Asobi Seksu, Lunar Event
Radio Radio
Sunday, Oct. 31

Every now and then, an out-of-town group shows up in Indy and leaves a few hours later with local music fans’ jaws agape. New York’s Asobi Seksu came to Radio Radio and put on a Halloween show that made the audience feel they’d witnessed the Velvet Underground, Blondie or Sonic Youth at their peak.

Smartly choosing to play only their most powerful material, Asobi Seksu started with their sprightly single “I’m Happy But You Don’t Like Me,” before launching into a furious sonic assault of rock, noise, keyboards and impassioned vocals.

Frontwoman Yuki was as powerful and charismatic a stage presence as had been promised in the advance hype. Imagine someone with the stage presence of P.J. Harvey, the vocal gymnastic tricks of Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and an aesthetic derived in equal parts Yoko Ono and John Lennon. That’s Asobi Seksu on a good night.

And make no doubt, this was a good night. Tossing off songs with the speed of the Ramones, the group showed energy, passion, drive and conviction. They were exciting, like a first kiss or a winning lotto ticket or an unexpected raise at work.

“I’ve been in Indiana one day and you people are some of the nicest I’ve ever met,” Yuki said between songs. Well, we were nice because we are hungry, starving even, for some high-energy, turbocharged rock and roll.

We, the fortunate few who saw Asobi Seksu on Saturday, were well-fed.