London Trio Kero Kero Bonito Schedules Make-Up Date for Canceled Gramps Show

If you were completely inconsolable when Kero Kero Bonito had to cancel its Florida tour dates last November due to vocalist Sarah Midori Perry's bout with strep throat, good news: The band announced yesterday it will be keeping its promise to return Stateside with a string of shows across the South, including shows in Gainesville, Tampa, Miami, and Orlando.

For those unaware of who Kero Kero Bonito is, the group is a London-based trio made up of Perry and multi-instrumentalists Jamie Bulled and Gus Lobban. Together they grab inspiration from bubblegum pop, J-pop, electro, and shoegaze to produce a unique blend of indie-pop gems.

The band's Miami show will take place on May 1 at Gramps. However, it does come with a slight caveat: While the original show included additional live band members, the makeup will only consist of the trio — the band describes it as its "classic 3-piece show" on Twitter. This means the live setup they debuted at Coachella featuring live instrumentation will probably not grace Gramps' palapa-covered stage. However, the group has consistently been able to get crowds moving with just a couple of synthesizers and MIDI controllers for years now. (The other caveat is that the show falls on the first day of III Points — but who says you can't do both?)

However, pared-down show or not, Kero Kero Bonito is doing something smaller bands rarely do after they've canceled shows in the geographically challenged Florida: they've actually rescheduled the dates. For many fans, it probably seemed like the original November 15 show was the only chance they'd have to see the band live.

For a band that is still relatively obscure, the trio has amassed a feverish cult following, and it's not hard to see why. Kero Kero Kero Bonito prides itself on cheerfully singing about mundane things in cuts like "Trampoline," "Break," and "Forever Summer Holiday," and even when the band switched gears on its critically acclaimed sophomore effort, Time 'n' Place, fans stuck by them.

If you are interested in learning more about the band, check out New Times' interview with Lobban.

Kero Kero Bonito. 8 p.m. Friday, May 1, at Gramps, 176 NW 24th St., Miami; 305-699-2669; gramps.com. Tickets cost $18 via etix.com.