For tickets and more details check out this Event Page. For more reasons why you shouldn’t miss this one time only event, click the jump.

12-Hour Special Concert and Open House

On Saturday April 9th the Japan Society will open it’s doors for a 12-Hour Concert and Open House benefiting organizations that directly help people affected by the earthquake and tsunamis that struck Japan. As a volunteer organizer, we hope you can join us for a day packed to the max with entertainment.  The $5.00 entrance fee will provide you with access to multiple open concerts, spanning traditional, classical, jazz and pop/indie rock.  Additionally, you’ll get access to special activities including origami and language workshops, language classes, storytelling and more.

For full details and a schedule of events please go to Japan Society’s Concert for Japan Event Page
$5, cash at door (Admission includes gallery admission, workshops, classes, and the 11 AM, 2:45 PM, 4:15 PM and 8 PM concerts. Does not include GALA BLOCKS)

More details about the artists, after the jump

Open Concert 8:00PM-11PM

Pop/Rock Special Concert

The 8-11pm concert block will feature an amazing lineup that includes bands: Echostream, Me&Mars, The Suzan, Hard Nips plus Salme from Tokyo.
No tickets are required for this concert, however it is first come first served, so get there early!

Japan Society Location:
333 East 47th Street New York, NY 10017
MAP

Video:

Echostream	The Suzan
Hard Nips	Me & Mars
Salme

Video:

Run, Salaryman, Run! A Retrospective of Sabu’s Film Works:

January 26-February 5, 2011, at Japan Society

Tickets are $12/$9 Japan Society members, students & seniors. Members can purchase the Sabu Series Discount Pass and receive passes to all 6 films for $40 (limit two passes per member). For trailers, tickets or more information, visit www.japansociety.org/film.

for more info. see the press release after the jump.

America’s First Major Retrospective of Japan’s Explosive Film Auteur Features 6 Films with 1 International Premiere

Run, Salaryman, Run! A Retrospective of Sabu’s Film Works

January 26-February 5, 2011, at Japan Society

** With Live Appearances by Sabu **

New York, NY – Born Hiroyuki Tanaka (1964), Sabu is the cult auteur of “punk n’ roll,” alternative comedies, often imitated, never equaled, and far too rarely shown in the U.S. since his 1996 feature debut, Non-Stop a.k.a DANGAN Runner .

Japan Society’s Film Program now breaks the barrier with America’s first major retrospective Run, Salaryman, Run! A Retrospective of SABU’s Film Works, featuring 6 of Sabu’s 11 feature films, (a twelfth is due in 2011) from January 26 through February 5.

In addition to Non-Stop a.k.a DANGAN Runner, Run, Salaryman, Run! includes Monday, Postman Blues, Postman Blues, Drive, The Blessing Bell, and the big screen International Premiere of Troubleman. Sabu makes live appearances to introduce Monday, Postman Blues, and Non-Stop, and take part in a Q&A following each of the three films.

Smart, fun and explosive, Sabu delivers the high speed, high style, hard luck, and quirky lusts and lunacies of post-Bubble Japan. In a world of hazards and happenstance, he zeroes in on blue and white collar everymen tossed into dangerously absurd situations from which they desperately try to run. Speeding along at breakneck pace, Sabu brings a fresh and frantic twist to traditional film genres (the yakuza film, the thriller, etc.), juicing their lean, clean-cropped premises with electroshock cinematic style and über edgy music scores.

“Sabu has drawn comparisons with Buster Keaton, Johnnie To and Doug Liman,” says Samuel Jamier, director of Japan Society’s Film Program. “His debut was definitely a precursor to Run Lola Run, and his innovative use of music could easily be described as Tarantino-esque. But his satirical jamborees, more than just friendly black comedies, are unlike anything else on the silver screen: they are stamina tests, survival riffs, and victory rolls. His work is the embodiment of the waning days of ‘Cool Japan’, and an important marker of the vibrancy and vitality of contemporary Japanese cinema.”

Tickets are $12/$9 Japan Society members, students & seniors. Members can purchase the Sabu Series Discount Pass and receive passes to all 6 films for $40 (limit two passes per member). For trailers, tickets or more information, visit www.japansociety.org/film.

