Is there a better way to kick-start your week than with a Sunday night rock ‘n’ roll show? The crowd lined up to see The Needy Visions, JEFF The Brotherhood and legendary Japanese pop-punkers Shonen Knife this past Sunday at Allston, MA rock club Great Scott would definitely say “no.”

Local Boston band The Needy Visions opened the show. Astutely described by OurStage’s Sam C. as “Dr. Dog without the folk,” The Needy Visions play pop rock informed by the 1960s psychedelic and garage movements. Features two guitars, bass, keyboard, drums and ambitious five part vocals harmonies, the band managed to sound full without being overpowering. While their harmonies weren’t always spot on, the audience didn’t seem to mind: heads were nodding and toes were tapping all over Great Scott. The Needy Visions are definitely a band to watch.

Jake Orrall of JEFF The Brotherhood

Back in 2006, Jamin Orral left buzz band (and Thurston Moore favorite) Be Your Own Pet at what might have been the height of their popularity. One of the main reasons he gave for his departure was his desire to focus on JEFF The Brotherhood, his band with brother Jake Orral, also formerly of Be Your Own Pet. While some may have questioned his decision at the time, it’s clear now that Jamin knew exactly what he was doing. JEFF The Brotherhood delivers both live and on record. Somewhere between a punk and a rock place,  they play straightforward rock music with a punk attitude and a touch of psychedelic guitar experimentation.  Whatever you want call their music, it is fast and it is loud. Drummer Jamin was pounding away so hard on his kit that he knocked over his floor tom. He quickly assessed the situation and righted his drum without missing a beat. The band is currently touring behind their October 2009 album Heavy Days, released on their own label Infinity Cat.

Naoko reaches into the crowd during 'Giant Kitty'

Shonen Knife walked out on stage in matching tunic and pants ensembles to an almost full house and a barrage of applause. Together as a band for over 20 years, their audience runs the gamut from college students in their late teens and early 20s to aging ponytailed rockers in their 40s. After giving a shout-out to Allston, MA, the band got right down to business by kicking off the show with a blistering version of their usual opener “Konichiwa,” urging the audience to “Have a good time tonight,” and asking “Are you ready to rock?”

One person who was more than ready to rock was bassist Ritsuko Taneda. While Ritsuko  joined the band as a support bassist in 2007 when founding member Atsuko Yamano retired, this was her first tour as an official member of Shonen Knife. Her bass sound—reminiscent of early Green Day—and her unbridled enthusiasm, manifested itself in spontaneous headbanging and jumping up and down which made for a great performance.

Ritsuko and Naoko show Allston how to rock

Shonen Knife adeptly mixed material from their new album Supergroup, released on Good Charamel records, in with older material like “Bear Up Bison,” “I Like Choco Bars,” and “Devil House.” The band seemed genuinely surprised to hear audience members shouting for their favorite songs, telling the crowd that they didn’t think so many people were familiar with their material. One crowd pleaser from Supergroup that seems destined to become a fan favorite is “BBQ Party.” Guitarist Naoko Yamano joked about this latest addition to Shonen Knife’s large catalog of songs about food: “We like to eat,” she told the audience, “In America, barbecue is so delicious, so we wrote a song about it.” The pogo-inducing chorus of ‘Pig Out! Pig Out! Pig Out” was one of the show’s highlights.

Their new album also sees Shonen Knife experimenting with heavier styles of music. Naoko explained that Supergroup track “Muddy Bubbles Hell” is her attempt at writing a heavy metal song. Her admission that she was inspired after listening to 70s British rockers like Judas Priest & Black Sabbath drew cheers and “devil horns” hand gestures from the crowd.

'Pyramid Power' with Ritsuko, Atsuko and Naoko

For the encore, the Allston crowd got a special treat: The band invited former bassist/drummer and founding member Atsuko Yamano, who happened to be in attendance, up on stage. To the delight of the audience, Atsuko and the band performed  “Fruits & Vegetables” from their 1997 record Brand New Knife. After Atsuko left the stage, the current members of Shonen Knife closed out the show with one of their most popular songs, “Twist Barbie.”

Shonen Knife will be heading back to Japan for their SPACE bootleg Xmas TOUR 2009 this December.