Jikoyokusei Shoukogun brought Visual kei to the cozy confines of the Blackwater Cafe Sept. 27. The first song they played, “Evidence,” began with a catchy bass line that drew the audience in and an explosion of sound.

Vocalist Haretsu’s voice went from gentle to harsh in a moment. On tracks like “Intensity,” Kou’s guitar line was dark and meaty, and Kumori’s drumming was passionate. The best song of the night was “Comfort Sionide,” which had a great tempo and dreamy vocals. All instruments melded wonderfully and one could tell they were proud of this song.

Stop The Madness played next and consisted of the singer singing and playing acoustic guitar solo. He said to the audience that some band members couldn’t make it and others were in the audience but didn’t want to play. Then, armed with an acoustic guitar and his voice, he played about five songs, some nostalgic and wistful, and others very emotional and rocking. His tremulous voice went well with his music, especially during the slower songs.

The last band of the night was NOVACAIN, whose spacey and surreal jazz-rock filled the little café. With rotating drummers and other people coming in and adding to the big melding of sound, it was a very friendly band. The first drummer even called for Kumori to come and take his place in the band as he was switching to his trombone. Their music may not appeal to everyone, but it was evident that they enjoyed what they were doing and wanted everyone in the audience to be a part of it as well.

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