I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: September 7, 2019] Boris

It was almost exactly two years ago that I first saw Boris.  They had come out with a new record and were actually thinking of calling it quits.  But they were inspired to do a tour, which I was sure was their last one, and it was spectacular.

Yet in the last two years they have signed to Third Man Records and have done a live session there.  They are just about to release a two album set called Love Evol (technically Lφve Evφl) and reissue Feedbacker and Akuma No Uta.  So when they announced that they were coming back–and coming to Jersey City–there was no way I could pass it up, even if it meant three concerts in three days.

Especially since the last time they played pretty much the whole new album, which was great, but I wanted to hear some older stuff too.

After the previous two nights of cutting it very close to the start of the show, I knew I wanted to get their early, in part because I had some merch to buy.  I’ve gotten very frugal about buying merch and I often don’t buy anything.  But Boris is a band that’s hard to find stuff here.  And even though Third Man was reissuing records which would mean they are much easier to get, I wasn’t taking any chances . So I arrived plenty early, bought some vinyl (and now greatly regret not buying the Tears EP, which I somehow didn’t know about and now see that it is impossible to get anywhere else).

But I was so early that I actually could have brought my merch back to the car.  But I had brought a bag with me (smart, for a change) and kept my vinyl secure while I listened to the people around me talk about how many Boris shows they’ve seen.

First Takeshi and Wata came out.  Takeshi picked up his doubleneck bass/guitar (I noticed this time that it has two cables, I guess so he doesn’t have to switch from one to the other?  Or maybe for different amps?  Wata had her black Gibson Les Paul.  Neither one changed an instrument all night.  After a few seconds, Atsuo walked out and fully embraced the adoration.  He stood, in a kind of kabuki makeup, wearing a cape and black gloves.  He raised his arms and awaited the adulation, which did come from all corners of the venue.

Unlike at the last show, there wasn’t a ton of fog, which was nice.  It was cool to actually see them up there.  Also, last tour Atsuo was playing a clear, pink-tinted drum kit.  This kit was just regular.

Unlike the guys in Uniform, Wata and Takeshi don’t move all that much.  Takeshi gets animated form time to time, mostly raising his guitar over his head.  Although one time he did come up front right in front of me for about five seconds.

Like my last Boris show, the place was no where near sold out.  This bummed me out a bit, but also makes sense.  S. said to me “that’s a you show, not a you and me show.”  I would venture to say it was a very male crowd.

And so it began with rumbling noise and a wall of sound as Atsuo crashed the gong over and over.  (There needs to be more gong at concerts).  This led to them playing one of my favorite Boris riffs–the slow menacing “The Power.”

I was right in front of the stage. One of the nicest things that White Eagle Hall has done is to put a speaker facing out right there which allows the audience to hear the vocals.  Typically if you are up front, you can hear all the music but the vocals are lost since the speakers are sometimes behind you if you’re up close.  But with the speaker right in front of me I could hear everyone’s vocals (even if sometimes they were still pretty low in the mix.  Interestingly Atsuo’s screams and yelps were always clearly audible.

They followed that up with a song that I didn’t know.  Turns it it is on the Tears EP (and amusingly, on the setlist is listed as “tears” instead of the much longer “Dōshitemo Anata o Yurusenai.”  The live version was very different from the recorded version.  The version on the EP is pretty synthy and almost dancey, (it even has a catchy chorus) but live it was pure loud, rumbling Boris.

Then it was on to the new song “LOVE,” which I’d only heard once.  It’s slow and loud and translated wonderfully live.

This was followed by another song of the Tears EP (why didn’t I realize that’s what that CD was?). “To the Beach” is a mellow, pretty song sung by Wata and Takeshi.  It is a cover of a song by Japanese band Coaltar of the Deepers whom I have never heard of.

It’s always nice when Boris has a few mellow moments in their show to take a breather and to hear Takeshi sing clearly on “To the Beach.”

