Japanther performs in the Soundcheck studio.

Japanther: Throttling Punk Meets Wild Art Project

By
Michael Katzif
Soundcheck | May 30, 2013

Japanther was originally supposed to be an art project, and maybe they still are. Formed in 2001 by Matt Reilly and Ian Vanek while students at Pratt Institute, the brash Brooklyn duo has won people over with wild unconventional live shows: The band has performed with synchronized swimmers and marionette puppets, on the Williamsburg bridge and on the back of a truck. Yet at the heart of those bizarre art experiments, Japanther's hooky punk songs are sure to get a crowd flailing and dancing with abandon.

With buzzy guitars, blurry vocals, and a steady throttling pulse, songs like "Stolen Flowers" -- from the band's latest album, Eat Like Lisa Act Like Bart -- are short and sweet bursts of energy meant to be played fast and loud. Together, it's this mix of fierce immediacy and atypical high concepts that makes Japanther such an irresistible force.

Set List:

  • "Stolen Flowers"
  • "More Teachers Less Cops"
  • "The Drums Deliver"

For more photos, visit Soundcheck's Tumblr page.

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Michael Katzif

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