Tuesday,
September 25 at 7pm
Japanese
Group Sounds Night
Go
Forward! with The Captains in Concert
Co-presented by Eric
Bresler and Joseph A Gervasi
A celebration of Japan’s
golden era of rock and roll featuring a live performance from
modern Group Sounds champions The Captains, with a rare screening
of the 1968 film classic Go Forward!, shown with English
subtitles for the first time anywhere.
Go
Forward!
dir. Kunihiko Yamamoto,
Japan, 1968, DVD, 85 mins, color, Japanese w/ English subtitles
Starring Group Sounds
legends The Spiders whose hits “Furi Furi ‘66” and “Ban Ban”
are regarded today as genre classics. A rare and wild treat
for fans of early rock/psychedelic cinema. Imagine A Hard
Day’s Night, Help! and the Monkees’ tv show set
in Japan, complete with the pop art of the time.
About Group Sounds
and The Captains:
 Coined
shortly after The Beatles’ first trip to Japan in June of 1966,
the Group Sounds (GS) era of Japanese rock spanned the mid to
late 60s. One year prior to this, The Ventures toured Japan
and eleki (electric guitar) fever swept the nation’s youth.
Hundreds of bands sprung up, but they were more concerned with
imitating the sounds of the genre rather than expanding upon
it. The typical GS act was composed of four to six clean-cut
young men clad in matching outfits. Despite unthreatening appearances
and seemingly harmless pop-rock sounds, these acts gained a
reputation of being dangerous and unpredictable much like their
foreign counterparts. The turn of the decade saw the rise of
the psychedelic New Rock movement, which concentrated more on
mood and mind expansion rather than teenage girls.
The Captains consider
themselves the “Last Group Sounds”, proudly carrying on the
tradition of their rock and roll forefathers. The Captains debuted
on Toshiba EMI in 2005 with the album Shishin Tengoku – Koe
wo Shiyo yo and quickly became one of the most popular acts
in Japan. Their immense following is largely due to their live
performances, which resemble an anime program come to life.
Clad in matching military uniforms and armed with roses for
young lovers, The Captains drive audiences crazy with their
fast guitars, comedic talents, and
on-stage go-go girls.
Be prepared to declare your love and faint! Witness the romance!
Love is guaranteed!
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