Tour Dates

10/20/10 Lincoln, NE @ Knickerbockers
10/21/10 Denver, CO @ Hi – Dive
10/22/10 Salt Lake City, UT @ Burt’s Tiki
10/23/10 Boise, ID @ Neurolux
10/24/10 Seattle, WA @ Fun House
10/25/10 Portland, OR @ Berbati’s Pan
10/31/10 Las Vegas @ Double D Saloon *
11/02/10 Albuquerque @ Atomic Cantina *
11/03/10 El Paso, TX @ Low Brow *
11/05/10 Dallas, TX @ Double Wide *
11/06/10 Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
11/07/10 Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
11/09/10 Pensacola, FL @ Sluggos *
11/10/10 Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum *
11/11/10 Sarasota, FL @ Paddy Wagon *
11/12/10 Gainesville@ Common Grounds*
11/13/10 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl *
11/14/10 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 *
11/16/10 Charlotte, NC @ Milestone *
11/17/10 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
11/18/10 Phila, PA @ North Star Bar *
11/19/10 Bordentown, NJ @ Rec Collector
11/20/10 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East

* = w/ Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re

Peelander-Z, the crazy, colorful Japanese garage band from New York, stopped by Saint Paul last Sunday and show us a little of what their planet, Peelander, is like.

Before I get to them, we had two bands to welcome Peelander-Z: In Defence and Birthday Suits. They odd one out is In Defence, but what they lacked in being Japanese, they sure made up with a high energy performance. The Birthday Suits was a perfect match for Peelander, they were a Japanese punk duo (bass and drums) and incredibly fun to watch.

By the time Peelander-Z came on stage to do a quick soundcheck, the Turf Club started to fill up with fans and friends of the fans. At the marching order start, you are introduced to everyone: Peelander-Red (bass), Peelander-Green (drums), Peelander-Yellow (guitar), Peelander-Pink, and, new to me, Peelander-Black (I think he plays rhythm guitar). Black seems fairly shy to me, rarely does he take center stage and he’s usually in the background and lets his counterparts, mostly Yellow and Red really ham up their roles as performers.

If you’ve never seen Peelander-Z play before, I can tell you that they’re not very complicated songs. It’s basically Ramones-style songs written for kids, with easy-to-follow chorus. In fact, they often hold up lyrics on signs for you to sing-along.

I was having too much fun to write down the setlist, but from what I remembered, I loved hearing “Ninja-High Schooool”, “Mad Tiger” and “So Many Mike” played. During “Super Health”, they had audience members come on stage to play their instruments. Some girl played bass (don’t think she knew what she was doing or what she was in for, judging from her Britney Spears shirt). While the audience were beating on pots and pans, it gave them some time to setup their squid bowling. Which is pretty awesome and lame and puzzling at the same time. But it doesn’t end there, they were doing jump ropes and limbo!

If you were going to a Peelander-Z show expecting some typical Japanese punk band, you’re really missing the point. The point is you are as much part of the show as the band is on stage.

Peelander-Z is currently, and will always, be on tour. If they are in town, do yourself a favor and see them. It will be the best $5 to $10 you’ll ever spend. Maybe you’ll love it so much, you’d pick up their latest album, P-TV-Z, I did.