[Live Report] March 28, 2026: Alternative Rock Band Buzzed Monkey 2nd LIVE

The 3-piece alternative rock band Buzzed Monkey held their first solo live concert in about a year, titled "Buzzed Monkey 2nd LIVE", on March 28 at Daikanyama SPACE ODD.

Upon stepping into the venue, the first thing that caught the eye was the bold backdrop featuring the band's iconic "monkey" motif. Furthermore, a numerous array of stringed instruments lined up on stage like an exhibition welcomed the audience.

As the opening SE resounded, Hirofumi Miyake (Ba), Shimpei Yashiro (Gt), and Masaaki Endo (Vo) appeared in that order. The audience's shouts of "Buzzed Monkey!" matching the SE instantly raised the heat on the floor.

The first song was a Buzzed Monkey-style arrangement of Carol's classic "Funky Monkey Baby." The live kicked off with this light-hearted number, quickly closing the distance with the crowd through the provocative shout, "We wanted to see you, Tokyo!!"

Next, they performed "Tokyo Slap" from their 2024 full album "BUZZED MONKEY." The smooth transition into the next song gave the impression of a stable, veteran-like stage progression, defying any notion of them being a "rookie band."

After finishing "Tokyo Slap," they moved smoothly into an MC segment. Shifting the topic to their new song "Giveaway," which was released on the day of the performance. The song was created out of the sentiment, "How can we go a whole year with nothing?" given the difficulties of active band activities alongside their individual schedules. This day marked its premiere performance. Masaaki Endo's energetic vocals and the catchy phrase "Giveaway" left a strong impression, creating a pleasant groove that naturally involved the floor.

In the following "BWH," just as the lyrics say, "Bursting smiles crackling popcorn," a light and poppy tempo enveloped the venue, while in "You're my Sunshine," they showed a completely different, mature and mellow expression.

In the subsequent acoustic corner, they performed their original song "Hani Hani." Then, mentioning "Since we are playing in Tokyo, let's do a song with 'Tokyo' in it," they chose Shizuko Kasagi's classic "Tokyo Boogie Woogie." This nostalgic masterpiece, familiar from commercials, spread through the venue across all generations.

Following that, fitting the graduation season, they performed Finger 5's "Koi no Dial 6700." The echoing phrase "Rin Rin Rin Ri-rin" expressed an era without mobile phones, evoking a sense of nostalgia.

During the MC, they once again touched upon their future activities. "We decided to release a new song every month. We don't know how long it will last, but if we can't do it, just think, 'Oh, they couldn't do it this month,'" they declared with their characteristic humor.

Furthermore, acknowledging a fan whose birthday was on the day of the live, they performed a new song scheduled for release on April 25, "Birthday Song." A blessing-filled atmosphere gently wrapped the entire venue.

Pivoting from that warm atmosphere, "Kanashiki Zankyo" unfolded as a highly passionate, upbeat ballad. Masaaki Endo's high-tone voice sharply pierced the space.

The following "Oretachi no Sanka" was a cheer song dedicated to people living their days to the fullest. Its straightforward message was delivered directly to the floor.

Then, midway through the song, a corner called "My Story" suddenly began, featuring each member. First up was Masaaki Endo, who admitted to having a self-proclaimed and universally acknowledged "loud voice." He drew laughter from the venue by sharing an episode where he woke himself up that morning by shouting, "Come out!!" in his sleep. Next, Hirofumi Miyake talked about his strict diet of only eating ramen once a month. He shared that he felt more satisfaction from an old-fashioned Chinese noodle soup than from expensive low-temperature roasted pork, self-deprecatingly adding, "My tongue stopped evolving in the 80s." Finally, Shimpei Yashiro revealed that after noticing an unfamiliar monthly charge of 6,000 yen, he investigated and found he had forgotten to cancel a "one-month free" subscription attached to software he had purchased, wrapping the venue in huge laughter.

As the live approached its final stages, everyone in the audience swung their towels during "Downtown e Kuridasou ~Don't Dilly Dally~", pushing the sense of unity to its climax. The main set concluded with "Rattatta."

During the encore, they took a moment to say, "We are a band working at our own pace, but we want to continue for a long time, so we'd be happy if you could help us grow." They also added, "We don't know what will happen, but we'll try to stream every month too. Though we might take a break in May (laughs)," relaxing the venue with their typical humor. And since it was their memorable release day, they performed their new song "Giveaway" once again. During the final number, "Bun Bun Fly," clapping erupted, and the venue's enthusiasm rushed through to the very end without cooling down.

This performance marked their first one-man show in about a year. It was a night that allowed the audience to feel the current standing of Buzzed Monkey, who are steadily moving forward despite limited activities, and the possibilities that lie ahead.

Setlist 01. Funky Monkey Baby 02. Tokyo Slap 03. Giveaway (New Song) 04. BWH 05. You're my Sunshine 06. Hani Hani *Acoustic 07. Tokyo Boogie Woogie *Acoustic 08. Koi no Dial 6700 *Acoustic 09. Birthday Song (New Song) 10. Kanashiki Zankyo 11. Oretachi no Sanka 12. Downtown e Kuridasou ~Don't Dilly Dally~ 13. Rattatta 14. Giveaway (New Song) 15. Bun Bun Fly

[Release Information] ■ Saturday, March 28, 2026 Digital Release "Giveaway" Lyrics, Composition, Arrangement: Buzzed Monkey Label: HS Record / Publisher: Earkth

LINK to music distribution sites: https://lnk.to/bm_giveaway

Buzzed Monkey "Giveaway" Music Video (Short Ver.) https://youtu.be/7GMj1PXOikE

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Buzzed Monkey Official HP: https://endoh-masaaki.com/buzzedmonkey/ Buzzed Monkey Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BuzzedMonkey --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------