ANNOUNCES TOUR WITH MEN AT WORK
AND TOAD THE WET SPROCKET
FEBRUARY 17, 2026 [NEW YORK, NY] — “I’m very excited to tour with rock legends,” says Naoko, founding member and lead vocalist of Japanese punk legends themselves SHONEN KNIFE about their upcoming mid-Summer tour with Men At Work and Toad the Wet Sprocket. “This tour will be gorgeous and I hope you enjoy the chemical reaction of these three bands!”
Kicking off on July 16th in Florida’s Pompano Beach, the tour heads northeast to Atlanta, Nashville, Bangor before heading west to conclude in Los Angeles on August 20th. Along the way, Shonen Knife will also headline two special “Osaka Ramones” shows at NYC’s Le Poisson Rouge and Indianapolis’ Hi-Fi with setlists that highlight their love of punk icons Ramones (their Osaka Ramones shows from 2025 instantly sold out).
“I really respect [Men At Work lead singer] Colin Hay and love the songs of Men at Work,” beams Naoko. “I always sing their songs at karaoke because the melody lines are so fantastic! Toad The Wet Sprocket is also a very cool band. Their music touches my heart!”
| MEN AT WORK/TOAD THE WET SPROCKET/SHONEN KNIFE 2026 U.S. TOUR DATES * signifies Shonen Knife headling “Osaka Ramones” shows JUL 16 – Pompano Beach, FL – Pompano Beach Amphitheater JUL 17 – St. Augustine, FL – The St. Augustine Amphitheatre JUL 18 – Clearwater, FL – The BayCare Sound JUL 21 – Atlanta, GA – Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre JUL 22 – Southaven, MS – BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove JUL 23 – Nashville, TN – The Pinnacle JUL 24 – Detroit, MI – Masonic Temple JUL 26 – Cohasset, MA – The Music Circus JUL 28 – Durham, NH – The Whittemore Center JUL 29 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater JUL 31 – NYC – Le Poisson Rouge* AUG 1 – Harrington, DE – Delaware State Fair AUG 4 – Indianapolis, IN – Hi Fi* AUG 6 – Bloomington, IL – Grossinger Motors Arena AUG 7 – New Lenox, IL – Performing Arts Pavilion @ The Commons AUG 8 – Council Bluffs, IA – Stir Cove at Harrah’s Casino AUG 10 – Salina, KS – Stiefel Theatre AUG 14 – Carnation, WA – Remlinger Farms AUG 18 – Reno, NV – Silver Legacy Resort Casino AUG 20 – Los Angeles, CA – The United Theater on Broadway Originally established in 1991, Shonen Knife has built a global following with their unique blend of punk rock and pop sensibilities, inspiring generations of musicians and fans alike. Beloved by fans and musical peers alike, bands including Nirvana, Redd Kross, The Ramones, and Sonic Youth (among many others) have embraced their quirky yet unbelievably sticky songs, often filled with quirky humor and themes of everyday life, that continue to resonate with audiences worldwide. With over 20 albums in their oeuvre, Shonen Knife continues to bridge Japanese pop culture with rock tradition. Their latest album Our Best Place was originally released in 2023 on CD and digitally by Good Charamel Records. An expanded edition sporting new cover art was released last year on vinyl and featuring four new songs added to the album’s initial 10 tracks: Nice Day (‘60s Mix),” “The Story of Baumkuchen (Japanese Version),” “Girls Rock (2023 Japanese Version)” and “Green Tea (2025 Naoko Vocal Version).” Considered an immediate critical classic upon its release, Our Best Place found the trio returning to the quirky punk-pop flavor that fueled their first four albums). All Music included it in their “Favorite Rock Albums of 2023,” praising “Into their fifth decade, the Japanese trio sound as happily hooky as ever as they tackle punky pop and poppy punk with joyous abandon.” SPILL Magazine noted “the playfulness of their early sound with the hard rock influence that they’ve adopted as of late… make this an eagerly anticipated return to their roots, especially for long-time fans.” The Punk Site added, “there’s something timeless, life affirming and comforting knowing they will always be there if you need a pick me up.” 2025 also saw the reissue of Minna Tanoshiku, their extremely rare and much sought after debut cassette. Retaining the original’s D.I.Y. aesthetic and format, their reissue will only be made available on cassette for purchase at the merch table at the band’s concerts. Released in 1982, Minna Tanoshiku (translated from Japanese to mean “Everybody Happy”), only 70 copies of the original 13 songs were made (50 were released by the band themselves and an additional 20 copies were pressed by Zero Records before the band requested duplication to be ceased). Until 2025, the cassette had never been reissued in any format. Excited to spend the Summer in the U.S., Naoko concluded, “Shonen Knife will be performing with lots of energy and cheerful rock spirits as always! Let’s have fun together!” |
Music Matters Magazine 