Small-framed Chikudate stands out among them all, with a voice as
powerful on the stage as it is in the studio.
Firebird, St Louis
Whoever said shoegaze bands were all emo and lacked
entertainment value obviously wasn't familiar with Asobi Seksu. Don't let this
band fool you with the melodic nature of their latest installment, Hush, nor its
lead singer Yuki Chikudate's angelic vocals. Live, the bass is crippling and,
needless to say, everyone goes home happy.
This St. Louis appearance marked their first in this city in
three years. After trotting the globe since February, it was pure luck that St.
Louis was one of the few cities to be added last minute. Their venue of choice:
the Firebird, a small basement of sorts tucked discreetly under a downtown
building. With smoky and oddly placed seating, Asobi Seksu made up in
performance what the venue lacked in atmosphere.
The show opened with local musician Math You taking the
stage alone with his guitar. In a relaxing and intimate fashion, you could tell
that even though people weren't paying much attention, they seriously dug his
sound. With just a chair and a microphone, he sat down and soothed the audience
with his indie sound and modest appearance. Imagine John Mayer a little more
ambient with maybe a random emo moment now and then. You'll want to check out
Math You's MySpace page (www.myspace.com/mathyoumusic) to hear "Inside Voices,"
probably one of the best tracks off his album Music for Girls. After almost an
hour on stage, another local indie/psychedelic group by the name of Stella Mora
emerged to up the ante and bring the crowd to their feet. The five-member band
brought it full throttle and, after an hour of play, handed the stage over to
New York's Asobi Seksu.
Surrounded by three fellow band members all tall and
lengthy, small-framed Chikudate still stands out among them all, with a voice as
powerful on the stage as it is in the studio; I honestly found myself studying
her vocals to make sure it wasn't a recording. As little as she is, her voice
is amazing and strong on its own. The album, while amazing in itself, downplays
the profound and electrifying experience of their live performance.
Even though the band consists of three guys and a girl, it
goes without saying that Chikudate has become the face of Asobi Seksu. While
most people tend to concentrate on Chikudate's performance over the rest of the
band, her role has become the focal point of the entire Asobi Seksu experience.
From her high, indistinguishable siren vocals that waver between English and
Japanese to her dominating moves behind the keyboard, Chikudate takes the lead
position all on her own. More than a pretty face, the graduate of the Manhattan
School of Music takes every opportunity to show off her talents, from her
spellbinding voice to her work on the keyboards, tambourine and jaw-dropping
drum solo. | Jennifer Manjarez
backstage pass (live music) 
Small-framed Chikudate stands out among them all, with a voice as
powerful on the stage as it is in the studio.
