NOTE: All photos are copyright of Dean Keim 2025
The all-female punk pop trio Shonen Knife from Osaka, Japan, who had gained a ferocious following in the mid 90’s with their brand of bodacious bubblegum indie rock, played two sold out nights at the intimate venue called Littlefield in the lowlands Gowanus area of Brooklyn. I was lucky enough to catch the second night’s show which proved to be even more special than most of their other super cool concerts. The first night was apparently all original SK songs, but the second was split in half with an opening set of the band playing as the Osaka Ramones, during which they played Ramones covers with their own brand of childlike folly. The band formed all the way back in 1981 but they became an early indie label hit in the late 80’s in the States, getting quite a bit of exposure opening for the likes of Sonic Youth, Red Kross. But playing with and receiving huge praise from Nirvana just as they were breaking through to the mainstream really helped kick them into another level of success. To many here in the US, Shonen Knife was their first exposure to any music from Japan, not to mention a Japanese rock band, and while they did sing mostly about candy, robots, and nothing super deep, it was clear they were, in many ways, making a meta commentary on consumerism culture and were intentionally keeping their music light and fun while still rocking hard. Since 2006, frontwoman and guitarist Naoko Yamano was the only original member left in the band, but her sister (and founding rocker) Atsuko Yamano rejoined the band on bass a few years back after having retired from the rock life for over a decade. The power trio is completed by the youthful spirit of former Brinky drummer Risa Kawano, booming with vigor and good vibes from behind the kit.
The Vancouver garage rock duo The Pack A.D. opened the show with a blisteringly loud and proud performance. Guitarist Becky Black is a bewitching presence as the frontwoman and axe grinder with drummer Maya Miller as an often hilarious counterweight to the heavy rhythms she plays. At times you can hear a bit of the White Stripes and Black Keys duo energy, but they clearly wear their own sound on their sleeves and leave nothing but melted faces in their wake. As raw as their songs often sound, they do have a bit of an exploratory psychedelic feel during some of their longer jams, which can be real fun to trip out to. They have at least eight albums under their belts but haven’t released a new album since 2020’s It Was Fun While It Lasted, so it is good to see these wayward troubadours back out on the road and rocking hard.
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“We love the Ramones so much,” recounted Naoko Yamano during their first set. “We got to play with Marky Ramone a few years back, but we also played with the actual Ramones back in 1998, or was it 1995? I can’t remember, but they were great guys!” I did catch Shonen Knife playing with former Ramones drummer Marky Ramone, had seen them play some Ramones covers here and there over the years, and they did release a full Ramones cover album in 2011. It always set the crowd ablaze when they played these pop punk classics but it was a real treat to have them do a full set of those songs and seeing them live has a special energy all of its own. “I Wanna Be Sedated” and “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker” were seriously fun, but my favorites were “Blitzkrieg Bop” and “Rockaway Beach.” They brought such joy to the songs, and it was a real pleasure to take in the positive energy. They were dressed in some of their former black merch shirts (their branding has always been killer) with heavy punk leather coats on, but they switched up their outfits for their second set with black and white dresses that were numbered 1 through 3.
They opened their originals set with “Buttercup (I’m a Super Girl)” from the iconic Powerpuff Girls soundtrack. They did play some songs off their last album 2023’s Our Best Place like “MUJINTO” and the super fun “Vamos Taquitos” sandwiched in the middle of the set, but much of the rest of this half was full of classics like “Twist Barbie” and “Banana Chips.” They came out dressed in even more of their newer merch shirts for their encore, when I was pleased as a peach that they played “Green Tea” from their 2014 album Overdrive (I love that disc so very much) with drummer Risa singing away bringing a lot of joy to my heart. They finished with an oldie “Antonio Baka Guy” from their 1986 album Pretty Little Baka Guy and the packed room exploded with enthusiasm. It is always a great pleasure to see these legends on stage and you should never miss out on the chance to rock out with them.
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You got the makes reversed for Pack AD. Becky plays guitar.
Atsuko Yamano plays bass for Shonen Knife.
Thank you. Fixed it.