Far East To East Showcase (F.E.T.E.S.)

Karaterice & the New York Anime Festival have collaborated to debut a new music showcase for emerging Asian artists.   The ‘Far East To East Showcase‘ or ‘F.E.T.E.S.‘ is new music platform that will present artists from both the Far East and United States.

The FETES musical lineup includes BakuBeni, Echostream, Minirex, Falsies on Heat, Quaff, Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re, along with special guests The Notorious MSG.   FETES will mark the return of Asian Hip Hop group The Notorious MSG to the live music scene after a brief hiatus.  Favorites, Japan’sTsu Shi Ma Mi Re and the NJ based Echostream will also headline. It will also be the NYC debut Japanese bands Bakubeni and Quaff as well as the Seattle based Minirex.

FETES takes place in the historic Knitting Factory (74 Leonard Street, New York, NY 10003) on Saturday, September 27. Doors will open at 6:30 PM, with FETES scheduled to kick off at 7:30 PM.

The evening is hosted by the “masters of mayhem,” the giant monster performance troupe Kaiju Big Battel. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at doors, and available now at ticketweb.com, knittingfactory.com, and the Knitting Factory box office. The show is open to audiences of all ages.

“FETES is an extraordinary platform for Asian artists, both local and foreign,” Karaterice organizer Hayden Honey said. “It’s an awesome combination of talent at the legendary Knitting Factory that should not be missed.”

“We’re very excited to be a part of the Far East To East Showcase,” NYAF Programming Manager Peter Tatara said. “We want all of New York City to celebrate Asian culture in September, and FETES is a powerful way to bring this festival into the heart of Manhattan.”

Karaterice will hold a FETES presentation on Friday, September 26 at the New York Anime Festival. Karaterice will also maintain a booth at NYAF all weekend long where various FETES artists will appear. Tickets to the New York Anime Festival are on sale now at newyorkanimefestival.com.

THE NOTORIOUS MSG featured guests (USA):

Blasting out of the streets of Chinatown, The Notorious MSG are three renegade restaurant workers on a mission to rip you in half with their high-sodium beats. After years of struggling in kitchens, they found salvation in music, formed a band, and became a deep-fried explosion of old school hip hop, rock, and metal. Since their debut, The Notorious MSG’s received attention from sources including The New York Times, Blender, GQ Japan, MTV and MTV Asia, Time Out NY, BBC World Radio, URB, and Bust.

TSU SHI MA MI RE (Japan):
Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re is an all-girl Japanese rock trio specializing in a mix of hard rock, punk, and pop with idiosyncratic, quirky lyrics. Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re gained fame in the US at the South by Southwest music festival, and they’re currently busy producing a new album specifically for their fans in America.

 

ECHOSTREAM (USA):
Echostream’s music is a dark and brooding film for your ears. Mixing electronica textures and guitar-driven riffs, the band works hard to occupy the two worlds of angst and beauty. Fueled by haunting vocals, destructive guitars, and angry beats, Echostream’s sound is an emotional roller coaster, rising and rising, pulling the audience ever upward, until the band turns spins on its heels and evokes sounds from the deepest, darkest, and blackest of memories.

QUAFF (Japan):
Genre-breaking rock band Quaff explores the vocal styles of “uta” (melody) and “tuzuri” (rap) and adds to both a unique, vivid visual flourish. Quaff’s goal is the expression of emotion, vision, will, and heart as an art form, and the band’s music boldly disobeys boundaries with the aim of becoming global, true, and pure art.

BAKUBENI (Japan):
BakuBeni is an unstoppable explosion of Japanese punk. Throwing forth unapologetic sounds and a vicious yankii stage show, they’re a musical force of nature dedicated to what they call “Ikizama Rock”. “Ikizama” means “Way of Life”, and what’s exactly what BakuBeni’s music is. To BakuBeni, music is life.

MINIREX (USA):
A notorious quintet of punk-pop vixens from the Emerald city. Going from sweet and soulful to kick-ass in a single note they know how to rock the room.
Buttersprites members Jen Gay (drums), Julie Grant (keys), and Lunarre Omura (bass) join forces with local singer songwriter Amzeah Smith (vox) and Cathy Le (guitar) to form MiniRex in September 2007.

FALSIES ON HEAT (Japan):
A hardcore all-girl punk rock band from Japan, Falsies on Heat has been pounding it out in clubs on both sides of the Pacific for years. Formed with the goal to out-rock and out-party all takers, Falsies on Heat leaves a trail of shattered ear drums and smiling faces in their wake. Falsies on Heat was ranked as one of Shojo Beat’s favorite All-Girl Bands in 2007.