UlasanAnime.com – Instead of attending Anime Boston, the author spent their Friday and Saturday in New York City engaged in anime-related activities and dining at Mitsuwa in New Jersey. The author heard about significant registration waits at Anime Boston and hoped they hadn’t missed much.
The author attended a concert featuring The Pillows and Noodles during their “Delicious Bump Tour in USA 08” in New York. This event took place on a Friday night, with The Pillows scheduled to perform at Anime Boston and Noodles in Brooklyn the following day. The venue, Blender Theater at Gramercy, was located a few blocks north of Union Square. It was a more pleasant venue compared to their previous smaller show in 2006, featuring a sloped floor area and stadium seating in the back, although the downstairs lounge was quite cramped.
The author also commented on Noodles, a band composed of three Japanese female musicians. After seeing them in 2006, the author had watched the movie “Linda Linda Linda” and noted that the bassist, Ikuno, reminded them of a character from the film with her energetic bass playing. The drummer, Ayumi, was considered the cutest and possessed the best English skills among the band members. Observing the same band two years later, the author noticed an improvement in their playing style, though their song selection seemed slightly grungier than expected, which wasn’t necessarily a negative observation. The author also wondered if Ikuno seemed unwell during the performance.
The Pillows, in contrast, showcased their seasoned showmanship. They delivered a fun, energetic, and consistently solid performance, engaging the audience with their riffs and stage presence. Both guitarists demonstrated their expertise, with Yoshi being particularly cool and Shin, the drummer, having a somewhat amusing appearance. The author felt that the band might have pandered a bit too much to the audience’s preferences during their live show. Compared to their previous US tour, they played more songs from FLCL, which resonated well with the crowd, while their newer material, despite its quality, received a less enthusiastic response. This was perceived as somewhat unfortunate.
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However, the author thoroughly enjoyed hearing them play older songs, as the band often rearranged them. The renditions of “Little Busters” and “Hybrid Rainbow” were particularly impressive, as they managed to transform these less overtly rock-oriented tracks into energetic performances. The band also made subtle adjustments to other songs, effectively controlling the mood and flow of their setlist. The author expressed a wish that they had played some of the songs from their previous tour, which seemed more enjoyable. Nevertheless, the encore performance of “Advice” elicited laughter and proved to be a successful choice.
