Coming Up: Shonen Knife at Syndicate Lounge

Hailing from Osaka, Japan, punk rock trio Shonen Knife will perform at Syndicate Lounge on Thursday, May 11. With a sound reminiscent of the early days of punk rock, Shonen Knife radiates positivity. The group delivers light-hearted lyrics through a high-energy performance, and it’s evident that there’s nothing else they’d rather be doing.

The band received a warm reception since arriving stateside in April, and their tour is off to a good start. “There are many cheerful friendly audiences at every city,” says frontwoman Naoko Yamano. “We had some sold out shows, too.”

Songwriter Yamano’s colorful imagination draws inspiration from some decidedly eclectic sources, from The Ramones to ramen noodles. Really. Food is a recurring topic in Shonen Knife’s music. Songs like “Banana Chips” and “Strawberry Cream Puff” add sugary sweetness to their sets.

Why the cheerful disposition? Shonen Knife considers it their duty to lift their listeners’ spirits. “My purpose of playing music is to make our audience happy,” she says. “I don’t want to write sad songs or very political ones. Singing about delicious foods and cute animals are fun for everybody on earth.”

Shonen Knife has dubbed their latest excursion The USA Ramen Adventure Tour, in honor of the beloved noodle dish. Since the tour began, they’ve been visiting the ramen purveyors in each city, checking out the local flavor.

The band hopes to share what ramen can be: a surprisingly nuanced and flavorful meal, far beyond the convenience food we’re accustomed to in the States. “Ramen consists of noodles and soup, but each Ramen restaurant has its own recipe. That’s fantastic,” says Yamano. “I wrote a song called Ramen Rock for the album Overdrive. I also have a song called Sushi Bar Song, but Sushi is already very popular to people in the U.S. Ramen is just beginning.”

Last year, Shonen Knife released their latest album, Adventure. It showcases the upbeat attitude that the band is known for, and demonstrates the group’s love for classic rock from the ‘60s and ‘70s. They’re bringing the new material on the road with them, so listen out for the bright and sunny “Jump into the New World” and the garage rock fuzzy “Wasabi.” Of course, you’re bound to hear some old favorites throughout the set. “We will mix of old and new,” says Yamano. “We have more than 100 songs in our repertoire. I chose the songs of good balance.”

Adventure itself is a wonderfully well-balanced album, leaping and diving between driving aggressive rock stomps like “ImI” and the charmingly ‘60s “Green Tangerine.”

Over their 36 year career, the band has toured with the likes of Sonic Youth and Nirvana (Kurt Cobain was an outspoken fan of the group). They’ve appeared at Lollapalooza, on Late Night with Conan O’Brian, and in a video segment by influential music critics Beavis and Butthead.

The show at Syndicate Lounge marks the band’s first foray into the Magic City’s music scene as well as the vibrant culinary landscape we’ve cultivated in recent years. “We have never been to Birmingham before,” says Yamano. “I’m looking forward to playing there!”

Shonen Knife will be joined by Birmingham’s Nowhere Squares. The show starts at 7 p.m. The Syndicate Lounge is located at 433 20th St South, Birmingham, AL 35233.

If Shonen Knife’s food-centric songwriting has piqued your appetite, why not cook some ramen? Here now for your gastronomic enrichment is Naoko Yamano’s Healthy Simple Ramen recipe:

INGREDIENTS
A portion of ramen noodles
Shredded leek
1 boiled egg
A few slices of Chinese style roasted pork
Soup powder
Soy sauce

DIRECTIONS
1. Put 2 teaspoons of soup powder and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce in 400cc boiled water
2. Put a portion of ramen noodles in it for 1 or 2 min
3. Move to a ramen bowl
4. Topped with shredded leek, boiled egg, roasted pork and some pepper

Band photo by Vicente Rondon. Images courtesy of Reybee, Inc.