Cartonbox

Next day, I went to check them out at High Dive, a relatively new live venue in Fremont. Although their sound system is pretty top-notch (as far as I could tell), there's this very DIY feel to the venue, which in this case was very appropriate. Surprisingly for a first-time gig, a crowd was building around the center. I could tell there was a big contingency from the art show the day before, and the vibe was warm and supportive.

Cartonbox played to this extremely receptive crowd for about three-quarters of an hour, mostly from their latest self-published release called Loop. The band looked like an electronica band, what with the shiny Powerbook and an assortment of keyboards in the center (and the keyboardist/laptop operator Yoshiko barely visible through it all). But the music itself sounded more like early Radioheads and 90s J-rock like Grapevine or Sunny Day Service. The vocalist Hidenori's voice was almost angelic and his guitar playing subtle and nuanced. The same couldn't be said about the rhythm section, sadly, but on the other hand, the hard-edged beats and bass lines lent an air of intrigue to the songs.

My friend Hiro and I chatted with the band members afterwards, and they were just well-mannered, sweet kids with boundless passion for their art ("I really like Sigur Ros," one of them confessed to me). I also met PCP and his wife, and chatted about art, design and the Japanese summer. It was so good to see one of their dreams coming true right there! I wish Cartonbox all the best for their future endeavors, and I strongly encourage the readers here to support these independent artists.