[ATTENDED: March 23, 2024] Drinking Boys and Girls Choir [드링킹소년소녀합창단]
Otoboke Beaver is slowly moving up in North America. They first played Philly’s Johnny Brenda’s, (250 capacity) then moved up to Underground Arts (650 capacity) and have now moved to the relatively big leagues of Union Transfer (1200 capacity).
All without having any presence in the States at all that I’m aware of.
So this was my third time seeing them and each time I have failed to get any meaningful pictures or videos. Because each time, as soon as they start playing the crowd goes insane! I thought that at Union Transfer, if I got there early enough, I ‘d could position myself away from the pit. But from the first song I was pushed around and almost knocked down. So I moved away from the center a bit and was still pushed around. I don’t think the show sold out but it was packed up front!
This was the biggest stage that I’d seen them on and they filled it pretty well. Although I never did get close to bassist Hiro-Chan (who plays barefoot) for the whole show. In fact I barely saw her between the heads of people around me.
This was the first time I could see drummer Kahokiss because she was on a riser, but she was surrounded by cymbals so I never actually got to see her, just her flying, furious arms.
Singer Accorinrin was hard to spot because of the tall guy in front of me, but she clearly made her presence known. And, like last time, I was in awe when, before one of the songs, Accorinrin stood with her arm raised and the whole band waited for her to begin. The crowd, not taking the hint, whooped it up, but she was clearly waiting for silence. She stood and waited (like a teacher) in front of some 1,000 people, while every jackass had to whoo one last time and people finally started yelling “shut up.” When things were quiet to her liking, she got the whole band to launch into the song in perfect sync.
Their songs are short and fast with serious time changes. There is no margin for error.
The most fun member of the band is obviously guitarist Yoyoyoshie. Between every few songs she screams in a crazy guttural voice, “WE ARE OTOBOKE BEAVER!” She also talks the most between songs, telling about how she eats Philadelphia Cheese on the bus every day on tour. She also commented that she loves the Phillies (especially the mascot).
Sure, their setlist has been virtually the same for the last two years (they are working on a new album), but it doesn’t really matter because the songs are frenetic and fun and are somewhat similar in style–there’s usually small things that are different between the songs. Like a part that slows things down or a part that is kind of silly or funny or a great big chanting chorus.
As with every time I’ve seen them, I was quickly shoved aside from my original spot and had to fight to stand upright in the moshing crowd. But with the band on the big stage it was a lot easier to watch them than it has been in the past.
When they finished the set after about an hour, they left the stage and then came back a few minutes later. Yoyoyoshie had an inflatable beaver pool toy and threw it into the crowd, which everyone started batting around. And then Yoyoyoshie herself surfed into the crowd and climbed into the Beaver! It was wild and weird and super fun. If I had been in the original spot I probably would have gotten to hold her up.
When she surfed back to the stage they played an encore. Accorinrin said it was the first time the song was played in the US and said it was called “I don’t want to live with mother-in-law.”
This bodes well for a new album coming out soon.
And, yes, I’d see them again. I wonder if they will move up to a bigger venue next time? They didn’t sell out union transfer but they have sold out many of the venues on the tour.
| 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Yakitori § (ヤキトリ) | Yakitori § (ヤキトリ) | Yakitori § (ヤキトリ) |
| Akimahenka Ø | Akimahenka Ø | Akimahenka Ø |
| Don’t light my fire ⊗ | Don’t light my fire ⊗ | Don’t light my fire ⊗ |
| Bad luck ⊗ | Bad luck ⊗ | Bad luck ⊗ |
| S’il Vous Plait Ω (シルブプレ) | S’il Vous Plait Ω (シルブプレ) | S’il Vous Plait Ω (シルブプレ) |
| Love Is Short ♥ | Love Is Short ♥ | Love Is Short ♥ |
| What do you mean you have talk to me at this late date? Ω (いまさらわたしに話ってなんえ) | What do you mean you have talk to me at this late date? Ω (いまさらわたしに話ってなんえ) | What do you mean you have talk to me at this late date? Ω (いまさらわたしに話ってなんえ) |
| Introduce me to your family ♥ | Introduce me to your family ♥ | Introduce me to your family ♥ |
| Datsu . Hikage no onna ⊗ (脱・日陰の女) | Datsu . Hikage no onna ⊗ (脱・日陰の女) | Datsu . Hikage no onna ⊗ (脱・日陰の女) |
| Dirty old fart is waiting for my reaction § (ジジイ is waiting for my reaction) | Dirty old fart is waiting for my reaction § (ジジイ is waiting for my reaction) | Don’t call me Mojo § (呼ばんといて喪女) |
| I am not maternal § (アイドンビリーブマイ母性) | I am not maternal § (アイドンビリーブマイ母性) | George & Janice § (ジョージ&ジャニス) |
| Don’t call me Mojo § (呼ばんといて喪女) | Don’t call me Mojo § (呼ばんといて喪女) | Dirty old fart is waiting for my reaction § (ジジイ is waiting for my reaction) |
| I put my love to you in a song JASRAC § (あなたとの恋、歌にしてJASRAC) | PARDON? § (パードゥン？) | I am not maternal § (アイドンビリーブマイ母性) |
| PARDON? § (パードゥン？) | Nabe party with pocket brothers § (穴兄弟で鍋パーティー) | Nabe party with pocket brothers § (穴兄弟で鍋パーティー) |
| I checked your cellphone § (携帯みてしまいました) | I put my love to you in a song JASRAC § (あなたとの恋、歌にしてJASRAC) | I put my love to you in a song JASRAC § (あなたとの恋、歌にしてJASRAC) |
| I won’t dish out salads § (サラダ取り分けませんことよ) | George & Janice § (ジョージ&ジャニス) | I checked your cellphone § (携帯みてしまいました) |
| Leave me alone! No, stay with me! § (リーブミーアローンやっぱさっきのなしでステイウィズミ) | I checked your cellphone § (携帯みてしまいました) | PARDON? § (パードゥン？) |
| I don’t want to die alone § (孤独死こわい) | I won’t dish out salads § (サラダ取り分けませんことよ) | I won’t dish out salads § (サラダ取り分けませんことよ) |
| First-class side-guy § (一級品の間男) | Leave me alone! No, stay with me! § (リーブミーアローンやっぱさっきのなしでステイウィズミ) | Leave me alone! No, stay with me! § (リーブミーアローンやっぱさっきのなしでステイウィズミ) |
| Anata Watashi Daita Ato Yome No Meshi ⊗ (あなたわたし抱いたあとよめのめし) | I don’t want to die alone § (孤独死こわい) | I don’t want to die alone § (孤独死こわい) |
| encore | First-class side-guy § (一級品の間男) | First-class side-guy § (一級品の間男) |
|
Shutome to Dokyo B-DASH Kaigo
(First time played in North America)
|
Anata Watashi Daita Ato Yome No Meshi ⊗ (あなたわたし抱いたあとよめのめし) | Anata Watashi Daita Ato Yome No Meshi ⊗ (あなたわたし抱いたあとよめのめし) |
| encore | encore | |
| Ai no Bourobon ~bakuro book~ Ω (愛の暴露本) | Ai no Bourobon ~bakuro book~ Ω (愛の暴露本) | |
| encore 2 | ||
| SETLISTS are similar at most venues with these possible changes
Love Is Short ♥ may have been Bakuro Book |
Let’s shopping after show § (レッツショッピングアフターショー) |
♥ Love Is Short EP (2017)
Ω Ai no Bourobon ~bakuro book~ EP (2016)
I Just Read About That... 