After 36 years, Osaka’s pop punk queens Shonen Knife will be hitting the road stateside, this time combining their love for high-energy punk with their adoration for a masterly crafted bowl of Ramen. The 2017 USA Ramen Adventure Tour comes on the heels of their newest album ADVENTURE (2016) but is also riding the wave of the aforementioned noodle dish’s increasing popularity in the states. As the western world is finding out, Ramen is much more than the instant noodles and salty dust packets currently fueling college students. A properly made bowl takes time and thoughtfulness to craft (Check out frontwoman Naoko Yamano’s personal favorite Ramen recipe below!).
“Ramen is so tasty and a very creative food.” Says Naoko, “It consists of noodles and soup. Very simple, but it is deep and complex in flavor. Each Ramen restaurant has their own recipe with a different and unique flavor. That’s why it is growing in popularity in the US. Plus, the price is reasonable and it’s easy and quick food to eat!”
The 2017 USA Ramen Adventure Tour is not just an empty theme, by the way. The band will spend their pre and post show hours sampling Ramen from all over the US and documenting their journey online while pairing with local Japanese restaurants to promote their shows and local Japanese cuisine in each market.
This is also not the band’s first nosedive into the world of food. Over the course of their legendary career, the band has released dozens of songs for their foodie fans, from the sweet “Banana Chips” and “Strawberry Cream Puff” to the savory “Sushi Bar Song” and crowd favorite “Wasabi“. When talking to OC Weekly, Naoko explained the passion for their brand of chow related lyricism, “I’d like to be different from other bands. Doing [things] different is rock, isn’t it? I don’t want to write negative songs because if people listen to such songs, they must be sad. I want people to be happy through our music. That’s why I write songs about our favorite things, like food or animals.”
USA RAMEN ADVENTURE TOUR DATES
April 24th – Hojoko – Boston, MA
April 26th – Sellersville Theater – Sellersville PA
April 28th – Quinn’s – Beacon, NY
April 29th – Sunnyvale – Brooklyn, NY
April 30th – Black Cat – Washington, DC
May 1st – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC
May 3rd – The Wormhole – Savannah, GA
May 4th – Will’s Pub – Orlando, FL
May 5th – Churchill’s – Miami, FL
May 6th – The Orpheum – Tampa, FL
May 7th – High Dive – Gainesville, FL
May 9th – 40 Watt – Athens, GA
May 10th – The Earl – Atlanta, GA
May 12th – Low Key Arts – Hot Springs, AR
May 18th – The Korova – San Antonio, TX
May 20th – Three Links – Dallas, TX
May 22nd – The Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
May 23rd – 191 Toole – Tucson, AZ
May 24th – Yucca Tap Room – Tempe, AZ
May 25th – Beauty Bar – Las Vegas, NV
May 27th – Bootleg Theater – Los Angeles, CA
Naoko’s (Shonen Knife)
Healthy Simple Ramen:
INGREDIENTS
A portion of ramen noodles
Shredded leek
1 boiled egg
A few slices of Chinese style roasted pork
Soup powder
Soy sauce
DIRECTIONS
1. Put 2 teaspoons of soup powder and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce in 400cc boiled water
2. Put a portion of ramen noodles in it for 1 or 2 min
3. Move to a ramen bowl
4. Topped with shredded leek, boiled egg, roasted pork and some pepper