Inko of Hystoic Vein performing at Japan Nite 2011

It’s after four on Friday in Austin, Texas. The booming of bands playing day shows at clubs up and down Sixth Street rumble in the distance. People are everywhere, stumbling out of bars with smiles and giggles and checking their smart phones to pin-point the next venue. They’re in restaurants scarfing down appetizers and trading you-won’t-believe-what-happeneds with each other over dollar bottles of Lone Star and fancy-ass margaritas.

Two of them are standing in front of the Elysium on Red River.

Number two, Geoffrey, has been waiting since 3:30. In front of him and first in line is Roberto Villegas who has been standing there since sometime around 1:45 p.m. The two of them are waiting in the Texas sun for Japan Nite, an annual tour of Japanese bands that kicks off with an official SXSW showcase.

The show’s bill includes six Japanese bands representing a variety of genres from alternative rock to ’70s soul. In the states these bands are, for the most part, completely unknown. As a matter of fact, even the two guys dedicated enough to stick it out at the entrance for the showcase have never listened to the bands they’re here to see.

“What brought you out at 1:45 to wait out here?” I ask Villegas.

“I’m a big fan of music I’ll never hear in the States,” he says. “Usually at Japan Nite there’s always a good punk band; there’s always a good electronic act; there’s always a strange, out there act that I’d never even think of.”

Last year, Villegas discovered Omodaka, a musician he describes as a hybrid of electronica meets traditional Japanese music meets chiptunes.

“What really kept me going each year is that these are bands I’ll probably never have the chance to hear again and are going to rock the house in crazy ways,” Villegas said.

A few hours later, numbers one and two are still in place with hundreds more lined up and waiting. They too (for the most part) have no idea who or what they’re about to see either. They have not set about researching the acts or scouring MySpace for a preemptive listen. They’ve simply shown up because it is Japan Nite in Austin, Texas, and they knew, no matter who appears on that stage tonight, they are in for a great show.

They are right.
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