Non-Stop a.k.a DANGAN Runner © 1996 Nikkatsu Corporation

The Anna Copa Cabanna Show: September 4th

Anna Copa Cabanna - The TRUTH - in a sequin leotard

Guitar Wolf US 2010 Mini Tour – this is Guitar Wolf’s first US appearance since 2005

Sep.23 NYC, NY Santos Party House
Sep.25 MEMPHIS, TN Gonerfest @ HI Tone Café
Sep.27 ATLANTA, GA Drunken Unicorn
Sep.29 AUSTIN, TX Mohawk
Oct.1 LAS VEGAS, NV Matador 21 @ The Pearl-Palms Concert Theatre
Oct.2 LAWRENCE, KS VICE/SCION Garage Fest @ The Bottleneck
Oct.4 SAN FRANCISCO, CA Bottom of the Hill

Guitar Wolf: UG / Bass Wolf II; Seiji / Guitar Wolf; Toru / Drum Wolf

Shonen Knife: 2010 US Tour: the girls of SK are back in the US again to promote their new album Free Time

09.08.10 Wed Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern

09.09.10 Thu Vancouver, B.C. @ Biltmore Cabaret w/ Jeff The Brotherhood

09.10.10 Fri Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios

09.11.10 Sat Oakland, CA @ Uptown Night Club

09.12.10 Sun San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill

09.13.10 Mon San Diego, CA @ Casbah

09.14.10 Tue Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland

09.17.10 Fri Austin, TX @ Red 7

09.18.10 Sat Dallas, TX @ The Loft w/ Lovies

09.19.10 Sun Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar w/ Grass Widow

09.20.10 Mon Northfield, MN @ The Cave

09.21.10 Tue Chicago, IL @ Schubas

09.22.10 Wed Kalamazoo, MI @ The Strutt w/ Grass Widow

09.23.10 Thu Cincinnati, OH @ Midpoint Music Festival

09.24.10 Fri Pittsburgh, PA @ 31st St. Pub

09.25.10 Sat New York, NY @ Asia Society Museum

09.26.10 Sun Washington, D.C. @ Rock and Roll Hotel w/ Grass Widow

09.28.10 Tue Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory (Brooklyn)

09.30.10 Thu Montreal, QB @ Cabaret du Mile End

10.01.10 Fri Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern

10.02.10 Sat Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place

Shonen Knife

Click the jump below for the full press release.

Puffy AmiYumi	Zazen Boys
Boom Boom Satellites	Echostream

BOOM BOOM SATELLITES, ZAZEN BOYS,AND ECHOSTREAM TO PERFOM AT FAR EAST TO EAST SHOWCASE AT NYAF

Bands Join Puffy AmiYumi For Concert In NYC’s Irving Plaza

Norwalk, CT, August X, 2010: The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) today announced bands Boom Boom Satellites, Zazen Boys, and Echostream will come together with previously-announced musical guest Puffy AmiYumi for a concert at the Far East To East Showcase (FETES) on Sunday, October 10, 2010. FETES is produced by Superglorious, a live event production firm responsible for orchestrating events with a very eclectic and exciting mix of artists. The New York Anime Festival, an anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture convention, will take place October 8-10, 2010 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Manhattan. It is created by and co-located with the New York Comic Con. Boom Boom Satellites, Zazen Boys, Echostream, and Puffy AmiYumi will all appearing at NYAF for speaking sessions and autograph signings prior to their show. NYAF has additionally announced seiyuu and singer Minori Chihara and Japanese rock band VAMPS will also appear as guests, and comics legends Stan Lee, John Romita, Sr., and John Romita, Jr. will headline the New York Comic Con.

Presented in Irving Plaza (East 15th Street, New York, NY) for the first time, FETES is proud to take place in this historic venue, and will be presenting a roster of performers fully befitting the concert hall.

“FETES 2010 is a one-night-only, once-in-a-lifetime lineup,” FETES Manager Hayden Brereton said. “With FETES going into its third year, we’re pulling out all the stops to produce an event that offers a very diverse selection of top artists. Fans of pop, electronic, rock, alternative or just great live music will fall in love with the Far East to East Showcase this year!”

“Created as a night of music that brings together musical artists from both America and Japan, focusing on the borderlessness of song, and creating an evening appealing to anime fans, audiophiles, and casual New Yorkers interested in something new, FETES has been a unique attraction at the New York Anime Festival since 2008,” NYAF and NYCC Show Manager Lance Fensterman said. “And we could not be more humbled and thrilled looking out at the artists who’ll be taking the stage this year!”

Boom Boom Satellites, Zazen Boys, Echostream, and Puffy AmiYmi will all be appearing at the New York Anime Festival and New York Comic Con throughout the weekend for panel discussions and autograph signings before taking the stage on Sunday night at Irving Plaza. Tickets to FETES are $22 in advance and are separate from NYAF and NYCC admission. FETES tickets can be purchased now at www.superglorious.com or www.livenation.com.

