Monsters of Shamisen! December 19, 2008

Don't miss this rare opportunity to see Japan's top shamisen player!

"Monsters of Shamisen" was formed in the spring of 2006 when California-based Tsugaru shamisen performers Kevin Kmetz and Mike Penny, both shamisen players for the cross pollinated gypsy group Fishtank Ensemble, joined forces with Japan-based shamisen virtuoso and 2x tournament champion Masahiro Nitta. Monsters of Shamisen offers audiences the most exciting and innovative examples of modern Tsugaru shamisen in the world! Pooling their respective musical backgrounds, the monsters draw inspiration from a wide variety of musical styles including classical, Balkan gypsy, American bluegrass, Irish folk music, even modern rock. To see this ensemble live is to experience one of the most unforgettable fusions of not only east and west but of past and future!

MASAHIRO NITTA: Arguably the word's best shamisen player, he was inspired by his father at the age of 14 to play Tsugaru Shamisen. Masahiro won the Junior high school national championship title for Tsugaru Shamisen in 1998 after only playing for seven months. In 2000 and 2001 he was awarded the championship title at Kanagi's national tournament and again won the championship title in Tokyo in 2002. In 2004 he starred as Oishi Seichiro in the motion picture Overdrive.

KEVIN KMETZ: First foreigner in history to win the honorary Daijo Kazuo Award at the Tsugaru Shamisen Championship Competition in Kanagi, Japan. May 5, 2005. Also took the"Judges Choice" Award at the Hirosaki Championship tournament May 4, 2005. In both 2006 and 2007, #Kevin placed Nyusho (runner-up) at Hirosaki and Jyun Yuusho (2nd place) at Kanagi.

MIKE PENNY: the second foreigner to have been awarded for his performance in the national Tsugaru Shamisen Tournament held annually in Kanagi, Japan. There, he won 3rd place in his class out of over 200 competitors in the Spring of 2006."

Also appearing: Shamalamacord, accordion and shamisen player from Fishtank Ensemble

$15 at door.

Official Website: http://www.myspace.com/monstersofshamisen