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Self-Promotion Plus: Summer Sonic 2011

I went to the Tokyo leg of Summer Sonic this year for The Japan Times, and you can read my report of the festival now. A few stray thoughts that didn’t find a way into the actual article.

– I’m told Yelle and Two Door Cinema Club also killed it at the Mountain Stage on Sunday, which I’m sure is true. I actually managed to see a little of Yelle’s set before going to Deerhunter, and it was good albeit nothing crazy. As for TDCC, I skipped them this year because I saw them at last year’s Summer Sonic and, though I thought they were good then, it felt pointless to see them again. There were a lot of people donning Two Door Cinema Club shirts, though, so I’m sure it was huge.

– As the story mentions, most of the Japanese crowd had no idea who Odd Future were (bless them so). Yet there were a few Westerners in attendance giddy to shout out “swag!” and “golf wang!” and all that other nonsense. Oh, and “faggot,” which one group of dudes right behind me kept doing.

– The food lines were super packed, forcing me to eat gelato for lunch Sunday. Not that I’m complaining…it was delicious.

– I have never seen a show as ridiculous as X Japan’s. Just…goofy as heck, but it had the fans in a tizzy.

– I love you to death, Osaka, but I would choose the Tokyo leg of Summer Sonic every time now that I’ve been to both. Surprisingly, Tokyo’s version is a lot easier to get to…you just need to take the train, whereas in Osaka you ride the train AND THEN get blindsided by a surprise bus fee that drives you to where the show is. Both are absolute pains to leave, but Tokyo struck me as less annoying.