Vancouverites can find out why Mojo magazine dubbed Tokyo the new “capital of rock ’n’ roll” when five Japanese indie bands take over the Biltmore Cabaret on Saturday (May 22). Featuring Andymori, Goomi, Kulu Kulu Garden, Mothercoat, and Owarikara, the Next Music from Tokyo!!! showcase, helmed by former West Coast resident Steven Tanaka, is aimed at exposing Canadians to the Japanese underground indie community.

“I feel like it’s the most creative and exciting scene in the world right now,” Tanaka told the Straight, calling from Toronto. “In any scene there are people who try to push the boundaries, but I feel like in Japan it’s more extreme and exotic. Think about the cartoons in North America versus the anime they have in Japan, for instance.”

The mini tour, which heads from Vancouver to Toronto to Montreal, marks the first time any of the musicians have played in the Great White North. “I think we’ll be a hit with [the] Canadian audience,” said Goomi multi-instrumentalist Ryogo Kobato, reached in Tokyo.