September 11th is normally a day of remembrance as New York City is shrouded in a melancholy atmosphere; but at the Gramercy Theatre, tension was building as everyone prepared for the NAP Utatane tour. Right after their sound check, the pillows came down the stairs in the venue as the other bands began their sound check. Yoshiaki Manabe filed in first followed by Sawao Yamanaka and Shinichiro Sato and they all sat comfortably on the couch. Yoshiaki Manabe and Sawao Yamanaka relaxed with their sunglasses on, giving off that classic rocker vibe. And Shinichiro Sato sat idly, sort of in his own little world. After they got settled in, Nippon Project actually had a chance to squeeze in a few questions for the band before the show.

Nippon Project: the pillows have been around for over 20 years, what is the secret to the band’s longevity?
Sawao Yamanaka: Nothing special. We just make music that we love.

Nippon Project: the pillows gained international popularity after doing the music for FLCL. How do you feel about being associated with the anime?
Sawao Yamanaka: LUCKY! (in English)

Nippon Project: Because of the anime, you have fans ranging in age and interests. How does it feel to have such a diverse fan base?
Sawao Yamanaka: It is such a dream!

Nippon Project: What are the influences and inspirations for lyrics? How does the band come up with seemingly random songs at times and quite meaningful ones at others?
Sawao Yamanaka: First we write the music. From the melody I move my mouth to the beat and from that feeling I get words. It’s sort of like a puzzle.

Nippon Project: Yamanaka –san is planning on releasing a solo album next month. How was that experience? What can we expect from the album and how is it different than the music the pillows’ produce?
Sawao Yamanaka: Of course the bass and drums are different than the pillows. The music is good but I save the best songs for the pillows. (laughs) I guess the biggest difference is that I go out to drink with my solo team. With the pillows, we don’t go out to drink. (laughs)

Nippon Project: It seems that the pillows have done pretty much everything there is to do as a band. What can we expect from you next? Any future plans or goals?
Sawao Yamanaka: (laughs) We’re still thinking. Maybe in 3 years, when it is our 25th anniversary, we will do something special.

It has been three years since the pillows and noodles played in the New York area and this year the tour hosted three bands; noodles, All Ages, and the pillows, hence the abbreviation N.A.P. The streets outside of the Gramercy Theatre were lined with a large variety of “little busters”; both young and old, cosplayers, scene kids.

All Ages, a band from San Francisco, was the first up. Many people were quite surprised with the amount of energy the band put forth. The west-coast punk rock band exploded onto the stage and instantly caught the crowd’s attention. The spiky-haired bassist Tom wasted no time showing off to the audience; running, jumping spinning around on the floor. He even took off his shirt to show off his amazing farmer’s tan. Derrik, the vocalist and guitarist, gave silly little MCs which kept the crowd reeled in and drummer Esal anchored the band with steady beats. The band rounded out their set with a stage dive from Derrik. And to not be out done, “Crazy” Tom strips off his pants and hops into the hyped-up and totally confused crowd in his red briefs. All Ages’ antics definitely put out enough energy to carry everyone else though the night.

Next up was the noodles. This year the noodles were celebrating their 20th anniversary. Earlier in the evening, Nippon Project had a chance to sit and chat with Yoko, Ikuno, and Aumi and discuss their inspirations, what they have achieved up until now, and their plans for the future. They reminisced about their first show in Yokohama and how they came up with the band’s name. Vocalist Yoko said that they wanted to use a common word that also had a double meaning; so as a joke they came up with noodles, with the second meaning being silly or stupid. Well as they started up with their set, the noodles were anything but a silly joke. The band played through their songs like the pros that they are, stopping every now and then to talk with the audience. The ladies were cute and bubbly with a touch of spunk just like their music. Yoko mentioned how much they loved New York, to which the crowd returned their love in cheers to which even the stoic Ikuno gave a big smile. The noodles’ music classic yet original it’s no wonder they’re able to celebrate their 20th year of making music together.

After the noodles left the stage, the crowd grew tense with excitement for the last band to take the stage. the pillows were by far the most anticipated band of the night. Sawao Yamanaka (vocal/guitar), Yoshiaki Manabe (lead guitar), Shinichiro Sato (drums) took the stage and launched themselves into their music. The crowd was pleasantly surprised that their set list was laced with both old and new songs. Once the band started I Think I Can, the audience started to roar and shouted with all their might “I Think I Can!” along with Sawao Yamanaka. Everyone was singing along to their old favorites like Crazy Sunshine and Hybrid Rainbow, along with other songs made popular by the anime FLCL. Songs like Blues Drive Monster and Little Busters were certainly crowd pleasers and voices of the fans can be heard singing along with the band. While Swanky Street and Advice got the crowd moving creating a small mosh-pit in front of the stage. The band seemed to really enjoy playing for the audience. Sawao Yamanaka even used his guitar as a rifle and playfully “shot” at the audience. After the show, the trio quickly returned to the stage for their encore.

After a short MC, Sawao Yamanaka announced that they were going to play the song everyone has been waiting for and busted into the well anticipated Ride on a Shooting Star. The last song of the night was Last Dinosaur, to which crowd surfers were lifted above everyone’s head road the concert out to the end. the pillows show no signs of slowing down and all of the “little busters” are looking forward to their return.


noodles SET-LIST
Cover me Shakespeare
I wanna be your special
straw
Bond
Graffiti
GO WEST
remind
We Are noodles From Sentimental
Grease
LOVE MY LIFE
She, her
Ingrid Said

the pillows SET-LIST
Dance with God
I Think I Can
Mr. Droopy
Carnival
Blues Drive Monster
Rookie Jet
Instant Music
Comic Sonic
Funny Bunny
Swanky Street
Crazy Sunshine
One Life
Little Busters
Hybrid Rainbow
After the Rain
Advice
ENCORE
Ride On a Shooting Star
Last Dinosaur

Special Thanks to the pillows, noodles, All Ages, DELICIOUS Label, staff, and Mao Higashi for translating the pilllow's interview.