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ティーンと"ハイ"に過ごす
On a High with Teens
The Japan Times, April 11, 2004
Friday, March 19: There's an explosion of noise and color in the heart of the Ten-jin district in Fukuoka City and the locals don't know what has hit them
Models dance down a runway through a clothes-shop complex commonly known as Oshareyoko-cho and straight into the street outside as groovy '60s psychedelic and Group Sounds music blares behind them; a chanteuse sings some Showa ballads. But three girls steal the show, gliding down the runway in vivid orange, red and yellow kimono
This trinity of exploding stars — Tomo, Honey and Kei — are the reason I've traveled halfway across Japan to be here. The street outside was empty when the show started, but by the end it is packed. Passersby snap away with their camera keitai. Motorists honk their horns in a bid to get by.
Why all the fuss? Because, as far as fashion goes, Fukuoka appears to have about as much going for it as a mountain village inhabited by a farmer, his wife and a bunch of goats. On the surface, that is. If you've got inside knowledge, it's another story. And thanks to Thee 50's High Teens (that's Tomo, Honey and Kei), this is that other story
The High Teens are the best-dressed band in Japan, they deliver thrilling live shows, and they blast that retro garage sound into the future through bassist Tomo's hoarse punk-rock vocal blitz, Kei's demented keyboard antics (she dances so crazily she often collapses during sets), and the cool demeanor of mysterious and beautiful guitarist Honey. The girls have promised me a five-day rock 'n' roll guided tour of a city that has spawned such indie-rock notables as Number Girl and Mo'Some Tonebender. And who could turn that offer down?
The High Teens swear by the Keith Flack livehouse, where they often play, but tonight we hit the aptly named Oyafuko-dori ("Make Parents Unhappy Street"), home of many of the city's live venues, and end up wasted at a garage night at Butterfly, watching a cool local band called Lovebites
Saturday, March 20: Tomo screeches to a halt in her cute white Mira Daihatsu and I climb inside. "If you write down I've got this car everyone will know how poor I am," she says in her incredibly husky voice.
"Tonight, we're taking you to the only place in town that does genuine '60s-style haircuts," says Kei, excitedly.
Do they wish they had lived in the '60s?
"Nah!" says Tomo. She's wearing a black-and-white woolen coat with orange trim and matching retro orange-lensed glasses and is hunched over the wheel like a hip but nearsighted grandma. "I'm sure it would've been fun to live in the '60s, but now we get to do keitai and e-mails as well as do the stuff they did in the '60s — so it's cooler now."
At the door of Beehive Deluxe, which is tucked away in a otherwise dour Akasaka back street, I'm greeted by Hiroko Ueno. She runs the place with husband Tatsuya, who looks up from cutting a customer's hair and waves. Fifties and '60s style books are stacked on a table, and in a far corner are the retro crown jewels — a 2-meter-high fridge and a enormous cooker with cute red knobs.
"We shot part of our video down here," says Tomo.
"It's pure '50s California," says Kei. "And upstairs it's pure '30s Chicago."
"Kei changed her hairstyle seven times last year," says Tomo. (Tonight, Kei will go home, check her photo albums, and report that it was 10 times.)
After ramen at one of the packed-out yatai stalls that line the riverbank in the Nakasu area, we buzz off to Fuzz. It has the best record collection I've seen in a bar — Television and The Velvets sit next to Murahachibu and obscure '60s garage discs. While Juichiro Tanaka mixes cocktails his wife, Mami, emerges from the kitchen bearing trays of exotic desserts, which is what this cozy joint is famous for
We were gonna do an interview here, but Kei is scoffing her Snow Dome Pie, and then stealing mouthfuls of Honey's Rare Cream Cheese Parfait. Tomo wants to do the interview, but, errr, we get drunk and end up at a karaoke parlor until dawn.
Shukan ST: July 13, 2004
(C) All rights reserved
- On a High
- ハイになる
- explosion of noise and color
- 音と色の爆発
- in the heart of
- 中心地
- district
- 地域
- what has hit them
- 何が起きたのか、何の騒ぎか
- runway
- 道端
- complex
- 数店舗入った複合ビル
- commonly known as
- 通称
- groovy '60s psychedelic and Group Sounds music
- グルービーな60年代サイケデリックとグループサウンズの音楽
- blares
- 鳴り響く
- chanteuse
- 女性歌手
- Showa ballads
- 昭和のバラード
- steal the show
- ショーの主役を奪う
- gliding down
- 練り歩く
- vivid
- 鮮やか
- trinity of exploding stars
- 輝かしいスターたち
- 've traveled halfway across Japan
- 日本を横断した
- packed
- ごった返した
- Paassersby
- 通りがかりの人たち
- snap away
- 写真を撮りまくる
- honk their horns
- 警笛を鳴らす
- in a bid to 〜
- 〜しようと
- fuss
- 大騒ぎ
- as far as fashion goes
- ファッションに関していえば
- as much going for it as 〜
- 〜と同じくらいの関心
- inside knowledge
- 詳しいこと
- another story
- 全く別の話
- thanks to 〜
- 〜のおかげ
- the best-dressed band
- 一番おしゃれな格好をするバンド
- deliver thrilling live shows
- ぞくぞくするライブを見せてくれる
- bassist
- ベース演奏者
- hoarse punk-rock vocal blitz
- パンクロックなかすれ声
- demented
- 発狂したような
- antics
- パフォーマンス
- sets
- ライブ
- demeanor
- 立ち居振る舞い
- promised me
- 約束してくれた
- spawned such indie-rock notables as 〜
- 〜といった有名バンドを生み出した場所
- turn that offer down
- 誘いを断る
- hit
- 行く
- home of 〜
- 〜が集中している
- end up wasted
- 酔いつぶれた
- local band
- 地元バンド
- screeches to a halt
- キーと音を立てて止まる
- climb inside
- (車に)乗り込む
- everyone will know how poor I am
- どんなに私が貧乏かみんなが知る
- incredibly husky voice
- ものすごいハスキーボイス
- genuine '60s-style haircuts
- 本物の60年代のヘアカット
- wish they had lived in the '60s
- 60年代に生きたかったと思う
- Nah
- (No)思わない
- woolen coat with orange trim
- オレンジの飾りが施されたウールのコート
- matching
- マッチする
- hunched over the wheel
- 背中を丸めてハンドルを握っている
- hip but nearsighted grandma
- おしゃれだが近眼のおばあちゃんのような
- as well as do the stuff they did in the '60s
- 同時に、60年代にできたこともできる
- At the door
- 入り口
- tucked away
- 裏のほうに隠れてある
- greeted
- 迎えてくれる
- runs the place
- 店を経営する
- waves
- 手を振る
- stacked
- 山積みになっている
- enormous cooker
- 巨大なキッチンコンロ
- shot
- 撮影した
- changed her hairstyle
- 髪型を変える
- packed-out
- 混んでいる
- line the riverbank
- 川べりに並ぶ
- buzz off to 〜
- 〜に向かう
- obscure
- 誰も知らないような
- emerges from the kitchen
- 台所から出現する
- bearing
- 〜を持って
- cozy
- 居心地のいい
- scoffing
- ムシャムシャと食べる
- mouthfuls
- 口いっぱいの
- errr
- えーと
- get drunk
- 酔っ払う