Base Ball Bear (ベースボールベアー) is a Japanese rock band from Tokyo that formally began in 2002, although the members assembled in the autumn of 2001. The band, which was initially named Planet, was formed for a one-time performance at a high school culture festival, but they decided to continue playing due to how well they were received at the festival and how much fun they were having. Base Ball Bear made its major debut in early 2006 with EMI Music Japan. Their style influences include Japanese indie rock bands Number Girl and Supercar, and British rock bands such as Oasis. The band has been noted for the "nostalgic" feel of band leader Yūsuke Koide's lyrics, often about teenage life and memories. They are also known for their contributions to the soundtrack of the movie Linda Linda Linda (in which female bassist Shiori Sekine had a leading role) and performing the themes to the anime series Toshokan Sensō and Ōkiku Furikabutte.

The band's former name, Planet, most likely came from a Supercar song of the same name. Their current name also derives partially from a song name. Koide thought of Japanese singer Chocolat's song "Base Ball and Elvis Presley", and suggested the name "Base Ball". Guitarist Yuasa thought it would be better if they added one more word to it, and the rest of the band agreed. They eventually settled on the word "bear".

Members

* Yūsuke Koide (小出 祐介, Koide Yūsuke?, born December 9, 1984 in Tokyo) - Vocalist & guitarist, primary songwriter and the leader of the band. He likes movies, music, and reading. He likes old school hip hop and his favorite artists include XTC, Happy End and Perfume. He is also a fan of drama actress and idol Meguru Ishii.

* Shōhei Yuasa (湯浅 将平, Yuasa Shōhei?, born April 16, 1984 in Chiba Prefecture) - Guitarist and unofficial dancer. Shōhei was on the swim team when he was in high school and worked as a lifeguard before the band became famous. He occasionally does yoga. He likes drinking and eating. His favorite artists are Thee Michelle Gun Elephant and Sly & the Family Stone.

* Shiori Sekine (関根 史織, Sekine Shiori?, born December 8, 1985 in Saitama Prefecture) - Bass guitarist and chorus. Shiori is the only female member of Base Ball Bear and had no experience playing bass guitar before joining the band. Shiori had a leading role as Nozomi in the movie Linda Linda Linda. She is a fan of Ultraman and likes cooking (especially desserts). She also likes manga and is a fan of Namie Odama. Her favorite artists include Jethro Tull, Caravan, Keiichi Suzuki, Yui and GO!GO!7188.

* Daisuke Horinouchi (堀之内 大介, Horinouchi Daisuke?, born January 17, 1985 in Tokyo) - Drummer and chorus. He has a younger sister. His favorite hobbies are lifting weights and watching pro wrestling and soccer. His favorite artists are The Police, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Frusciante, and Nile Rodgers.

History

Koide originally gathered the band members in 2001, with the purpose of performing at their high school's fall festival. The band's name at the time was "Planet" and they played covers of songs by the band Supercar. Afterwards, all of the band members decided to continue with the band as a hobby.

In April 2002, the band began sending demo tapes to record labels and were advised by Toshiba EMI to change their name, eventually choosing "Base Ball Bear," the name under which they performed their first gig at Shimokitazawa Garage that July. Throughout the rest of the year, they continued playing in the Shibuya and Shimokitazawa areas of Tokyo as their fan base began to grow.

In November 2003, Base Ball Bear signed with Blitz Pia Records, an indies label. They immediately release their first mini-album Yūgata Generation on November 26. The band released their first single, Yume is Vision, in April of the following year. It was the first of the band's songs to be accompanied by a music video and they colloborated with Yūki, a Japanese fashion magazine model and Base Ball Bear fan, to create it. The band spent the rest of 2004 practicing and writing new songs, some of where were featured on compilation CDs.

The band released their first full-length album, High Color Times, on March 16, 2005, and started playing concerts to sold-out crowds in larger venues. Also, Shiori Sekine was cast in one of the lead roles in the film Linda Linda Linda, which features some of the band's music.

Base Ball Bear signed with EMI Music Japan in January 2006, and immediately released an introductory album, Band B ni Tsuite, on January 12. (They had released another version of Band B ni Tsuite on October 14, 2005, but the new release included one new song and other remastering.) They played on the Nyakunyaku Nannyo (若若男女) Summer Tour with Chatmonchy and Snowkel and released their first major album, C, on October 29.

Their first solo tour "Live by the C" took place in the spring of 2007. Over the course of the year, they released four more singles, as well as their second major album, Jūnanasai. Their live performances included the Rock in Japan Festival, another round on the Nyakunyaku Nannyo Summer Tour, and the B-Pop High School Tour.

In 2008, the band went on a solo tour called "17-sai Kara Yattemasu Tour" (Starting from 17 Tour) that ran from the middle to the end of March. Their first single of the year, Changes, was released on May 8, 2008 and was the ending theme to the Production I.G anime series Toshokan Sensō. There are many live shows scheduled during the summer, including the the third round of the Nyakunyaku Nannyo Summer Tour and the Higher Ground 2008 festival in July, and the Rock in Japan Festival in August. Base Ball Bear is also planning a two-day show at Shibuya C.C. Lemon Hall in late September.