GIG PICKS (SEPTEMBER)

September 01, 2025 ,featured ,music

Lausbub

It's September and summer is still here in full force, reminding us once again that we're all going to die from global warming. But, in the meantime, here are Tokyo-Met's gig guide for the start of the "Official Cultural Season," which kicks off at the start of what was formerly called "Autumn." As usual, we avoid the over-obvious, overpriced, and prematurely sold out gigs in the attempt to send you down some musical back alleys.

ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE

Spaced-out, psychedelic rockers Acid Mothers play hopped-up drony, echoey, ethereal music with a solid vibe and bursts of guitar pyrotechnics. When they started out 30 years ago, they were already looking back a similar length of time to free jazz, krautrock, and prog. Led by guitarist Makoto Kawabata, the five-piece band will set the controls for the heart of the Sun or something else equally mind-bending and sweaty.
5th of Sept. Aoyama Moonromantic. Price: ¥4,000 (Ticket info).

FARAQUET

Post-hardcore Washington D.C. band Faraquet is in town. Post-hardcore, for those that don't know, is just "post-punk" booted 20 years down the road, as the basic idea is simply to keep the raw aggression and energy of more primal music but to make it more expressive and sophisticated. The band caused a bit of a stir in the late 9os and finally broke up in 2008, but 17 years later they're back with their meaty, sinuous rock, influenced by the likes of SONIC YOUTH, DINOSAUR Jr., and The WHO. Japanese support MALEGOAT are pretty good too.
11th Sept. Nine Spices, Shijuku. Price: ¥7,000

15th, 16th Sept. Fever, Shindaita. Price: ¥6,500 (Ticket info)

HORSE GIRL

Looking like a bunch of emotionally retarded Zoomer girls, dripping with twee irony, Chicago chick-trio Horsegirl play a steaming stew of indie, no wave, shoegaze, and slacker rock that puts you in mind of MY BLOODY VALENTINE, YO LA TENGO, STEREOLAB, and even MORRISSEY, so what's not to love? And it doesn't look like they have boyfriends yet.
16th (WWW X, Shibuya) 17th September (Liquidroom, Ebisu).
Price ¥7,700 (Ticket Info 1, 2).

LAUSBUB

Sapporo pop-techno duo Lausbub (German for "naughty lad") have raised interest without undue popularity (a positive in my book) with their experimental melding of a clubby techno vibe and a giddy pop sensibility. Also, they look like they just met in high school music circle all of five minutes ago, so that should endear them to some.