Tojo Yamamoto covers “Ballroom Blitz”

Based in Lexington, Kentucky, Tojo Yamamoto is a band that takes in noise rock forward with an uncompromising sound that’s at once brash and unexpectedly danceable. Built from the legacies of 90s underground artists, its members carry decorated track records in previous rock outfits, having cut their teeth in acts such as The Mighty Skullhead, ZZ Top, Nine Pound Hammer, Supafuzz, Ted Bundy’s Volkswagon and Abusement Park. It’s a collision of history and reinvention, a group of veterans taking their collective experience and channeling it into something new.

Guitarist Elwood Francis, who currently holds down bass duties for ZZ Top, brings both chops and prestige while Darren Howard, whose drumming powered Nine Pound Hammer, The Mighty Skullhead and Idiot Box, adds a heavy rhythmic drive. On bass, Will Pieratt, also known as a chef and for his work in Abusement Park, Pincushion and The Mighty Skullhead, locks the grooves in tight and completing the lineup is co-vocalist Larry Joe Treadway, a filmmaker and former frontman for 90s sludge punks Ted Bundy’s Volkswagon, whose voice provides the distinctive snarl that leads their sound.

Their debut arrived in September 2023 with 山本東条 (Tojo Yamamoto) Ltd Ed., an EP that sold out its limited vinyl run and introduced listeners to their conceptual vision. The project paid homage to the 70s and 80s Southern pro wrestling scene, blending punk aggression with new wave angularity. With echoes of Killing Joke and Gang of Four layered against the force of Antiseen and Killdozer, it was a release that immediately planted Tojo Yamamoto on the map of must watch rock acts. Soon after, they followed with a cover of David Bowie and Brian Eno’s “Heroes” and the second EP Turning Face!, which landed at the start of this year.

Now, Tojo Yamamoto return with their latest reimagining, a cover of Sweet’s 1973 glam rock anthem “Ballroom Blitz,” reframed as “The Concession Stand Blitz.” It’s a title that perfectly captures their tongue-in-cheek style, combining arena-sized swagger with the scrappy edge of jagged punk rock. While the original did offer plenty of lively musical energy, Tojo Yamamoto’s injects potent adrenaline to serve up a turbo-charged blast of fuzz-drenched guitars colliding with theatrical vocals, all delivered with the band’s trademark sense of chaos and spectacle.

Filtering in with wailing guitar tones and surging percussion, stacks of hazy sonic textures and vocal elements give way to rolling drums as the track launches with a scream of “let’s go” and the familiar crunch of the song’s famous bluesy riffs. Expressive vocals enter to deliver the belted lines above the raucous rock rollercoaster, resulting in a thrilling cover that spins “Ballroom Blitz” into an unforgettable flurry of charging guitars, punching drums and pure exhilarating rock music.

It’s an epic version of the song that pays tribute to the beloved classic while casting it in Tojo Yamamoto’s thoroughly original setting. With “The Concession Stand Blitz,” the band once again proves themselves masters at twisting the familiar into something ferociously fun. Commenting on the release, guitarist Elwood offers, “This song has always been about chaos, flash, and fun. We just imagined what would happen if that same blitz broke out in the infamous Tupelo Concession Stand — concession stand nachos flying everywhere. That’s our ballroom.”

Listen to The Concession Stand Blitz below

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