Pitchfork

Please pause now for a moment bereft of irony: This past weekend, a tour van accident claimed the life of Mana "China" Nishiura, drummer for revered Japanese psych-rockers DMBQ and pop-punkers Shonen Knife. Her bandmates and tour manager were also injured.

The tragedy struck Friday, November 4 while the band was driving on the New Jersey Turnpike, en route to a gig in Brooklyn. According to the Gloucester County (New Jersey) Times, a car driven by twenty-two-year-old Sara Jacobi swerved across the right and center lanes "for an unknown reason", striking the band's Ford Econoline van in the left rear side. As the van slid and rolled over, China was ejected from the vehicle. She was later pronounced dead on the spot. Jacobi was uninjured.

The other members of DMBQ, Shinji Masuko, Toru Matsui and Ryuichi Watanabe, were treated for moderate injuries at an area hospital and later released. American tour manager and Panache Magazine scribe Michelle Cable remains hospitalized following head surgery, but should recover completely in time, according to the website of show promoter Todd Patrick (Todd P).

China will be sorely missed. Fans remember her as an intensely passionate performer as well as a soft-spoken, kind-hearted individual. Chicago photographer and designer Matt Taplinger, who housed the band when they were in town on tour in April, describes DMBQ as "some of the nicest, most down-to-earth people I had ever had the pleasure of coming in contact with." Although drummers are traditionally relegated upstage, China went to astonishing lengths to involve the audience in DMBQ's live set: A recent performance at Atlanta's Drunken Unicorn saw her dismantle her kit and pass the pieces along to audience members, eventually drumming upon the scattered bits whilst sitting atop a fan's head. China joined Shonen Knife as their touring drummer in 2001.

At the April show, the band put on "one of the most audacious live rock n' roll experiences I'd ever witnessed," says Taplinger, "basically turning the floor of the Bottom Lounge into a baseball field and using their equipment as bats and balls." That, my friends, is rock and roll.

DMBQ formed in Sapporo, Japan in 1988 and have been described as "the missing link between the much-divided Japanese Noise...and garage rock scene[s]." The band was halfway through a heavily-anticipated U.S. tour when the accident occurred. Supporters have set up a Paypal account for donations to help defer medical fees for the band and Cable, who does not have health insurance. So please, drum up what cash you can spare and send it to dmbqpanache@lovepumpunited.com via PayPal or to Lovepump United, PO BOX 3241, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 via snail mail.

Their tour is currently in limbo, but its continuation is doubtful. Here are the scheduled dates:

11-07 Detroit, MI - Painted Lady *
11-08 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
11-09 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
11-11 Missoula, MT - Elk's Lodge #
11-12 Bellingham, WA - 3B Tavern #
11-13 Seattle, WA - Sunset Tavern #
11-15 Portland, OR - Berbati's Pan #
11-16 Arcata, CA - The 330 Club $
11-18 San Francisco, CA - 12 Galaxies % @
11-19 Oakland, CA - Stork Club %&

* with Human Eye
# with Federation X
$ with SubArachnoid Space
@ with Get Hustle, Night After Night
% with Drunk Horse
& with Green Milk From the Planet Orange

Last week was not kind to drummers: John "Beatz" Holohan, kit-man for Long Island pop-punkers Bayside, was killed October 31 when his band's tour van flipped over outside Cheyenne, Wyoming.

* DMBQ: www.dmbq.net
* Todd P: www.toddpnyc.com