Polysics Concert at Double Doors Chicago, IL 2010

The sky opened up and shated its sadness on Chicago with thigh high snow. But so what! Polysics has come back; all was well! Toisu! The Double Doors hosted the return of Polysics on Wednesday February 10, 2010 for their US Tour. Kayo, the synthesizer player, was graduating and was her last US tour with the band. Should have been a sad occasion but no. For Polysics brought the rock and it was Pretty Good. A cold day indeed but the heat from a burning guitar can melt icecaps. So, this is a tale of a Polysics fanatic from start to finish

I had a queasy feeling in my stomach the whole day. Nervousness had gotten the better of me because the day had finally arrived for my favorite live band to come back. I counted the days patiently. The day had arrived and I freaked. My geek ness made me want to experience them right at the moment of waking. If it turned out to be at half as good as when they came in 2008, I would have been satisfied. Little did I know by that end of the day, it would have exceeded my expectations a hundred fold!

Seven o clock came and me and my girlfriend, Brenda, left her house to take the half hour drive downtown to the Double Door at 1572 N Milwaukee AveChicago, IL. Made it around the general area at 8:01 for some reason, perhaps I am lousy with directions. Me and her made it just in time to wait in line for about another thirty minutes. I prepared a camcorder and a semi-professional camera for the event. Made sure everything was charged or had enough space for recording or taking pictures. I made it inside with my limbs frozen dead just to be turned away because of having cameras and camcorders. No flash photography! Boo!!! Double Doors…seriously what the fuck! I wanted pictures badly…damn it. That was my only grip with the place but I snuck some pictures with my camera phone. Not the best in the world but it did allow me to enjoy the show better than I did the first time I saw them. I guess it was a good thing.

As I mentioned, I saw them in 2008 when I first got into Polysics. It was the music video for Pretty Good. After watching it, I was hooked. Today I have over one hundred and thirty songs on my Ipod! Since I am on the subject of Polysics itself, let me fill you on some things if you’re not familiar with their work. Polysics originate from TokyoJapan and are considered a “New Wave” band. That’s a simple explanation but doesn’t really say anything, so ill try my best to describe Polysics. They play mostly punk and electronic music but what makes them special is that they mix those two genres of music into something grand. There are also elements of rock, ska, speed metal, pop, and even a ballad just to name a few genres I can remember right now. I’m sure there’s more. The band is made of four members: Hiro on lead vocals and guitar, Fumi on bass and vocals. Kayo on synthesizer, pom poms, and the occasional recorder, and Yano on drums. Each band member wears an orange boiler suit with straight black sunglasses, black colored Chucks, a P on the left side and their Polysics name etched onto their right side front breast pockets. In the past, other colors dyed their suits with hues of blue, red, black, and white. They have mixed it up by wearing boy scout uniforms, flight attendant and pilot garb, French stripped ensembles, New Wave green leather jackets, sailor uniforms, and Star Wars inspired space suits to name a few. The best part is the energy. I can see, feel, and touch the electricity in videos, songs, and live gigs. Especially Hiro, he looks like he does a hit of crack before playing. I appreciate all the head thrashing, teeth picking guitar skills, shrieking fast shredding, bizarre dancing, wild facial expressions, and high pitched moon language lyrics that pepper each song(which is a combination of English, Japanese, and gibberish from what I read). I really tried to do them justice with this silly description but you need to listen, see a music video, or watch them live to grasp the totality that is POLYSICS!

Anyways back at Double Doors, finally make it back inside to a waiting, warm Brenda. I sneeze a lung out as I take a viewing of the venue. A huge bar to my left, tables to sit to my right, bands selling stuff behind me, and the stage in front of me. Behind me, Hiro and Fumi are selling merchandise at a small table. I am at awe, I hate to say it because I am usually a serious person but I gush every time I see them. They talked to some fans as I hanged back and scope out what they got to sell. These two Japanese girls give Fumi and Kayo gifts of food and stuff, wish I bought something. It seemed like they were massive fans, which shows later towards the end of the show. I ended up buying a little of everything they had. They were selling four albums: Polysics Vista, Now is the Time, We ate the Machine, and their new album Absolute Polysics. I bought the new album and had it signed by ALL the group members in the inside booklet, awesome! Funny but I bought the Absolute album when it first came out in Japan for like 45 dollars and bought it again just to get it signed. Came with two free stickers too. I bought a black “Heavy Polysicks!!!!!!!!” T-shirt and a pink pilot and flight attendant uniformed T- shirt for Brenda, looks neat. A poster which was signed again! Going to hang it in my room. I own two sets of cool looking sticker sets with cartoon versions of themselves on the stickers. I worked up the courage to speak with them and ask them for all the above. I thanked them there and throughout the night about how great they were and thanking them for that greatness. Talked to Ryan, a Polysics fan I met at ACEN awhile back, as the first band started playing.

The Earth Program scared the solids out of me. They were ok. Everyone, from what I could see, was here for Polysics and the band new it. But at least it was a distraction before Polysics took the stage. The next band was Evil Beaver, they were better in songs, I feel, than the first band. I still was counting the long minutes before MY band came to play.

Then the band members started to set up their instruments for the show. I know in Japan they have others like roadies to set up their equipment but here in the US, they had to do it. I am so glad that they were humble enough to do that sort of work, all for us US fans. They worked hard setting up, checking if they were in tune, and than finally getting off the stage to re-enter once again like as if they just came out of the locker room or something. A appreciate them also coming, just wanting to praise them here and now, here rather than the eventual going to Japan to watch them live. I’ve seen them in concert in videos from Japan, massive crowds packed tightly as they hover above them like the Gods they are. Over here, they are in arms length to touch (like I did when Hiro starting to moon the crowd and I got to pop him in his fanny as a Thank You for being so close). I like the smallness of pubs because it’s intimate and up close and personal.

