The music scene in Japan is unlike any other. A majority of the Japanese youth enjoy the vibrancy of the music and entertainment scene in the country. They tend to lean towards experimenting different types of fashion and listening to different genres of music. Because of their immense love for live music, several music spots all over the country have been established to cater to this demand. One of these music spots that can be found in Tokyo is known as Ebisu Liquid Room.
Ebisu Liquid Room: An Overview and Its Capacity
It was in the year 1994 when Liquid Room first opened in Shinjuku. Established as a live house, Liquid Room served as a host to several night events and gigs by not just local but also international artists. Events in Liquid Room also included clubbing and wrestling entertainment. Ordinary customers were not allowed to use the elevator. There was a narrow and steep staircase that customer used to get to the 7th floor, which made the live house distinct.
Sadly, Liquid Room in Shinjuku closed down in the year 2004. It was relocated to Ebisu, where it still currently stands to this day. Ebisu Liquid Room incorporated a new design quite different from its previous one in Shinjuku. The new Liquid Room serves not just as a live house but also as a café lounge and a gallery complex.
Previously, Shinjuku Liquid Room was famous as a huge club that offers techno and house nights. The venue was always showcasing artists both from the local scene and the international scene. On the other hand, Ebisu Liquid Room offers a line-up that consists of mostly live shows from bands. These bands usually perform during the day while some events are still held at night.
The equipment used for the main dance floor in Ebisu Liquid Room is considered to be among the leading sound systems in Japan. The venue also has a capacity of about 900 people. Its second floor consists of the Liquid Loft and KATA, which is a gallery where guests can hold private parties.
Initially, the second floor also consisted of a café called Tower Café. This was run by Tower Records. However, this café closed down on the 15th of February in the year 2009. It was replaced by a timeout café afterward.
In global publications, the common description of Ebisu Liquid Room is “legendary.” This was because, despite the fact that the venue was initially a scruffy place in Shinjuku, it grew to become one of the most popular places to visit in Ebisu. Several shows are shown in Ebisu Liquid Room every week. People actually flock to this place on nights when they feel like chilling out and listening to live music.
Artists that Played in Liquid Room through the Years
Several artists have performed in Liquid Room through the years. In the year 2009, the artists or bands that played in Liquid Room are Glasvegas, Midori, Relativity theory, Kiyoharu, Mogwai, Yoko Ono Plastic ONO Band, Keith, Mono, Tha Blue Herb, Loudness, Yuruyura Empire, rei harakami, Yamaguchi Tomonari, Idjut Boys, Takahashi Yukihiro, Laura Gibson with Ethan Rose, Rin and shower, capsule, MXPX, Kissel, Extream Noise Terror, Sean Lennon, Spiritualized, Deerhoof, The Bug, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Polysics, music girl band, Envy, Boris, Love Psychedelico, Kreva, Brahman, Y. Sunahara, Loco Dice, The Temper Trap, Arctic Monkeys, The Orb, and Asian Kung-fu Generation.
Just a year before that, the artists or bands that performed in the said venue are Kula shaker, Maboroshi, Mute Beat, Quiet Village, Bugge Wesseltoft, Ashanti, Sherbets, The Album Leaf, Muscle Girl Band, Peterson, Asian Kung-fu Generation, The Music, Misako Odani, pupa, Flower Companies, Shing 02, ASH, 175R, rei harakami, Zazen Boys, K-Ci & JoJo, Rovo, Moodymann, Mongol 800, Sakanaction, Animal collective, The Birthday, Hadouken!, Pushin, CSS, Your Song is Good, Broken Social Scene, Electric Gloves, Sakerock, Autechre, Foals, Mo ‘Some Tonebender, Yura Yura Empire, Love Psychedelico, Beard (HiGE), Breakers, Puffy, bonobos, Penicillin, Riddim Saunter, Vola & The Oriental Machine, Kaela Kimura, and Yuruyura Empire.
Fewer people performed in the year 2007. These artists or bands were Album Leaf, Wolfmother, Asai Kenichi, Rin to Rain, Remioromen, ET-King, T-Pain, Plastics, 9mm Parabellum Bullet, The Dusti ‘n Bonez, DJ Kentaro, Special Others, LCD Sound System, The Battles, James Blunt, Love Psychedelico, Perfume, and Kimura Kaela. During this year, there were some prominent international artists that played in Liquid Room, as seen on the list.
A year prior to that, performers that played in Ebisu Liquid Room include Kaiser Chiefs, MIA, Moi dix Mois, TI, Misako Otani, Chatmonchy, 65 Days of Static, Soil & “Pimp” Sessions, The Bays, UR, Tommy Guerrero, Adrian Sherwood, Vitalic, AFI, and Suga Ca. probably the most popular artist that played in Liquid Room that year was Rihanna.
Back in the year 2005, the performers that played in Liquid Room were Ogura Yuko, Mars Volta, Nicky Siano, Miura Daichi, Moodyman, i-dep, Yasushi Machida Group, David Mancuso, Losalios, Rosso, Natsuki Mari, Balzac, Beat Crusaders, Common, Kemuri, Ryo the Sky Walker, and Sherbets.
Access to Liquid Room, General Information, and Upcoming Shows
Ebisu Liquid Room is located at 3-16-6, Higashi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. It can be easily accessed via public transportation. Simply ride a train going to JR Ebisu Station. Upon arriving, take the West Exit and walk to Ebisu Liquid Room. An alternative would be to take the train going to Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line Ebisu Station. Upon arriving, go to Exit 2. From there, it will only take about 3 minutes to walk to Ebisu Liquid Room.
