Brooklyn’s BUKE AND GASE were the opening act for HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER in Tokyo on Sunday.
Named after their handcrafted and heavily altered instruments (the buke is a kind of bass ukulele and the gase a guitar/bass combo), the duo have made quite a name for themselves in the alternative music world after being discovered by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of Hostess Club Weekender co-stars The National, and subsequently signed to their label Brassland Records in 2008. They’ve since released two EPs and two LPs, the most recent of which was General Dome in January last year.
Consisting of “bukist” and vocalist Arone Dyer and “gassist” Aron Sanchez, Buke and Gase have become renowned for their creativity when it comes to producing a huge band sound with just the two of them, a problem they solved by coming up with their own Frankenstein’s monsters of instruments and becoming masters of multitasking.
One example of the musicians’ ingenuity is a miniature tambourine harnessed to Dyer’s left foot, which is nicknamed the “toebourine” and is stomped furiously throughout their entire set, whilst Sanchez simultaneously plays his gase and beats a bass drum with his right foot.
The result is a powerful and full sound, and their set on Sunday was no exception, Dyer beating the hell out of her buke, the dents and scratches evidencing a heavily used and loved instrument. The result was a surprisingly loud and energetic show, certainly enough to get crowd members warmed up for a day of amazing bands. The duo have a couple of dates in store in the US before shooting off in August to play the Paredes de Coura Festival in Portugal.
