A Crazy Saturday Night With Peelander Z
By the time Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" started playing over the speakers, even that trash was enjoyable, thanks to the previous hour or so spent with Peelander Z. Coming off a long tour which included multiple appearances at SXSW, the NYC-based Japanese punk band had made their triumphant return to NYC a most unforgettable night for the room full of fans.
Unlike the standard, American Apparel-wearing ironic-facial hair room of hipsters, the room was full of geeks, nerds, dweebs, and spazzes, and theyre way more fun than hipsters. I felt at home with the less self-conscious, less fashion-conscious group of non-hipsters. They danced, had fun, and never seemed to over think any of their actions. That is exactly the philosophy Peelander Z teachesDont Think, just have fun. And fun was had.
After setting up their equipment, Peelander Z played about one note, and Peelander Yellow, still in street clothes, announced that the show was over. Of course no one believed him and in no time the group was back to the stage in their colorful Power Rangers-style outfits. After introducing the new member, Peelander Green, it only took a couple minutes to turn the Music Hall of Williamsburg into a circus, bringing a majority of the crowd on stage to play along with them. As usual, the energetic punk music played a minor role in the entertainment. The bulk of the fun came from the band's unrelenting energy and their ability to absorb the crowd into their fun antics. Early on, the limbo stick was brought out, and later on it was time for the hilarious human bowling routine that has become a staple of Peelander Z shows.
When Peelander Z performs, you never quite know what to expect, other than nonstop craziness. The band pushes to get the crowd involved as much as possible, even handing over their own instruments to a few lucky members at one point. It all pays off, because the Peelander Z empire will continue to grow and should eventually have a massive cult following, not unlike Gwar.
Moments before experiencing Peelander Z's hyperactivity, An Albatross whipped the crowd into a frenzy with their own totally spazzed-out set. Led by a wild front man, who jumped all over the place, they were fast and furious, to the point of being exhausting.
Fun Machine, the 2nd band of the night, and first that I caught, started off their set with a strange, experimental performance art-style song, during which the singer stripped down to bare her breasts after starting out covered in a white clothe that made her look like a ghost. After that strange, sensual performance, she and the violinist left, and the band transformed into their more natural geek-rock band, or is it dweeb-rock. Either way it was a relatively fun mix of DEVO, They Might Be Giants, and The Advantage.
Peelander Z doesnt have anymore NYC shows, but you can catch them in Hoboken, NJ on Sunday at the Castle Point Anime Convention, located at the Stevens Institute of Technology, which sounds like the perfect place to see them.
An Albatross
An Albatross
Photos by [Jonny-Leather]