Review: Fujiya and Miyagi live at Mercury Lounge

Posted by The G on January 22, 2012 under G Reviews | Be the First to Comment

Photos by G.

On January 21, 2012, British electronic band Fujiya and Miyagi played a sold out show at New York’s Mercury Lounge.  If you are unfamiliar with the music of Fujiya and Miyagi, here’s a brief primer:  the band gets their name from a brand of record player as well as a character in the film “The Karate Kid.”  They’ve been around since the early 2000s and their music features playful lyrics over delicious electronic grooves.  Their songs are all mid- to up-tempo and they’ve mastered the art of moving on to the next song before the groove has a chance to get boring.  What you will find in Fujiya and Miyagi’s music are carefully constructed 3 to 4 minute tracks with a bass line and a beat that will definitely get you in the dancing mood.  Taking that formula to the live stage made for a great night as the audience got a chance to dethaw from the first New York snow storm of 2012 in an all out dance party.  Fujiya and Miyagi played a generous helping of tracks from their 2011 album “Ventrilloquizzing” with songs such as “Cat Got Your Tongue,” “YoYo,” “16 Shades of Black and Blue” and “Minestrone.”  Fan favorites such as “Uh” and “Knickerbocker” were also played as well as “Ankle Injuries” which features the band shouting out “Fujiya and Miyagi” at the end of the song.  What a fun night!  Thanks to F&M!

See the setlist after the jump.