For visitors who would be bringing their own vehicles, it is important to note that there are no parking spaces available in Liquid Room. Furthermore, it is highly suggested not to bring bikes and park it on the sidewalk, as these may serve as obstacles for pedestrians. Hence, either park somewhere safe or just commute going to Ebisu Liquid Room.
There are also coin lockers on the second floor of the building for people who wish to stash their belongings someplace safe. However, the venue offers only a limited number of coin lockers for their customers. The length of the coin lockers is 31 centimeters while the width is 23 centimeters. For people with luggage, it would be best to store them in a coin locker that can be found on the West and East exit of Ebisu Station. Lockers there have a length of 30 centimeters and width of 35 centimeters.
In Ebisu Liquid Room, alcohol and tobacco are not sold to guests who are below 20 years old. To ensure that this rule is followed, ID inspection may be done while customers are buying cigarettes and alcohol. Furthermore, not all spaces inside Liquid Room allow eating and drinking. There are spaces assigned especially for those purposes. Should the staff catch a customer eating or smoking in a non-designated space, the latter may be asked to step out of the venue.
Recording equipment inside the premises is also not allowed. Furthermore, use of drugs and other substances prohibited by law is also not allowed in the venue. Should they catch any customer using prohibited substances, they will immediately call and notify the police.
While the staff at Ebisu Liquid Room would like to maintain the safety and security of the venue and its customers, they cannot control everyone inside the premises. Hence, they would not be held liable for any accidents like injury or theft inside the venue. Should customers refuse to listen to the instructions of the staff and security guards of Ebisu Liquid Room, the latter would be forced to kick the former out of the venue.
Several shows are already scheduled in Ebisu Liquid Room for the upcoming months. For the month of July, the first show on the first day of the month would be by Tokyo Gegegei. The show is called “EVIL 77.” Doors are scheduled to open at 5:30 PM while the show is scheduled to start at 6:30 PM. Ticket price for this show costs about 7,500 yen with tax included.
For the second day of the month of July, guests can watch the performance of Lee Juck. His show is entitled “2018 Lee Juck Japan Best Live ~Good~.” Doors are scheduled to open at 5 PM while the show is scheduled to start at 6 PM. The ticket price costs 8,500 yen with tax included.
On the third day of July, fans of Schroeder-Headz can head on over to Ebisu Liquid Room to watch him perform live. His show would be part of his Halshura One-Man Tour 2018. Doors are scheduled to open at 4:30 PM while the show is scheduled to start at 5:30 PM. The ticket price costs around 4,500 yen with tax included.
The first Monday of July would bring several artists to Ebisu Liquid Room. These artists are Up-up Girls, Fist Factory, and Gang Parade. They would be performing live in the venue on the 4th of July this year. Doors are scheduled to open at 6:15 PM while the show is scheduled to start at 7 PM. The ticket price costs 4,500 yen with tax included.
Another group of artists is scheduled to perform at Ebisu Liquid Room the following day. these artists are Negicco, Tsubaki Factory, and Tokyo girls flow. Doors are scheduled to open at 6:15 PM while the show is scheduled to start at 7 PM. The ticket price also costs 4,500 yen with tax included.
As for the 6th of July, people can head on over to Ebisu Liquid Room to watch Park Joon-young perform live on stage. Doors are scheduled to open on Wednesday at 4:30 PM while the show is scheduled to start at 5:15 PM. The ticket price costs 6,000 yen with tax included. The line-up includes the man himself plus him band set. To know more about his upcoming performance, fans can call up Liquid Room at 03 (5464) 0800.
Other Places and Music Spots to Check Out in Ebisu
While Ebisu Liquid Room is definitely a must-visit for music enthusiasts, there are also other places nearby that one can check out when in Ebisu. Just sitting on top of the Liquid Room itself is the Time Out Café and Diner. This place is great for people who just wish to hang out and chill while munching on some great food. People who love sipping hot coffee while chatting with their friends would surely find this place pleasant to stay in.
The interior design of the café mimics a common loft eatery that can be found in New York. Its ceilings are exposed and decorated with skylights that provide the space a dainty look. A huge central table can be found inside the café, perfect for groups who would be having a gathering of some sort.
Their kitchen is designed as an open-plan kitchen. The diner offers not just local specialties but also international cuisines that would suit the taste of every customer. Some of their bestsellers include the Yatsugatake Premium Burger and the to-die-for pastrami sandwich. The café also offers books and magazines from around the world, perfect for people who wish to relax and read to pass the time.
However, if one is looking for other music spots in Ebisu, one would certainly not be disappointed. The area, after all, embodies the culture of tachinomi (standing while drinking). Just north of the station, one can find Buri. Located at 1-14-1 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku, Buri is a great place for people craving for sake and beer. These drinks would be best paired with their pork-wrapped asparagus skewers.
Another option for people looking for a live house is What the Dickens. Located at 1-13-3 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku, this venue is great for Westerners who just happen to visit Ebisu. As for people looking to have a taste of some local brews, head on over to Yebisu Beer Hall. Located at 1-1-1 Ebisu-Minami, Shibuya-ku, the place is situated near the station. One can also go to Hops125 for some craft imports. It is located at -21-18 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku.
Ebisu Liquid Room can definitely be considered a gem for people who love watching live performances by musicians who are passionate about their craft. It is one of the places in Ebisu that one must visit when one happens to be in the area. Buy a ticket, listen to good music, and realize why Ebisu Liquid Room is the best place to be on a summer night.