ARTICLE BY CHERYL CHENG
PHOTOS BY DREW REYNOLDS
OCT. 31 | ECHO PARK—Tonight was Halloween, and after the trick-or-treating festivities, the costumed hipsters descended upon the Echo to see New Yorkers Asobi Seksu, whose last Los Angeles shows were in 2006. It has been a bit of a wait, but the band made up for that absence by performing a blistering set of songs both old and new. The featured new songs were introduced by singer Yuki Chikudate as tracks from forthcoming album Hush, due sometime in February. Among the Michael Jackson and Forrest Gump clones, clearly Asobi Seksu fans, the crowd responded to the performance with much enthusiasm.
Though self-described as psychedelic, trance and pop, Asobi Seksu also knows how to rock, pure and simple. With the crashing drums and heavy guitars, Yuki’s light, sweet voice manages to be heard above it all, maintaining its airiness and femininity. Her vocals can sound subdued yet are powerful in their effect. Thankfully, the Echo sound team kept her mic sufficiently loud, but the same was not so when it was guitarist James Hanna’s turn to sing, as he was often drowned out by the sound.
Upon performing new single “Me and Mary,” which can be streamed now on the Asobi Seksu MySpace, the band offers dreamy pop music that descends into distorted reverb. The tonal changes demonstrate how Asobi Seksu maintains interest, as musical direction is never assured. Likewise, older song “Strawberries” has a catchy pop intro that erupts into massive guitar and drums, then shifts again toward the end to Yuki simply harmonizing with la las, preceding yet another build-up of sound.
In contrast to openers Love Grenades, three of whom wore revealing wedding dresses and danced in coordinated movements, Asobi Seksu was for the most part blanketed in darkness. Lights did pulsate and flood the stage during the especially loud, psychedelic bits, as Yuki threw her body and head along to the music, but these moments were intermittent. Though they weren’t dressed up for Halloween, “we’re celebrating with you in spirit,” Yuki explained. Besides profuse thank yous, the band kept its focus on the music, and the lack of onstage visuals kept the audience’s focus there as well.
Tonight was surely a performance for Asobi Seksu fans as well as shoegazer enthusiasts, but for those who had arrived to the Echo early for Club Underground, it seemed they were somewhat disengaged. This could explain the band’s relatively short set and one-song encore of “I’m Happy But You Don’t Like Me.” Regardless, Asobi Seksu is embarking on a two-month U.K. tour, and Los Angeles should expect an upcoming Hush U.S. tour next year.
For more photos of the show, view the Scenestar photo gallery.
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