REVIEW: Otoboke Beaver @ Union Transfer

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WRITTEN BY: Henry Reising

PHOTO BY: Mayumi Hirata

Punk is not just a genre.

It is a universal feeling inside every person. 

A feeling to scream out against normality and society to make a better world. A feeling that can transcend borders and languages just through raw emotions. No other genre of music besides Punk is able to do this. The Otoboke Beaver show at Union Transfer on March 23rd proved this like no other. Not only did the main event prove the overwhelming intensity of music, but so did the opening acts.

The concert begins with Philadelphia based band Party Nerves, a three piece psychedelic surf rock band, and a perfect calming opener to what would be a chaotic night. Bursting out on stage with “This May Be Gordon’s Greatest Challenge Yet” they keep on plowing through song after song with light breaks while retaining the same heart and soul that they began with. Transitioning from “Going to Hell on a Technicality” into “Hearse Donuts”, Party Nerves is the perfect band to hit your Dick Dale needs. And that was not the end of the night just yet.

Jumping from Philadelphia to South Korea, the crowd experiences Drinking Boys and Girls Choir. It is worth noting that throughout all shows of Rock and Punk alike, there has never truly been an audience like the one this night. People from all walks of life, including those who were experienced punks, and those who are new to the genre all in attendance. There are young kids walking around with their parents, friend groups from high school, college, and beyond enjoying their evening. There is a mix of ethnicities and races like you have never seen before at any church basement or NYC club shows. This is the power of not just Punk but the primal emotions that the bands using it bring out to draw a crowd this diverse, along with the city it resonates the most with, Philadelphia. Madness reigns when DBGC enters the proscenium.

With the roar of guitarist Megan Nisbet’s distorted wha-wha licks and souls, the band crash lands into “I’m a Fucking McDonalds”. Almost immediately, like a premeditated act, the audience begins to mash. But unlike Punk bands in America, Punk bands in countries like Korea do not only rely on screaming and wild movements (though their performance includes much of that), they utilize three part vocal harmonies (sometimes acapella), and use of obscure chords to find beauty within the dissonance. Most importantly, clear hookie vocals are used so the message can be heard through and through. Not to be mistaken for any plain old Pop-Punk, DBGC is something completely different that cannot be described in words. DBGC takes a “Red Shift” into “There Is No Spring” off of their sophomore album Marriage License (named after the process it takes for LGBTQ people within Korea to be recognized as a couple). After “There Is No Spring,” the show completely shifts with bass player/lead vocalist Meena Bea coming fully alive. Each song after that she gets more and more wild. She starts off simple by jumping up and down frantically throughout “There Is Not Spring”, kissing her guitarist in “Secret Revenge”, finally flailing on the floor, almost running off the stage a couple of times throughout “Hit the Corner”, “Adventure Time”, and “She’s Sitting in the Blue Chair”. The audience keeps on moshing while Megan Nisbet hits solo after solo with the expertise of a seasoned Hendrix. You have never been to a mosh pit so wild that the dancers even tackle each other over three part acapella in “History”. Even though all the songs are in Korean, the feeling coming from the band, almost through osmosis, affects the diverse crowd into a frenzy. But then, things die down. The audience waits patiently, with anticipation of what might come next. What does come is “Linda Linda”. Originally by the legendary Japanese Punk band, The Blue Heart, DBGC pulls the rug right under the crowd by bringing in their own reckless and wild version of a classic. The audience starts to riot, the pit grows so big that every corner of the venue becomes a can of sardines. The song becomes thrash and neck breaking thanks to drummer, Myeong-jin Kim’s, fast pace, heavy hitting drumming style adding blast beats to what was originally a tamed song (Punk wise). The blast beats do not stop just at “Linda-Linda”, they continue all the way to their final song “KEEEEEEEP DRINKING!!!!!”. Bassist, Meena, finally breaks the barrier between audience and stage to run to the middle of the pit, still playing, to tackle members of the crowd.

When all was said and done, DBCG was just a teaser for the insanity that Otoboke Beavers would bring next.

Describing Otoboke Beaver as just a Japanese Punk band is a sin unto itself. They do hold Punk ideals but their music is more than that. They use Punk, Hardcore, Metal, Funk, J-Pop, Riot grrrl, classical (western and Japanese), avant-garde, nursery rhythms, Rap Rock, children’s tunes, and more; all in a two minute song. It is clean and natural in how it flows together. There has never been a band like them, and probably never will there be a group as creative and musically nuts as Otoboke Beavers.

In just the first three songs, you can tell the concert would be an all out smack down from the drum line to the rap vocal (from guitarist and backing singer Yoyoyoshie) in “Yakitori”.

