Fujiya & Miyagi

Echoplex - October 13, 2007

Live Review and Photograph by Alexis Roberts

Saturday night in Los Angeles and you would figure a show like this would be totally packed because it was taking place in the oh-so-trendy Echo Park area. Maybe it was the fact that it cost $18 to get in, or it might have been the huge truck crash on the 5 freeway, but seriously where was everyone?

Fujiya and Migayi (actually a trio) hail from England and are currently touring in support of their new album with Project Jenny Project Jan. Project Jenny Project Jan is a dude in a gold blazer and a dude with a lap top. The music sure is novel, but it also didn’t go over that well with the antsy drunks in the audience. Their music is like a bad Las Vegas lounge act on lots and lots of drugs. It was tolerable but they had obviously worn out their welcome before their set came to a close because we had a heckler on our hands. Some guy kept shouting how awful they were (but using less classy language) and telling them to get off the stage. I personally like hecklers but only if they are being creative about it. If that’s all you’re packing, you better come up with some new moves, champ.

F&M took the stage right on schedule, which is always a nice thing. They were introduced by the Echoplex owner, who was very excited to have them there; they then took the stage silently and just began playing. Their music is groove music - totally weird, low-key dance music. They opened with probably their most well-known song, "Ankle Injuries" (in which the first minute of the song is them repeating Fujiya/Miyagi over and over); it’s simple, but it sure did get everyone amped and set the tone for the rest of the show.

Two extra things I like about this band:  David Best still has a noticeable English accent even when he sings (good luck trying to figure out what any of them are saying in between songs, though) and Matt Hainsby has a really nice bass dance that he breaks into quite often and without inhibition which seems to get everyone going.

There was a ton of dancing and moving amongst the people who came to see them despite the fairly docile nature of the music. There was even a bit of pushing and shoving up toward the front. They finished out their healthy sized set without an encore, which is a normal happening at the dear old Echoplex, an anticlimactic end to the evening and the perfect way to rain on the Fujiya & Miyagi parade. Despite the fact that there wasn’t an encore, I think everyone got what they came for: good music, good dancing and a memorable night thanks to Fujiya & Miyagi.