By Melanie Raydo

Boredoms can be summed up in one word: insane. The ensemble, who hail from Osaka, tore First Ave a new one Tuesday night, playing one of the loudest, most intense shows I’ve ever seen.The energy that was put into the show was unbelievable. They played for more than two hours, barely pausing between songs and often playing for more than 20 minutes straight. Yamantaka Eye, the group’s vocalist and founding member, thrashed across the stage despite having a broken foot, choosing to hop around in what little space was available. The show wasn’t really indicative of what you’d hear on their records, but I think that was a good thing-they didn’t try to reproduce things that are impossible without a studio. There was also something mesmerizing about being able to see them create sounds with drums and bizarre machines, including a guitar with seven necks and motion-sensitive spheres, all without high-tech postproduction.

The three drummers were remarkably choreographed, fast and brutal. Eye alternated between screaming, chanting, working on machines and banging on whatever was nearby. Yoshimi P-We, the band’s longest resident drummer, also played a furious keyboard and pedaled on a noise machine. The show was violent, with strings and sticks snapping left and right, yet it was hypnotic. It was impossible to keep your eyes off of the sheer spectacle of it all.

It all boils down to this: you must see Boredoms before you die. They’re a little bit Japanoise, punk rock and performance art all rolled into one, and they’re like nothing else you’ll ever see.