A raucous bassist shouting at the top of his lungs, a guitarist who models himself on AC/DC's Angus Young and a drummer dressed in nothing but a fundoshi (loincloth) — meet The Wemmer.
The Shizuoka-based band is typical of the energy of punk, hard rock and indie scenes scattered across the country. After touring in the United States twice, though, bassist and vocalist Takahiro Yamashita (22) wants his hometown of Shizuoka on the nation's music map. How will he do that? Well, he's organized his own festival, Fever of Shizuoka.
"After touring in America and witnessing the excitement of the music scenes outside of New York, it made me think that Shizuoka has the same kind of buzz, being a growing scene away from Tokyo," Yamashita says. "I want to present my city's music and culture to the world."