Looking for some shows in Tokyo

August 5, 2011 4:16 PM

Looking to find some punk-ish (or anything, really) shows in Tokyo over the next two days. Where have all of the find-shows-by-mapping sites gone?

Last time I was here I used some wonderful myspace + google maps mashups to figure out what to check out, but this time I'm sunk.

I've been going through the venues on Tokyo Damage Report but everything I can find is super super metal which isn't my style at all. Most anything else is game, though! I'll probably be around Shinjuku but fine with subway trekking.

Oh, and I really don't speak Japanese, in case that matters at all. Pretty good at reading maps and making do, though.

posted by soma lkzx to sports, hobbies, & recreation (5 answers total)

I don't have any sites like that on hand, but in case you haven't checked these:

http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/tag/music;?keywords=&type=event&order=byrecommended (neighborhood filters on the left)
Maybe Denko Mangetsu Matsuri 2011 or Style Band Tokyo 4th Anniversary? World Happiness 2011? There are links so you can figure out what the bands might be like...because I have no idea. The Tokyo Ska Jamboree starts in half an hour ... ( http://metropolis.co.jp/listings/concerts/?concerts=1 )

(Too bad you just missed Fuji Rock. :p The Rock in Japan Festival 2011 is also going on now, I guess, but it's out in Ibaraki.)

NB: I don't live in Tokyo. Or Japan.

Good luck--I hope you find something fun!
posted by wintersweet at 8:36 PM on August 5, 2011

http://www.tokyogigguide.com/en/gigs
posted by dydecker at 10:01 AM on August 6, 2011

Tokyo Gig Guide is awesome. I found that English-language resources like Time Out tend to only list English-language bands, completely the opposite of what you want to see at a show in Japan. The best option is to open the Gig Guide (maybe cross-referencing with the live house guide at JapanLive), right-click every venue you're interested in, and look at their calendar. You may need to run the calendar through Google Translate to even get the name of the bands... then pop open MySpace to hear some samples.

I just did that and if I were in Tokyo this weekend I would probably head to Club 251. There's a daytime show on Sunday that looks pretty fun - TRASH BOX／ジ・アジナーズ. And an evening "Junk Rock" show at the same venue with these girls.

As a bonus, you get to go to Shimokitazawa (it's a short train ride from Shinjuku) which is pretty much the coolest place in the world with some amazing record stores.
posted by Gortuk at 11:06 AM on August 6, 2011

Found someone singing Rancid at karaoke, upon question-assaulting they pointed me to Tokyo Gig Guide as well. Great work team!
posted by soma lkzx at 2:06 PM on August 9, 2011

Out of curiosity - what club did you visit and who did you see?
posted by Gortuk at 1:13 PM on August 12, 2011