Dark Ones: Yura Yura Teikoku Bring on the Night
Placing Japanese psych-rock unit, Yura Yura Teikoku at the Field of Heaven felt like a mismatch, especially since their last appearance two years ago at the more indie-informed White Stage seemed like better fit. But the Tokyo-based trio proved the space doesn’t matter as much as the crowd and volume.
They had plenty of both. The Field of Heaven, was the most crowded I’ve seen it this year, with a throbbing throng center stage who seemed to know every bridge and chorus. Girls squealed even when they stopped for a sip of water. Bassist, Kamekawa Chio laid down chest-shuddering sound at a frequency so loud and low it could beach a whale in the sea just north of us. Kamekawa’s feathery knee-length locks quivered to the thud.
At the center, vocalist, Sakamoto Shintaro, twisted and twitched as his feet stomped effects pedals. Shards of feedback shot through the crowd, resonating in the clouds that hovered precariously close above the stage. As dusk fell, there was no small talk of banter from the band − just one soaring chord progression after another. The crowd grew even larger all the way, so maybe a return to White Stage is in the works?
