JAPAN SOCIETY Presents CIBO MATTO And YU SAKAI 10/20

Japan Society has announced the first music performance of its 2011-12 season with full-length sets by the acclaimed, outré downtown NYC band CIBO MATTO and J-Pop breakout star YU SAKAI. Japan Society's beautiful amphitheater and state-of-the-art sound and lighting promise to make this show a truly memorable concert going experience. With only 250 seats available to the public, this performance is bound to sell out. We strongly recommend purchasing tickets in advance.

The October 20th show will feature a rare intimate and seated performance by the newly reunited Cibo Matto. It is the band's first headlining NYC show since their highly acclaimed, sold-out Bowery Ballroom set in July of this year and the band's only currently scheduled East Coast show. Tonight marks the first time that Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda will be taking the stage together at Japan Society.

Yu Sakai, whose debut album won the iTunes 2010 Best J-Pop Album of the Year award, begins the evening with his unique, chart-topping brand of R&B-laced J-Pop. Tonight's concert is Yu's American performing debut and his only booked NYC show. This is your only chance to catch one of the hottest names in the Tokyo pop scene perform live.

Founded in 1907, Japan Society is a world-class, multidisciplinary hub for both English and Japanese-speaking artists and audiences. Since the inception of the Performing Arts Program in 1953, Japan Society has produced more than 600 showings of Japan's finest performing arts to an extensive American audience in and out of New York City. Program topics range from the traditional to the avant-garde. Japan Society commissions new works, administrates national tours, organizes residency programs for American and Japanese artists and develops and distributes educational programs. The Society is responsible for hosting more than 100 events each year. An American nonprofit, nonpolitical organization, the Society's overarching goal is to cultivate a constructive, resonant and dynamic relationship between the people of the U.S. and Japan.

To view a complete preview of the entire Japan Society season, hosted by the artistic director of Japan Society, Yoko Shioya, please visit http://vimeo.com/27450623 and enter the password JSPA2011.

Tickets for this performance may be reserved now by calling the Japan Society box office at 212-715-1258 or by visiting www.japansociety.org.

COMPLETE SHOW INFORMATION FOLLOWS:
Thursday, October 20
CIBO MATTO and YU SAKAI: J-Music Ride
File Under: Rock, Pop, R&B
Bar Opens at 7:00 PM
Show at 8:00 PM
Ticket Price: $25 ($20 for Japan Society Members)
Advance, reserved seat tickets available by calling 212-715-1258
or by clicking this link

Sharp and whimsically irreverent Japanese expats Miho Hatori (vocals, drum pad) and Yuka Honda (keyboard, sampler) take the stage at Japan Society for the first time ever as the iconic duo Cibo Matto. After a considerable band hiatus, New York's acclaimed downtown duo is back and better than ever! Their charming lyrics buoy a dizzying array of sounds influenced by everything from hip-hop, jazz and rock to African and Brazilian beats.

Yu Sakai, the silky-voiced keyboardist/singer-songwriter and Japanese breakout star makes his international debut tonight at Japan Society. With R&B beats and jazz-fused J-Pop melodies, Sakai's music is an inventive blend of self-mixed instrumentation and multi-layered vocals. This Tokyo native became an overnight sensation in Japan, topping radio charts with his first single in 2009 and winning iTunes' 2010 Best J-Pop Album of the year award with his debut album, Only Yu. Downtown New York collides with modish Shibuya in this one-night-only music mash-up. Don't miss this rare opportunity to see Cibo Matto live at the intimate, seated Japan Society auditorium.

GENERAL VENUE INFORMATION:
Tickets for this show may be purchased by calling the Japan Society box office at 212-715-1258 or in person at the Japan Society box office, open Monday through Friday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM and on Saturday or Sunday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street, between First and Second Avenues. The venue is easily accessible by the 4 / 5 / 6 trains via the 42nd Street-Grand Central Station or the E / V at Lexington Avenue and 53rd Street.

Wine and beer is served prior to, at intermission and following this show at our on-site cash bar.

For more information about this show, the venue or to learn more about the entire Performing Arts season at Japan Society, please call 212-832-1155 or visit us on the web at http://www.japansociety.org/performingarts

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