Daily YOMIURI July.1.1999----East meets country & western-- / By Paul Murray

In an urban setting with a notable shortage of prairies, cattle, horses or cowboys, Citylites, a suitably named country & western band, play country music like they were born to it. Testament to the admirable ability of Japanese people to select an interest and master it through rigid determination, mimicry and relentless practice, the Citylites chose C&W music and made it theirs.

Fronted by petite diva Miya Ishida, the band consists of her father, Shintaro, on steel and slide guitar, honky-tonk piano man , Yasuyuki Takeno, Haruo Fujita on the weathered and work weary 1974 Fender telecast. Takahiro Sugita, the basssist from the hit song "Dango Sankyodai"(Three Dumpling Brothers) and Naoya Numa, a Los Angeles-trained drummer. The band supports Ishida with a crisp, polished style, the joy of playing radiating from their faces. The equally enthusiasitc crowd of businessmen, some in cowboy hats, clap along, deliver the occasional wolf whistle and whoop at the songs' end. To enter this strange world, you must leave the busy main street in Takadanobaba, Tokyo, behind and head down the stairs at the Lonestar Cafe, past the C&W CD collection, through the gallery of posters featuring lovely cowgirls dressed in haute counture ranch wear, between the photographs of rugged men in huge hats and around the wooden Indian and into the dance hall.

The band's arrangements are original and imaginative and lyrics and delivered with perfect cowboy drawls. A personal favorite was a cover of the Hank Williams'classic "Kaw-Liga"tha began with a funked out David Bowie "Fame" lead and stayed funky to the end. The band's matching Star Spangled Banner motif cowboy suits seem strangely suitable in this setting, unlike the ubiquitous Americana in wider society
. "I have a country radio program twice a month on Shonan Beach FM in Fujisawa where I play my favorite songs and teach people about country music" she said. With the rapidly aging population, she might just get there." Most of my fans are old men." she said with an audible sigh and a giggle.
The band recently received a telephone call from a fan visiting Australia to tell them that he had seen them playing on Australian television. " We were so surprised...I really want to go and play in Australia now." she said. Ishida's mother was a country singer in an all-female band in her youth and her father started to play Hank Williams'covers on steel and slide guitar in high school so she was raised in a C&W music environment. Ishida is a talented vocalist with great range. Despite her appearance, she is no cute, shrill-voiced karaoke champion. Her father complements her with his powerful masculine twang, and punctuates the songs with whoops and cowboy yelps.
"I'm my father's student, he teaches me about country music," Ishida said.
The band released a CD 1997 called "Country Girl"the contains a cover or LeAnn
Rimes'"Honestly" in Japanese, five originals and a number of C&W standards in English. "I think the fans appreciate it when we sing in Japanese," she said. Ishida changes her outfit between each set, alternating from denim cut-offs bearing a U.S flag and silver belt buckle, leather cowboy boots and white ten-gallon hat, to a shimmering, low cut ruby gown with fox stole-saloon girl style- that drops all the male jaws in the house and has the women standing by their men.

So , all you country fans, saddle up your horse, sharpen your spurs and mosey on down too the Lonestar Cafe to check out Citylites. Bet you can't stop smiling.