Since forming in 1981 by sisters Naoko and Atsuko Yamano and close friend Michie Nakatani, Shonen Knife’s trajectory from niche independent underground circles to the mainstream is quite remarkable. The origin of the band name comes from a brand of children’s pocket pencil sharpeners, which unfortunately are not in production anymore. The band embraced the early sounds of late 70’s/early 80’s fast paced punk but added a pop dimension to their music with lyrics that reflected food, animals and life’s simple pleasures (but mostly food). Shonen Knife took inspiration from The Ramones, Beach Boys and 1960’s bubblegum pop aesthetics. The band’s first album, “Burning Farm” was released in Japan in 1983 and would find a release stateside in 1985 by K Records. The band’s sound started to get the attention of not only the underground music scene in the US but also the attention of big-name musicians including Sonic Youth and Kurt Cobain.
Following the release of “712”, the band followed that up one year later with the album “Let’s Knife” which was their first major label international release and marked a turning point in the trajectory of the band. All three band members quit their day jobs and focused on Shonen Knife full time. They began to tour extensively, including opening spots for Nirvana for both their European/UK and US tours (1991 and 1993 respectively) in support of “Nevermind”. So, when the invitation came to photograph and write about Shonen Knife performing in Reno, I knew I couldn’t pass this opportunity up. I wanted to hear what this band sounded like, particularly for a band that started DIY and made their success through never letting go of their identity, even in the face of cynical criticism. I had given the re-cut version of “Let’s Knife” a few listens, as well as several singles from their massive discography and was ready to see what they were all about.
Once the lights dimmed and the band made their way to the stage, they immediately made their way to the front of the stage to engage the audience. The Exhibition Hall at Silver Legacy was decently filled in by the 7pm start time and the cheers were lively. Dressed in matching Piet Mondrian inspired dresses, the trio immediately went to work, performing with high energy and smiles. In particular, drummer Risa Kawano’s passion and love for their music resonated throughout the venue. It was a joy to watch as she smashed every cymbal and belted out the lyrics to every song. Shonen Knife loved to perform and enjoyed being on stage. With over forty plus years of shows under their belt, that experience was on display this night, However, the more endearing moments of the night for me was the enthusiasm they had for their performance and the appreciation they had for the fan base who came early to see them.
The set itself was a blend of songs from their re-recorded album, “Let’s Knife” like Twist Barbie and Riding on the Rocket and various songs from other albums. I bring up the food theme again because most of the songs performed centered around their favorite eats. Four by my count, the band performed Sushi Bar Song, Banana Chips and two other songs centered around Mexican food and candy. The candy song also led into a brief lesson in Japanese in which the audience were taught the words to help sing the chorus. I was hoping for some Ramones covers but I didn’t catch any (a few stops on this current tour featured full shows dedicated to covering The Ramones, in which Shonen Knife become Osaka Ramones). It was a fun set overall with the one big complaint being that the band were only given about 26 minutes in total to perform. For a band of their history and massive discography, I found it a bummer they were given such little time to play.
That didn’t seem to affect Shonen Knife in the end. From the first note to the last, they played with love and an energy level that never tapered off. It was amazing to see such a legendary band getting to play. I’ve been to a few shows where this wasn’t the case with a massive headliner and that is not a great feeling to have as an attendee. Shonen Knife were the complete opposite of this and they played their hearts out. When the set finished to tremendous applause, everyone in the audience was invited to meet them bacl at the merch table, which I found to be a touching moment. It was a memorable show and I was very happy to have had the opportunity to capture it behind my lens.
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