"Live House" is a Japanese phrase for a truly Japanese phenomenon-cramped, smoky, nondescript concrete boxes hidden away in basements, where music makers and music lovers congregate, away from usual society norms. With over 1,000 venues throughout the country, live houses are the birthplace of a Japanese subculture that is set to take its place on the global stage. Although bands on the live house circuit operate below the radar of celebrity-obsessed mainstream culture, through time-test D.I.Y. methods and the Internet, they build fan bases both at home and abroad, and cross borders in a way that glossy pop stars could never dream of. Coming from the opposite direction, Mike Watt, one of the founding fathers of punk, takes breaks from worldwide stadium tours to soak in the Japanese live house atmosphere. -