Japan’s DMBQ to play Vassar on fourth U.S. trip

Jake Friedman Guest Writer

DMBQ, a peerless Japanese band, will share the Mug’s stage this Sunday, Nov. 6 with metal band An Albatross, venerable soul singer King Coleman, and Vassar’s own noise duo the Glitter Pals. Eddie from An Albatross will spin his very rare soul collection all night , in honor of King Coleman’s performance. DMBQ’s explosive, psychedelic garage rock is the bridge between Japan’s disparate noise rock and garage rock scenes, and it distances them from the likes of Merbow, Guitar Wolf, and the Boredoms. Around since 1988, their current tour is still only their fourth of the U.S., ever. Coming to Vassar on behalf of WVKR and the Asian Students’ Alliance, DMBQ’s singer and guitarist, Shinji Masuko, talked over phone to The Miscellany News from the road, somewhere in the Midwest.

The Miscellany News: How have the first three weeks of tour been?
Shinji Masuko: Yeah. It’s real good. We’ve had a good time on the west coast and the east coast but some towns like Memphis have been horrible. We’ve played only for the 10 or 15 people in the Memphis. It’s just so bad though. But basically really good. Yeah.
MN: Have the kids been going crazy for you guys?
SM: The audience? It’s pretty good here. Much better than Japanese audiences because they that how to enjoy the rock show and they know the music well and dancing a lot and eating a lot and drink a lot. It’s good.
MN: Are you dressing up for Halloween?
SM: Ah, no! We have no Halloween. We don’t know what Halloween is. It’s very nice though; we can see the really cute kids. It’s so fun. Watching kids in the streets with Halloween costumes is really fun for us because they’re cute and sometimes they wear the really strange costume and, um, yelling a lot—it’s really nice.
MN: Is rock music more awesome in Japan?
SM: Yes. I can say yes, yeah! It’s good. Yeah. Especially the underground scene is still really good, yeah.
MN: What do you like most about America?
SM: Eating fried chickens and watching the strange people and watching strange dancers and the old dances. And thrift stores. And truck stops—really cool places.
MN: Where did you get the name DMBQ?
SM: One time at this bar in Sapuro—Sapuro is a northern town in Japan—when I was 20 years old—I didn’t think that I’d continue this band such a long time; this one is about 14 years or so—anyways, one days, I had a first real show so that I have to name to the band so I ask to the other members “What is your favorite alphabet” and the guitarist chooses a “D” or a “B” or something. That’s all. So, it has no meaning.
MN: Your live performances have been known to get kind of crazy. Have you ever been injured while playing?
SM: Injured? Yes…. I have broke my arm, left nostril, and both hands and right now I injured my finger. I cannot play right now but it’s ok.
MN: We’re thrilled to be hosting you guys.
SM: Vassar College? Where do we play? In a classroom?
MN: No. You’re playing a campus bar—With King Coleman
SM: Really? Wow. Cool. Nice. Is your college huge?
MN: No. Only a couple thousand kids.
SM: American campus is crazy—it’s like a town.