jazz has proved the viability of holding a large jazz event in Tokyo, now comfortably settled at the stylish Tokyo International Forum after experimenting with venues ranging from stadiums to convention centers.

Tokyo Jazz 2007 is divided creatively into different themes, satisfying diverse tastes on different days. The event kicks off with a “Big Band & Standard Night” featuring the venerable Duke Ellington Orchestra, now led by Paul Mercer Ellington. Entitled “Tokyo Jazz Party Express,” day two is headlined by svelte Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer.

Day three takes place on a Saturday and features two programs. “Tokyo Jazz 2007 meets Blue Note Tokyo” is an all-day session that will see sets by reedman Bob James and storied fusion guitarist Lee Ritenour. “Master’s Session” takes place in the evening and will feature an appearance by guitarist and veteran of Miles Davis’ band, Mike Stern among others.

Day four brings Tokyo Jazz to a conclusion with “Tokyo Jazz Sunset Party,” which will include another set by the Mike Stern Band as well as outings by domestic acts Dimension and T-Square.

When: Sep 20-23 Where: Tokyo International Forum, Hall A Tix: ¥6,500-¥16,000 Tel: 03-5777-8600 Web: www.tokyo-jazz.com


culture vulture
Tokyo Summer Festival

Bi Kidude

Courtesy of Arion-Edo Foundation

Created in 1985 by pianist and heiress Kyoko Edo, composer Maki Ishii and musicologist Takashi Funayama, the Tokyo Summer Festival is a sprawling monthlong event that takes its cue from a different theme each year.

This year’s topic is “Toward the Islands—Sounds across the Sea,” and looks at island music the world over, including that of Japan’s. “Since ancient times, islands have been the passage route for traders, explorers and travelers” says Edo. “This year’s 23rd Tokyo Summer Festival is rowing through time and space to portray the musical mosaic of various islands from around the globe.”

Among the islands whose music is represented is Iceland, in the form of an appearance by avant-garde composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. A writer of elegant music for film, theater and contemporary dance, Jóhannsson will be presenting a sound and light display along with percussionist/programmer Matthias Hemstock at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation.

The fertile musical traditions of the Caribbean are represented by Haiti and Cuba. Haitian music-and-dance group La Troupe Makandal will perform the complex ritual rhythms, dance and song of the Vodou religion, while Cuban musician Vicente Feliú and a five-member group will present the progressive folk style known as Nueva Trova.

Also represented is the east African island of Zanzibar, now part of the country of Tanzania. In perhaps the most significant concert of the Tokyo Summer Festival program, 95-year-old Taarab queen Bi Kidude will perform in Shibuya. Taarab music derives from a fusion of Arab instruments with east African Swahili language traditions, and is characterized by complex polyrhythms and interweaving melody and vocal lines. Kidude will be accompanied by the 15-member Culture Musical Club of Zanzibar.

The unusual religious rituals and folk performances of Japan’s Aogashima Island in the Izu chain (part of Tokyo Prefecture) will be on display in two concerts. The southernmost island of the Izu archipelago, Aogashima’s 200 inhabitants practice a unique faith that centers on the Yomiage Matsuri, in which celebrants chant and dance from dawn till dusk, often entering into a trance state.

Another pair of concerts will look at the cross-cultural Nanyo Odori dance of the even more southerly Ogasawara Islands, which were influenced by Japan and nearby Micronesia. At the same concerts, performers from Palau will demonstrate the Micronesian marching music and dance form known as Matmatong.

When: July 5-Aug 6 Where: Various venues Tix: Prices vary according to event Tel: 03-5465-1233 Web: www.arion-edo.org/tsf

Honorable mentions

Electronic music fests Solstice Music Festival on July 14-15, Wire on Sep 1 and The Gathering later in September all draw crowds of ravers in the thousands. J-pop festivals continue to proliferate: A-nation on Aug 25-26 brings out Avex stars like Ayumi Hamasaki and Kumi Koda; Slow Music Slow Live at the Ikegami Honmonji temple in Tokyo the same weekend is a mellow affair; and music channel Space Shower TV takes a stab at its own festival
at Lake Yamanaka near Mt. Fuji Sep 1-2.

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