The crowd, now overflowing to the venue’s capacity, tries to make room for the ever growing pit until the venue itself becomes the pit. There is no room, to survive the show you have to mosh or be moshed, that’s the type of band Otoboke Beaver is, and the spectators are in full agreement. The next three songs do not let down the same momentum. They start with driving through “Akimahenka”, “Don’t light my fire”, and “Bad luck”, as the guitar senselessly whales through the chords and the bassist (Hirochan) clearly and steadily strums like a jazz master. When you look behind the drummer (Kahokiss) keeping perfect time with the changing tempos going from 93 to 176 down to 55 and back at 104 beats per minute along with making way for the start and stop nature found in their songs, leading them all with her dominant presence was lead singer Accorinrin, one foot on the monitor, a hand behind her back, microphone placed parallel to her mouth letting you know to “pipe down, this is our show.” 

Throughout the concert the crowd receives expert banter from guitarist Yoyoyoshie and even though her English is secondary, the feelings coming from her words are clear for all to see. From her stories of how she lives on Philadelphia Cream Cheese during the American Tour, and her audience participation karaoke session of “We Are the Champions” by Queen, it leads to a perfect segway into their new album Super Champon. There is cutting conversations between her and Accorinrin, who is recovering from a Philadelphia Cheesesteak incident. The banter is on point and entertaining to watch as they rushed into “I won’t dish out salads”, “Leave me alone! No, Stay with me!” and “I don’t want to die alone”. 

Otoboke Beaver, to say the least, is one of the most inspirational bands not to have just come out of Japan, in recent times, but to come out to the world. There has been no other band who can imitate the lost franticness of “PARDON?”; the cold cutting cutesy sarcasm in “I am not maternal”; and especially the pure rage within “I checked your cellphone”. All songs sung in Japanese with little English thrown in, but enough expression to let the feeling come through. Another reason why Otoboke Beaver are so unique is their embrace of silence. Before they begin a song, they like the venue to be completely silent as each member strikes a pose (like in Kabuki theater fashion). They convey a mood without having to say words or actions, finding meaning within the inaction. Then once the action comes, it comes fast and impactful. This may also explain why they like to cut out the instruments/vocals so many times within a song, to create a mood and allow a dynamic shift to appear during the silence. To catch your attention, to make sure you’re on your toes because when listening to Otoboke Beaver, you have no idea what stunts they might pull. 

After the final chord of “Anata Watashi Daita Ato Yome no Meshi” is strummed, Yoyoyoshie simply puts down her guitar and walks away. She lets the reverb consume the Transfer, putting the audience on edge of what might happen next as each band member exits. The reverb lasts for what seems to be hours. Otoboke Beaver again uses a lack of structure to build up emotion, to build up a shift of tone, to build up their next big spectacle. And it all builds up to…

a giant inflatable beaver.

It is suddenly thrown out into the crowd as Yoyoyoshie comes running from backstage, jumping over the barriers onto the audience, crowd surfing with the beaver. She climbs on board, and surfs laps around the crowd as the other members look on, getting set for their encore. Once Yoyoyoshie makes it back to solid ground only one last song plays. Only one last song can play after a trick like that. That song being… “Na Na Na Arigato Ha?”. Once again, the energy comes back to the world like it has never left and the beaver becomes a volleyball meant to bounce from one corner to another. The pit reforms bigger, better, and more crowded than before, and Otoboke Beaver has positioned themselves on the top of what modern music could be. 

Creative, 

meaningful,

and fun. 

Leaving Union Transfer, people and punks alike are blessed with “We Are the Champions” by Queen playing as they exit the performance hall, and even more so that they witnessed a legend in the makings. 

Punk, and the punk lifestyle, can be found in different ways and cultures around the world. Though we all may not speak the same language or have the same background or beliefs… Punk holds an emotion, a flame, that speaks to all and for all to listen. Otoboke Beaver, along with Drinking Boys and Girl Choir and Party Nerves, only proves its ability to transcend boundaries.

Otoboke Beaver Setlist:

Yakitori

Akimahenka

Don’t light my fire

Bad luck

S’il vous plait

Bakuro Book

What do you mean you have talk to me at this late date?

Introduce me to your family

Datsu . Hikage no onna

Dirty old fart is waiting for my reaction

I am not maternal

Don’t call me Mojo

I put my love to you in a song JASRAC

PARDON?

I checked your cellphone

I won’t dish out salads

Leave me alone! No, stay with me!

I don’t want to die alone

First-class side-guy

Anata Watashi Daita Ato Yome No Meshi

Encore:

Where did you buy such a nice watch you are wearing now