Shibusa Shirazu Orchestra

At some point, one of those motherships that George Clinton sang about must have visited Nippon, because since the turn of the millennium, rumors have been going around about a thirty-strong collective of Japanese musicians, dancers, and performers of various other kinds who put on a pyrotechnics show for all the senses made up of ska, jazz, rock, funk, butoh dance, biwa sounds, Balkan beats, and romantic kayo melodies. Sun Ra himself would have jumped at the chance to ride this space shuttle. Sightings have been reported from the Glastonbury and Moers festivals and according to reliable eye witnesses, the band indeed lives up to its name, Shibusa Shirazu – roughly, “Never be cool!” What we know for certain is that since 1988 the unpredictable artist Daisuke Fuwa has directed the orchestra, which has played the closing chord of Fuji Rock Festival for four years running.

Shibusa Shirazu Orchestra is following the concert by Meridian Brothers (7 p.m.)