By: David de Young
 Sweet JAP performs at Loring Park's Music and Movies in the Park - Photo by David de Young (click for full-sized version) |
Members: Hideo - guitar, vocals Label website: |
Damnit, I missed yet another Soviette's show, arriving as they played their final song at Monday's Music and Movies in the the Park. But I'm not used to arriving at a rock show at around 7:30 p.m. and finding it already half over.
What I did manage to catch was a full, bang-up, powerhouse of a set by Minneapolis-based punk band and Big Neck Records artists Sweet J.A.P. These five guys play metal-tinged, high-energy, physical, fun punk rock as if Black Sabbath meets the Dead Kennedys (in Japan, of course) with enough basic Ramones 3 chord rock and roll focus to keep them right on track.
I was so impressed that at the end of several of the short songs I sometimes even forgot to clap. If this had been a room, instead of a park, lead vocalist Sho would have had control of it. I should have set my camera to it's "action" mode, as this band moved so fast most of my pictures came out artistically blurry, and that was under natural light without even using my zoom lens! Whether they were singing in Japanese or English or a little of both hardly matters as you find yourself wanting to sing along regardless. And the last time I looked, a primal scream wasn't in any dictionary anyway. (Check out the MP3 for "Hong Kong Express" from their April 2003 release "Virgin Vibe" which is available on their website to form your own opinions.)
Sweet J.A.P. also get credit for fending off the drunk guy with the backpack who joined them onstage for part of their set to jump up and down and slam perhaps accidentally slam dance with the various musicians. I have no picture of that because my camera batteries had died from overuse by the time their short set ended with the song "No Goodbyes," which the band said was about Minneapolis, prompting someone in the crowd to say "What about St. Paul?" prompting another wise guy to reply "Fuck St. Paul!" But enough about the creative and witty remarks of the audience. These guys rock, and show organizers just about had to mop the sweat up off the concrete stage to set up the movie screen for The Great White Hope.
For the rest of the Movies and Music in the park schedule, click here.
Location Info:
Loring Park
Artist Info: Sweet J.A.P.
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