Jarrett Welch Wrestling Co. · Forbidden Place Records · 2026
A punk band forged from the wreckage of the '90s underground.
Lexington, Kentucky's most dangerous export.
Loud, filthy, and completely unapologetic.
Nobody asked for Tojo Yamamoto. That's exactly the point. Named for the legendary Memphis wrestling heel who played villain so convincingly the crowd never knew when to stop hating him, Tojo Yamamoto is a brand new band built from the scattered survivors of Kentucky's 1990s underground—a scene that burned hard, left marks, and never got its proper due.
This is not a reunion. There is no original lineup to reassemble, no catalog to celebrate, no tour to cash in on. Tojo Yamamoto is something rarer: a genuinely new band, formed from battle-hardened veterans of The Mighty Skullhead, Nine Pound Hammer, Supafuzz, Ted Bundy's Volkswagon, Abusement Park, and No Excuse—who came together not out of nostalgia, but because they still have unfinished business with loud, ugly, honest rock music.
Their guitarist, Elwood Francis, is currently holding down the low end for ZZ Top. Yes, that ZZ Top. He is also, underneath all of that, a punk lifer—and Tojo Yamamoto is where that side of him gets to breathe fire. "We're playing simple music that's loud, filthy, and distorted," he says. "These aren't clean sounds. We're throwing down with the raw energy that got us into music in the first place."
Frontman Larry Joe Treadway—Lexington artistic institution, part-time filmmaker, full-time chaos agent—lures listeners into what he calls his "pup tent of auditory chaos." His vocal delivery is battery acid chasing razor blades. His lyrics catalogue middle-aged rebellion, social unrest, and the particular disillusionment that only comes from having survived the underground and watched the world forget everything it taught.
Bassist Will Pieratt's delivery is about as subtle as Godzilla on the Tokyo skyline—simultaneously keeping time and threatening to wreck everything around him, with a danceable low-end groove that nods to early Killing Joke, Gang of Four, and Wire. Drummer Darren Howard is the engine: thunderous, relentless, and technically ferocious in the way that only someone forged in the 90s alt-underground could be.
Together they are making noise-rock for a world that never asked for it. They couldn't care less—and that is precisely what makes them worth your full attention.
"Somewhere along the line, what seems challenging, impenetrable, and off-kilter reveals itself to be brilliantly unique, ornate, and wholly original. Bear with it—you'll get there. The more you listen to Tojo Yamamoto, the more you become indoctrinated into their sonic cult."
— The Big Takeover
Guitar
Guitar warlock and sonic architect. A punk lifer who has spent recent years as ZZ Top's guitarist, now back where he started: loud, distorted, and completely unhinged. Blends blistering aggression with unmistakably catchy melodic hooks that cut through the noise like a blade.
ZZ Top · The Mighty Skullhead · Abusement Park
Drums
The backbone. Thunderous, relentless, and technically ferocious in the way that only someone who survived the 90s underground could be. His fills don't ornament the music—they are the music, propelling everything forward with unrelenting force.
The Mighty Skullhead · Nine Pound Hammer · Idiot Box
Bass
Subtlety is not on the menu. Pieratt's bass delivery sits somewhere between a freight train and a dancehall—simultaneously holding the rhythm hostage and giving the crowd something to move to. A contradiction that works every single time.
The Mighty Skullhead · No Excuse · Abusement Park
Vocals
Confrontational frontman, Lexington punk legend, part-time filmmaker, full-time provocateur. His stage presence is "slightly threatening." His lyrics trace the wreckage of middle age with the same raw energy he had at 22—only angrier, sharper, and more honest.
Ted Bundy's Volkswagon
Recording Engineer
Jason Groves
Supafuzz · Asylum on the Hill
Gold Tooth Display · Floraburn
Studied musician and stellar studio engineer, Groves is the architect behind the band's recorded sound—adding layers of tonality, raw noise, and dissonance that give Tojo Yamamoto's recordings their particular depth and menace. The weapon they aim from behind the glass. His ear for texture and unusual sonic combinations is as responsible for the band's identity as anything that happens in the room.
Debut EP
September 6, 2023 · Forbidden Place Records
The Mongolian Stomper
+ 4 tracks
A concept EP paying homage to Memphis Wrestling and its fans. Released on hand-crafted smoky transparent 10" vinyl pressed like a gooey Japanese flag. 3 accompanying music videos. Available on all streaming platforms.
Second EP
January 24, 2024 · Forbidden Place Records
Las Vegas Leglock
+ 5 tracks
Six searing songs. Keyboards integrated for an expanded sonic range. Mastered, cut, and pressed at 45 rpm for maximum volume. 3 self-produced music videos to accompany the release. 2 glorious vinyl variants.
Single · Cover Series Vol. 1
2024 · Forbidden Place Records
Heroes (David Bowie / Brian Eno)
The first release in the band's ongoing cover singles series. A lathe-cut take on the 1977 Bowie/Eno classic, recorded at Lexington's Sneak Attack Recording Co. Features a guest appearance by Billi Francis—Elwood's daughter—on backing vocals, marking a genuinely unexpected and memorable addition to the band's catalog.
Single · Cover Series Vol. 2
2025 · Forbidden Place Records
The Concession Stand Blitz (The Sweet cover)
Loser Leave Town (remix) — B-side
The second in the cover series — a unique spin on the 1973 Sweet banger. Limited to 100 hand-numbered copies; first 25 signed by the band. Comes with a beverage coaster, fridge magnet, stickers, and the usual Tojo Yamamoto chaos package.
Single · Cover Series Vol. 3 · Latest Release
2026 · Forbidden Place Records
Man on the Moon (R.E.M.)
Man on the Moon (remix) — B-side
The third installment of the cover series. A blown-out, fuzzed-out assault on R.E.M.'s 1992 track—reimagined through the lens of The Fall, Cows, and Antiseen on a southern road trip together. Comes with an A+ remix on the B-side. Hot transparent pink vinyl, limited to 100 online orders, with metallic Andy Kaufman stickers.
The Big Takeover
Six searing songs from the band's swirling creative morass of post-punk, hardcore, art-punk, and intense hard rock groove. "Hardway to Shitsville" aligns them with The Wildhearts at their most intense—that same blend of rock raucousness and an almost pop accessibility in the loosest possible sense. A sonic cult worth joining.
IDIOTEQ
This band isn't chasing fame or commercial success, this project is less about revisiting and more about reimagining creative roots. "We've failed at some really cool things," Treadway admits, wearing that badge proudly. For a band named after a villain who thrived on theatrics, Tojo Yamamoto embodies the spirit of punk: unrelenting, unpolished, and unforgettable.
Bandcamp community
"This EP definitely has a Cosmic Psychos vibe, fun stuff!" Blown-out, grooving noise-rock with primitive, laid-back riffing and caustic guitar tones—redolent of the traditional noise-rock formula, punk rock's greasy, sluggish offspring.
Apricot Magazine
Tojo Yamamoto isn't just a band—it's a sonic smackdown straight out of Kentucky's underground scene, blending raw punk rock energy with storytelling rooted in the wild world of classic Memphis wrestling. "We're playing simple music that's loud, filthy, and distorted. These aren't clean sounds."
Stream & Buy
Bandcamp
thetojoyamamoto.bandcamp.com
Label
Forbidden Place Records
forbiddenplacerecords.bandcamp.com
Booking & Press
Contact
Via Forbidden Place Records
Origin
Lexington, KY
Kentucky underground, established 2023