The first song was an introduction piece which I had no idea what its name was. It involved a lot of electronic sounding beats and Hiro on a whistle. But it succeeded in riling up the crowd. They quickly blasted into Young Oh! Oh! (Favorite of mines) and from there on end, it became a blur. I could remember they played: Bero Bero, Kaja Kaja Goo, Shout Aloud, Beat Flash, Peach Pie on the Beach, Rocket, I My Me Mine, Digital Coffee, Coelacanth is Android (hard to spell), E.L.T.C.C.T, Fire Bison, Baby Bias, and New Wave Jacket. And after getting the complete set list, this is what they played...

P!
Young OH! OH!
PEACH PIE ON THE BEACH
NEW WAVE JACKET
Digital Coffee
Beat Flash
E.L.T.C.C.T.
Bero Bero
I My Me Mine
Hypnotize Go
Baby BIAS
Rocket
Fire Bison
KAJA KAJA GOO
Coelakanth is Android
Shout Aloud!
Encore-1: BLACK OUT FALL OUT
Encore-2: BUGGIE TECHINICA

(Thanks Ryan again for the complete play list!)

I’m going to wave a semi playful fist, semi angry fist at them for not playing Electric Surfin’ Go Go, Pretty Good, I Ate the Machine, Life in Yellow, Uida, and all my other favorites but especially the ones I listed. But hey, it was a freaking great show nonetheless and that what’s important. This is the partial list because time went by to quick! I think they played S.V.O but I’m not sure. Anyways, there were some fun moments throughout. Fire Bison had balloons! At first I thought it was a replica of a giant rooster (you know, the male bits…) but it was sent flying into the crowd like a rocket. I really like the live version of that song. I saw Fumi give Hiro a high kick to the face (fake of course) but it was amazing the reach on that girl, would make a MMA fighter proud. A golden pom pom on Peach Pie on the Beach is always a crowd pleaser and Hiro humping the guitar in the opening of New Wave Jacket looked like it hurt. I spun in circles on I My Me Mine where I was super dizzy. We learned how to say “Hello” in New Wave Japanese by saying Toisu! Great at weddings from what Hiro said. The little finger dance on Digital Coffee looked nerdy but adorable and Kayo’s robotic stare is always warming to the heart. I enjoyed him saying that outside was cold but they would warm us up, I was sweaty towards the end so it worked! Baby Bias gymnastics and Bero Bero’s tongue rolling were fantastic. Everything was just…super keen. Chapped my voice singing, cut my wrist a little slapping Hiro’s butt on someone else’s hand, Brenda got bruised from the people doing a mini mosh pit, and I almost passed out from all the dancing(ya I tried to dance, so what!?!). They ended their set with Shout Aloud, thanking the crowd throughout and at the end with us thanking them in return. Ack, my meager writing is hard to compare the actual magnitude of how great the concert was. Go and watch them on Youtube!

They finished high and left us wanting more. Cheers and claps and stomps bought them out once again before we could even use the fans encore secret weapon, chanting the band’s name until throats became hoarse and raspy. A sweaty Hiro comes out, thanks us, and plays a surprising song choice I always wanted to hear but didn’t think I would ever hear live. They played an immensely good rendition of Black Out, Fall Out. I loved, loved how it came out that night. Again, damn you Double Doors for no video or photos! The last song rocked when they played Buggle Technica (I think that’s how you spell it). Hiro just sprayed the stage with his head bopping to the beat. They finished strong and in charge, staying on the last note of the song for as long as they could, Yano smashing the drums with all he hand, freaking awesome there and throughout the whole night. He drums so fast! The big finish finally comes and it ends. Time by so quick, I wanted more and by the look on some people, they did too.

On a special note, I wanted to say thanks too the two Japanese girls in front of the stage. They did the little hand gestures on some songs that Kayo would perform. They went wild, hopped, and grouped the stage and almost the band members for each song they played. They were a treat to watch in how a fan should act towards great performers. Made me a little jealous at how freely they were showing their love for the music and how big things come in small packages, seriously they looked like shy, adorable girls but as soon as Polysics came out they turned into mad women! Awesome! Finally, when they shed some tears (Ryan told me about this) at the last song of the night, it made me appreciate them showing up. Emotion is a rare creature for me but to them they caught it so easily, they spoke for me that night for what I wanted to show. It was a special night. So thank you.

My knees hurted, I was burning up, and super tired but I still wanted to see if they would come out. Ryan told me about them showing up after like half an hour last time they came and sure enough, his Intel was right on the money. I got unfinished autographs completed and pictures with Hiro! If you look at them I am sorry, they were taken on a camera phone but I still cherish them, I look so weird too so sorry for that too. I congratulated a very appreciative Hiro, Yano, Fumi, on a job well done and a hurried coming back to the states. I told Kayo how great she was and took an extra special picture with her towards the beginning of the night. Again, I look weird but I enjoy it because she is in it and that’s all that matters. Last time she would be in Chicago so I felt great getting the chance to get a photo with her (Thanks Ryan for taking the pix) Said goodnight to Ryan and thanked the two Japanese girls for their great dancing and we went outside.

Leaving the place, I felt like I was out of my body. I was so happy with how things turned out; the good outweighed the bad in spades! I was able to do so much this time than the first time. Courage and persistence made that possible. Read me now, if you want something new, crazy, brain scratching good music you need to check out Polysics out today. It is worth the time. I like to thank Polysics for coming back and hope for a speedy return once again. The last thing is that I wish Kayo the best of luck and hope everything turns out the way she wants it. Even though I haven’t been there from their beginning, I still appreciate her performance and being. She will be missed.

Polysics can’t wait to see what you come up with next.