It was followed by a song called “Journey” which comes from one of those split singles with the Japanese band The Novembers.  It’s not available online anywhere, but it’s a beautiful song with cool textures and Wata singing.  It’s also nice to hear him picking out quiet guitar melodies … which continue even while Wata is soloing.

But so much mellowness couldn’t last long.  And soon enough Wata was wailing away again.

I was fascinated by the mix of songs on this setlist, from old songs like the somewhat more traditional rocker “Heavy Friends” from 2002’s Heavy Rocks to yet another cover, “Heavenly Blue” by D-Day

And then they played another song from Dear the amazing “Absolutego” (which is the name of one of their earlier albums, just to keep the confusion up).  Even though I mostly watch Wata and Takeshi, Atsuo is so much fun to watch too.  Between every few song, Atsuo would stand up behind his kit with an arm raised–drumstick pointed in the air.  He would await his applause and soak in it before the next song began.

After “Absolutego” they ended the set with two songs for about 25 minutes.

To get to hear them play 20 minutes of “Feedbacker” was a fantastic experience.

They ended the set with another new song, this one called “Shadow of Skull.”    The end of the show featured something that’s a bit rare in my experience–Takeshi playing bass.  I know he has the bass on his double enck, but i feel like he doesn’t play it all that much.  So it was great to see him playing bass while Wata soloed, or the unexpected moment when it was briefly just bass and drums or even to see him slowly strumming the bass.

But undoubtedly the coolest thing was being so close and watching his bass stirng vibrate.

These vibrations resonated and just overwhelmed the venue.  And as the band let these final notes ring out, it was up to Atsuo to end the show.

The band came back out for an encore and introduced the two main guys from Uniform.  After a couple minutes of setting up, they began the unexpected (to me) “Akuma no Uta” (although the reissue of the album should have given a bit of a hint).  Michael screamed the vocals (was he singing the Japanese lyrics?  The English lyrics?  Making things up? I have no idea), and it was intense and pretty amazing.

The Uniform guys left and Atsuo asked if we wanted one more.  And yes, we did.

After a bit of fanfare they started playing the opening notes of “Pink” and everyone went bonkers.  This was another song I was really hoping to hear live and I’m pretty psyched that I did.

It was a fantastic show, and I’m really happy they decided to play so close to me.  I’m not sure how many people came to the show, but even if the turnout was a little low, I hope they don’t hold it against us–I’m sure they made on ton on merch.

I have no idea if they’re ever planning another U.S .Tour but I certainly intend to be there.

Although next time, not right up front.  I want to stand back and absorb the sound (and see what the vocals sound like from the venue’s system).  Plus, I really hope they play “Statement” (which was a third encore at a few other places but not ours).

And, hey, how come Atsuo didn’t throw me a drum stick?  He didn’t throw any out at our show.

September 8, 2019 White Eagle Hall	October 28, 2017 Union Transfer
The Power Ð	D.O.W.N -Domination of Waiting Noise- Ð
Dōshitemo Anata o Yurusenai ♦	DEADSONG Ð
Love ♥	Absolutego Ð
To the Beach (COALTAR OF THE DEEPERS cover) ♦	Beyond Ð
Journey €	Kagero Ð
Heavy Friends ⊗	Biotope Ð
Heavenly Blue (D-Day cover)	The Power Ð
Absolutego Ð	Memento Mori Ð
Feedbacker ∼	Dystopia -Vanishing Point- Ð
Shadow of Skull ♥	Dear Ð
encore	encore
Akuma no Uta [with Uniform] ¥	Farewell ¶
Pink ¶

♥ Love Evol (2019)
♦ Tears EP (2019)
€ Split EP with The Novembers (2018)
Ð Dear (2017)
¶ Pink (2005)
∼ Feedbacker (2003)
¥ Akuma No Uta (2003)
⊗ Heavy Rocks [Orange] (2002)