Gray Area Grand Theater: OOIOO with Lightning Bolt

For the first time since 2015, Japanese art rock quartet OOIOO, led by YoshimiO (Boredoms, myriad other projects) since 1996 as a vehicle for experimental, fluid and evolving “rock” group compositions comes to the USA for a brief tour anchored around the inaugural Open Melody Festival in Los Angeles. 8 albums into their career, OOIOO never stay sonically stymied with each record its own little world overflowing with playful, wildly inventive songwriting, sounds, and textures.

They are joined by equally-legendary Providence, RI sonic warriors Lightning Bolt in their first Bay Area appearance since 2022. For over 30 years, the duo of Brian Gibson (bass) and Brian Chippendale (drums/vocals) have toured the world delivering their often-imitated, never-replicated onslaught of frenetic drum ‘n’ bass, heavy as a ton of bricks but always awash in chirping, clamoring melodies and hooks.

An extremely special and rare co-headline performance to celebrate their new split LP “The Horizon Spirals/The Horizon Viral,” out 4/24/2026 on Thrill Jockey.

Gumby’s Junk, Oakland’s finest herky-jerky prog-pop shredders, opens this mind-expanding, ear-crushing evening.