MONKEY MAJIK x Yoshida Brothers in Toronto

It was a chilly fall night, and many fans arriving late to the Mod Club were shocked to find themselves forced to walk all the way down the block to reach the end of the line. The doors opened about half an hour late, but when the fans were finally allowed in, the club was packed from front to back and humming with excitement. People of all ages, from elderly couples to even a few small children, could be heard talking to each other in an even mix of Japanese and English.

Yoshida Brothers

When the Yoshida Brothers took the stage, they were instantly met with loud cheers. It was clear that many audience members had come specifically to see them. The two brothers sat cross-legged on the stage floor in matching red and white traditional attire. People could still be heard talking to each other in the audience as the first song began, but as the brothers’ playing began to speed up and rise in volume, the conversations slowly started to die down. The performance was simple, with nothing accompanying the brothers’ playing but strong lights that changed colour to match the mood of the music, but when their fingers began to fly up and down the necks of their shamisens it soon became clear that that was all they needed.

The brothers introduced themselves briefly in clear, concise English before the next song. Titled The End of the World, it saw younger brother Kenichi take the spotlight while Ryoichiro sat frozen in the dark, patiently waiting for his turn. It began with a slow, wave-like rhythm, building to an emotional climax that had every pair of eyes in the club fixed on him. By Ryoichiro’s solo, a faster piece that quickly became more and more frantic, making his body jerk and shake with each series of strokes, the audience was standing completely still, almost mirroring Kenichi’s frozen state. This stillness continued for much of their set, as fans stood, transfixed by the brothers’ virtuosity. However, interestingly, the audience also seemed to know just when to interject cheers and applause, suddenly coming to life with bursts of admiration for the performers’ skill. Some even mimicked the brothers’ shouts, helping to punctuate their playing.

Also interesting to note was the difference between the playing styles of the two brothers. Kenichi seemed to relax more into the music, closing his eyes and bobbing his head, with his mouth opening in an “o” at times, like a soloing guitarist. Ryoichiro, on the other hand, kept his eyes more on his hands, looking focused and intent, but smiling often at the crowd’s responses. Still, the brothers stayed perfectly in sync throughout the night, shouting and snapping their heads back in tandem at key moments.

One of the highlights of the set was Kodo. One of their best known songs, the enthusiastic reaction it received seemed to push the brothers to pick out the notes with extra speed and force. In stark contrast, another highlight was Oboro zukiyo, a peaceful, slow song that saw the audience actually begin to spontaneously hum along during its second half, making it feel like the building was being filled with a soothing lullaby. Afterwards, Kenichi introduced Jongara bushi as a song that incorporates every element of the shamisen’s sound. When the song began delicate, then saw the brothers switch abruptly to hard, percussive strokes, followed by odd, distorted-sounding noises and then a succession of frantic high notes that had their bodies trembling with the speed they were plucking the strings, it was easy to see what he meant.

After canon, the brothers bowed, stood up and exited the stage, smiling. They were accompanied by enthusiastic cheers.

Set List:
1. Kuroda bushi
2. Modern
3. End of the world
4. Koishi – saiun
5. AIYA
6. Kodo
7. Oboro zukiyo
8. Jongara bushi
9. canon

Then, after about twenty minutes of setup, it was time for MONKEY MAJIK.

MONKEY MAJIK’s first song, Black Hole, seemed tailor-made to be the perfect opener. With a danceable beat, a clap-along bridge and a catchy chorus, it got people moving and energy flowing. A clear standout of the night, it showcased Blaise’s impressive vocal range and the brothers’ seamless teamwork, as Maynard contributed backing vocals and worked the crowd in the dark, letting his brother take the spotlight. Bassist DICK’s showmanship also shone through right from the start. He worked hard to get the audience to clap and sang along joyously for much of the show, even though he had no microphone.

Wasting no time, Blaise called out, “I wanna fight your brother – Let’s kung fu!”, signaling the beginning of the band’s hit, Around the World, which drew a loud cheer from the fans. The familiar song got some of the more tentative fans moving, and both the audience and MONKEY MAJIK were quickly warmed up and ready to go. During one of their MCs Blaise mentioned that they had been to Toronto a “million billion times” in the past, and it certainly showed in the confident way that they engaged the audience. They made sure to acknowledge the city numerous times throughout the night, to enthusiastic cheers, even mentioning that the band had recently made their first trip to the CN Tower the day before.

Then came U.F.O., a beautiful ballad that, again, showcased Blaise‘s soaring vocals. It was followed by White Noise, which was the first song to really push Maynard’s voice into the spotlight. A romantic rock number, it mixed longing, seductive vocals on the verses with a catchy “hey-oh” chorus that got the audience clapping along. The brothers introduced the band in both Japanese and English afterwards, and also took the time to congratulate the venue on its tenth anniversary, with Blaise joking that the band was happy to play the day after the big event.

Like the Yoshidas, the balance between the Plant brothers, even in their MCs, was interesting to observe. Blaise took a more light-hearted approach towards the audience, while Maynard was gracious and serious, exclaiming “You guys are awesome!” many times throughout the night. After fly they asked how many people at the show could speak Japanese. When most of the audience raised their hands, Maynard replied, “I guess we should just speak Japanese?” and Blaise jokingly responded, “I told you so! I told you so!”

The next few songs were met with enthusiasm, but it was Nijiiro no sakana that got the fans to really let loose, jumping and singing excitedly to its chorus. bicycle was another highlight, bringing the rock aspect of the band’s sound to the forefront with a short guitar solo from Blaise and edgier, more aggressive vocals from Maynard than any other song of the night. The brothers also pulled out the acoustic guitars a few times during the set, most notably for Sora wa maru de, which drew an immediate response from the fans. They eagerly sang together to fill in the “itsu ma ni ka” at the end, drawing smiles from the band.

Despite all these shifts in sound, the show flowed together very smoothly, and the only part that seemed to lag was a succession of ballads near the end. However, the audience’s loud reaction to their latest single, Headlight, soon brought the energy level back up.

When MONKEY MAJIK left the stage, the calls for an encore began immediately—and loudly. It was clear that the song everyone was waiting for had not come yet. When the Yoshida Brothers emerged from the back instead, the cheers morphed into a roar. The brothers sat down and soloed back and forth a bit, to wild applause, before MONKEY MAJIK took their place between them and Kenichi began the intro to change, which drew the loudest response of the night. The smooth fusion of the two groups was truly beautiful to hear, and, once it was over, the look of satisfaction on the fans’ faces said it all.

DICK was the last to leave the stage, and he took a moment to speak to the crowd in Japanese, asking if he should try to throw something to the balcony, continuing his “Second Floor Challenge.” Encouraged by their support, he managed to hit his mark before joining the rest of the band in the back.

In short, being able to see these two bands play together was a true privilege. And, if this show and the sold-out Ottawa date that followed it are any indication, both groups have many Canadian fans, old and new, that are eagerly awaiting their return.

Set List:

1. Black Hole
2. Around the World
3. U.F.O.
4. White Noise
5. Wonder Land
6. 5,30
7. fly
8. HERO
9. Nijiiro no sakana
10. goin’ places
11. bicycle
12. Sora wa maru de
13. Maho no kotoba
14. Tada, arigatou
15. Halo
16. Together
17. Headlight

Encore
18. change