Peelander-Z... It's About to get Weird
Unless you've already seen "Japanese Action Comic Punk" band Peelander-Z live, you've never seen anything approaching the chaos of a Peelander-Z show. It's weird, it's fun and it's exactly what Wichita needs.
The New York based band will perform at Barleycorn’s on Thursday, Oct. 13th, following a showing of their documentary "Mad Tiger" at Tallgrass Filmfest.
This isn’t Peelander-Z’s first time in town.
“I got happpeeee time with audience!” said Kengo (aka Yellow) the band's leader, about their last visit to Wichita. “We’ll make Tofu restaurant in Wichita!”
If you're confused... get used to it. Yellow's quotes make about as much sense as their stage show.
Who is Peelander-Z?
Peelander-Z's genre doesn't really exist, but imagine if the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers formed a Ramones cover band. It's punk, highly energetic, and as the band puts it, 10% music, 90% theatrical.
The band formed in 1998 and is comprised of Peelander Yellow (Kengo Hioki), Pink (Yumiko Kanazaki) , Purple (Akiteru Ito), Green (Akihiko "Cherry" Naruse) , Black (Testuya Hayakawa).
The “official” story is that the band is a race of aliens from the planet Peelander, hailing from area Z.
“If you looking for it, you never find it. Feel it, you can find on your brain.” said Yellow, about Planet Peelander.
On a mission to collect food for their people, they traveled to Earth to collect smiles, the fuel that makes their people thrive.
Mad Tiger Documentary
Tallgrass Filmfest will screen the band's documentary “Mad Tiger” at the Orpheum Thursday, October 12th.
The film chronicles two best friends, (Peelander Yellow, and Red) and their last fifteen years touring the country in Peelander-Z.
Filmmakers Jonathan Yi and Michael Haertlein give a unique look into some of the interpersonal struggles that musicians often go through as band members grow individually, sometimes not in the same direction as the rest of the band. As old members leave and new members struggle to “find the groove” you see into the mind of group founder Kengo Hioki as he fights to keep his band going.
The Show
"You don’t need anything" said Yellow, "Just bring your body. Don’t think too much, have fun!"
Human bowling, limbo dancing, and audience members being pulled on stage are commonplace at a Peelander-Z show. The band guarantees “intense audience participation” and "insanity".
Peelander-Z's out-of-this-world performance will be at Barleycorn’s following the showing of their documentary. Doors open at 9 p.m. with The Travel Guide kicking things off at 9:30 p.m.
Peelander-Z will play at 11 p.m. The event is free with a Tallgrass Filmfest Tallpass or discounted to $5 for those with Tallgrass ticket stub from Mad Tiger, or $7 at the door.
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