Sounds like Urkel, but nothing to do with Family Matters. If you don’t get the reference, then you’re either too young, haven’t had much access to classic American sitcom, or all of the above. If that’s the case, ignore and move on. The rest of you, feel free to chuckle and reminisce the lad’s charming dance and continual questioning, “Did I do that?”

Done?

Cool. Ircle is, in fact, the world circle without the “c”. By removing the first letter, the band wanted to show that they are ready to break the mold and not be trapped in any particular genre. A well-intended gesture I’m sure, but unfortunately it only works if the walk matches the talk.

The Kyushu quartet have been playing together for over 10 years, and it shows through their confidence and ease on stage. Opening to the largest Rookie stage audience I’ve ever seen, the boys started up with a high-paced melodic “Sha-la-la-la” and a full-powered raspy screams from vocalist Kengo Kawauchi throughout.

That boy has some serious lungs on him. For the next couple of songs, he wailed and he screamed, occasionally doing a few high kicks a Lakers cheerleader would be in awe of. He sang more for the second half of their set, showing a good range of emotion and pitch—I wish that had been the norm rather than the exception.

The highlight of the performance was their guitarist Ryo Nakamichi, who displayed incredible skill with intricate chord progression. He definitely brought them up a notch.

Overall, Ircle are a pretty decent J-rock band with a good sound—but sadly not as ground-breaking as their namesake intended.