Tickets for NYAF or NYCC may be purchased at www.nyanimefestival.com or www.nycomiccon.com. Other information about the shows, as well as news about the Reed Pop Culture Group, which also organizes Star Wars Celebration, is available at Lance Fensterman’s blog, www.mediumatlarge.net.

ABOUT BOOM BOOM SATELLITES:

Electronic/Rock unit Boom Boom Satellites — bassist/programmer Masayuki Nakano and guitarist/vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima — first broke in Europe in 1997. Absorbing both electronic and rock elements, they created a completely new and unknown sound, which not only established them as an exciting new band, but also boosted their profile as one of the most distinguished music producers in Japan. Their first single, 4 A Moment of Silence, was released in Europe in 1997 and triggered rave reviews from such definitive European music magazines as Melody Maker, who compared their debut impact to those of the Chemical Brothers’ and Prodigy’s. In 1998 the band embarked on a 3 month US tour with Moby, and shortly after they began receiving — and still keep receiving — requests for remix work from various artists such as Garbage, Josh Wink, and many more, which proved that their sound could be acclaimed and accepted internationally. When Oliver Stone and Luc Besson chose a band’s track to use in the film Yamakashi, it reinforced interest in their music from industries out side of the music business. In 2004 the band continued their film work by producing the soundtrack album to the animated film Appleseed. Boom Boom Satellites contributed four new songs, including the movie’s main theme, Dive For You, to the soundtrack, which also included music from Paul Oakenfold, Basement Jaxx, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. In 2007, their 6th album EXPOSED was released. Japanese lead track Easy Action was featured in 3D live action anime film, Vexille (directed by Fumihiko Sori), and was included in the soundtrack which also features Asian Dub Foundation, Underworld, and The Prodigy. EXPOSED was produced in an attempt to find the answer for the band to the long-standing question from the industry that tends to appreciate genre specific music, namely, Rock vs. Dance. In this album they have reached an answer — Rock AND Dance, both can exist at the same time and same place. Hence the new follow-up greatest hits album, OVER AND OVER. Coming in September 14, 2010 from SonyMusic Independent Network, this album is thoroughly re-mastered and re-mixed by the members themselves, and allows the listeners to appreciate it as a completely new album rather as a simple compilation of pre-existing tracks.

<Boom Boom Satellites official homepage>

www.bbs-net.com

www.myspace.com/boomboomsatellites

www.facebook.com/boomboomsatellites

ABOUT ZAZEN BOYS:

Zazen Boys are Mukai Shutoku / Vocal,Guitar.Synth , Matsusita Atsushi / Drums , Yoshida Ichiro / Bass , Yoshikane Sou / Guitar

Zazen Boys were formed in 2003 by Mukai Shutoku,former leader of Japanese rock band Number Girl. In a word, Zazen Boys aspire to be `Led Zeppelin in kimono`. Their eclectic style is complex but raw, ranging from funk in irregular time, to Captain Beefheart combined with Minyo (traditional Japanese folk songs),to angular guitar-driven punk-ballads. Mukai`s lyrics are in Japanese, and the unique worldview that they express are based around two key concepts:`shogyou-mujo` and `seiteki-shodo`, meaning roughly `the transience of this world`and `sexual impulse`. To date, Zazen Boys have released 4 albums and 2 singles, all through their own label Matsuri Studio. Their latest album `Zazen Boys 4` was produced by Dave Fridmann (49th Grammy Winner for Best Recording Engineer),It opens with `Asobi`, a dark and brooding number performed entirely on drum machine and synthesizer, reminiscent of early deep house, and then on to `Honnoji`, a raging 16 beat-psyche-funk rock tune, and so on. Zazen Boys` awesome live shows reach almost 100 per year, and their music continues to stir hearts all over Japan and beyond.  (www.mukaishutoku.com)

ABOUT ECHOSTREAM:

Echostream’s music draws the audience into a singular world, where haunting melodies swirl over grooving beats and unique instrumentation. Drawing on classical sensibility, the music includes techniques and arrangements normally only found in stuffy concerts populated by grey-haired old ladies. Here, those same instruments are let loose like beasts released to roam the wilds in search of adventures. Pianos, French Horns, Mandolins, Theremins, and of course the standard rock fare — drums, bass, guitars — abound, blending and accentuating one another to create a sound that is just as at home in a movie, on TV, or in a game, as it is on a festival stage. Echostream is not a new band, although you may only now be discovering them. Over a history of five years, two self-released albums, multiple licenses for TV and compilations both domestic and abroad, and many large-venue performances, the band has honed its sound and skills to an exceptional level.  (www.myspace.com/echostream)

ABOUT PUFFY AMIYUMI:

