Ken Yokoyama is a punk rock legend. Not only did he lead the seminal band Hi-Standard which set the bar, let’s say,not too low for any aspiring punk band, but also founded Pizza of Death records which is associated with NOFX’s Fat Wreck Chords.

Today, he’s playing as the “Ken Band” – at least that’s what’s scrawled on a piece of tape attached to a flight case containing the band’s equipment. He doesn’t really need to introduce his band or waste time creating another band name as many people already know what they are going to get. He’s made a habit of draping himself in the Japanese flag and wearing it for a few songs. There’s not a lot of patter between his songs, which is sort of unusual because the North American punk bands make no bones about talking on subjects ranging from vegetarianism to the machinations of the police state. Ken didn’t do much of that. He seemed to waste a little time with a tricky amp which had a little bit of buzz to which his boot didn’t help much matters. But when he put through power chords the sound soon sorted itself out.

Ken ripped into a newish track called “Maybe, Maybe” which was played on his shamrock green guitar. It got the front of the crowd moshing petty good and bodies flying to the front of the crowd. Then he went into the song “I Don’t Care” with the famous refrain “I don’t care, eat some pizza”. It was a great hour long set, befitting an elder statesman of the local punk scene, and someone who just released an upcoming DVD with the daring title “Dead at Budokan Returns”. Ken Yokoyama is one of the most epic things you will see today, and it was yet another wonderful way to usher in Fuji Rock’s 20th anniversary.