Turtle Island, the tribal punk band from Toyota, lived up to its storied reputation when it opened the pre-fest party at the Red Marquee. The crowd is always a pushover at this stage in the festival: the bon-odori has stoked the Japanese masses, the fireworks have set them afire, and the first act to play always plays to an already stoked mass of people. In addition, the 30-minute rainpour ended with clear, cool skies. I counted 14 people on stage: including lead singer/shredder Yoshiki, there were about six drummers, a traditional Japanese flute player, a sax player, and the usual punk complement of bassists/guitarists. But to call Turtle Island a punk band would be missing the point, in as much as calling Flogging Molly a punk band. Both take the attitude of punk and apply it to a tradition that’s older than anyone in their respective group could fathom. The people I saw dancing in the Red Marquee used old-fashioned Japanese dance moves, but at a more accelerated pace. The reaction was spontaneous and heartfelt. They knew what this music meant to them, and the fact that it was hardcore only made it more stimulating. A more intense  30 minutes of music will probably not be experienced the rest of the weekend. -Phil