Puffy AmiYumi, composed of singers Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura, debuted in 1996 with the million selling single Asia No Junshin. Since then, their music has made them household names in Japan, leading to numerous hit songs, commercial appearances, and even their own television show. In 2000, Puffy AmiYumi began releasing albums and touring in the US. In 2004, Cartoon Network created an original cartoon, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, which became one of the most watched cartoons in the world — havin g been broadcast in 110 different countries. In 2006, Puffy AmiYumi were appointed the Goodwill Ambassadors of the Visit Japan Campaign for the US. In 2009, Puffy AmiYumi performed in Europe for the first time in front of 5,000+ people in Paris’s Japan Expo. In the same year, they sang the theme song to the Naruto film Naruto Shippuden 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire. Their latest album, Bring it!, includes All Because Of You and I Don’t Wanna written by Avril Lavigne and her producer Butch Walker, Hiyori Hime written by the Japanese female rock icon Sheena Ringo, the theme song to the new Genji anime series, and other songs written by numerous stellar song writers. In September 2010, PuffyAmi Yumi will perform in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In the following month, they’ll be coming to NYC. (www.puffyamiyumi.com)

ABOUT SUPERGLORIOUS:

Superglorious is a music event production company that specializes in creating unique live music presentations. With a special emphasis on distinctive sounds, engaging performance, and high production values, Superglorious unifies a diverse collective of artists to create soundscapes that are meant to entertain and inspire. The firm’s strong understanding of the local music industry and global approach to art has allowed artists from across America, the Far East, and Europe to boost and extend their connections to audiences across New York City. Utilizing a holistic approach to its projects, Superglorious offers a wide range of expertise that includes artist and equipment coordination, online and street marketing, print design and artist booking. Its constant pursuit of excellence offers challenging and exciting opportunities for both artists and music lovers. (www.superglorious.com)

ABOUT THE NEW YORK ANIME FESTIVAL:

The New York Anime Festival takes place at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan and is organized by Reed Exhibitions, the creators of New York Comic Con.  The New York Anime Festival showcases the best of anime pop culture, including the latest anime, manga, Japanese cinema, music, and games, and anime-influenced comics, animation, and films from around the world. The festival features exclusive and extensive screenings, a gala cosplay masquerade, sessions with the some of the biggest names in anime from Japan, Asia, and America, and explores the Japanese cultural experience with displays of both traditional and cutting-edge Japanese life. (www.newyorkanimefestival.com)

ABOUT NEW YORK COMIC CON:

New York Comic Con is the East Coast’s biggest and most exciting popular culture convention. Our show floor plays host to the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television.  Our panels and autograph sessions give fans a chance to interact with their favorite creators.  Our screening rooms feature sneak peeks at films and television shows months before they hit either big or small screens.  And with dedicated professional hours, New York Comic Con is a market place, bringing together the major players in the entertainment industry.  New York Comic Con is the second largest pop culture convention in America and the only one that takes place in the comic book, publishing, media, and licensing capital of the world — Gotham City.  (www.newyorkcomiccon.com)

ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP:

The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF).  New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events.  In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain’s New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC.  C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched UFC Fan Expo in partnership with the UFC – the world’s leading professional mixed martial arts organization – and it formed a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.

Behold the Drumssette, it is the brain child of Mike Walters of Mystery Circuits and FanTan.   It’s a programmable drum machine that consists of a Tascam 4 track cassette recorder, sequencer, casing from a PH meter, ingenuity and a lot of patience.  There isn’t much more to say except that it’s an awesome example of using stuff that is readily available to create something cool.  Hopefully, Mike will be able to break it out during a live show.  You can check out a video clip of the funky device below and you can find out more about the makings of the Drumssette and hear samples via Mike’s website: Mystery Circuits.

Me You Us Them:  Post Data

Last year Me You Us Them opened for Boom Boom Satellites at Santos Party House and floored everyone with their lush wall of sound. Post Data is their latest release  and it paints a beautiful sonic picture. Whatever they were drinking while recording these songs we’ll take a couple cases please.  Click the pretty album cover to cop the album

Me You Us Them - Post Data

Exit Clov: Memento Mori

Another Superglorious event alumni, the Clov played for our 2009 Northside Showcase.  Released this year, Memento Mori is chock full of calories, sucrose,saturated fats, intrigue and high speed chases. In other words stop reading this and get it.

Exit Clov - Memento Mori

Galaxy of Tar: Pneuma

A new band on the SG radar, Galaxy of Tar is a band to look out for.  Catch them this weekend at the AfroPunk Festival.  I the meantime you can download Pneuma and get elevated to happy place.

Galaxy of Tar - Pneuma