AsianSpotting

Spot the Asian American in that band!

October 1, 2006

It’s the musical version of the Calgon commercial; an Asian face appears on stage or in a music video, rocking out among the non-Asians. Whether its Phil Chen flowing in silk outfits in Rod Stewart’s “Passion” or James Iha submitting to Billy Corgan’s stone fist, here are some of the most famous token Asians in rock. —Todd Inoue

INSTRU-

MENT

EXTRAC-

TION

HIGH

POINT

LOW

POINT

WHERE ARE

THEY NOW?

BAND

                 

PHIL CHEN

JAMES IHA

CHI CHENG

TONY KANAL

JADE LEE

KIRK HAMMETT

JEFF LIN

MATT WONG

FONTAINE TOUPS

Rod Stewart

A Perfect Circle, Smashing Pumpkins

Deftones

No Doubt

Book of Love

Metallica

Harvey Danger

Reel Big Fish

Versus

Bass

Guitar

Bass

Bass

Keyboards, vocals, percussion

Bitchin’ Guitar

Guitar, piano, violin

Bass

Bass

Chinese Jamaican

Japanese

Chinese

East Indian

Korean

Pinoy/Irish

Chinese

Chinese

Honorary Pinay

Playing with Bob Marley, Skatalites

Siamese Dream (1993)

Bachelor’s in English lit from UC Davis (2000)

Rock Steady (2001)

Lullaby (1988)

Master of Puppets (1986)

“Flagpole Sitta” (1998)

“Sell Out”

(1997)

Touring with Ear of the Dragon (1995)

Suffering through Rod Stewart’s disco period

Let It Come Down (1998)

Cutting his dreads

“It’s My Life” cover song

“Oranges and Lemons”

Intraband meltdown and psychiatry sessions captured in Some Kind of Monster.

Getting caught in the label shuffle, ensuring they couldn’t build off the momentum of “Flagpole.”

With ska punk rode the fuck out, the band was dropped from their Jive label in 2006.

Versus break-up in 2000

Master Class instructing at L.A. Music Academy.

Playing with A Perfect Circle and working in fashion design.

Headlining the Taste of Chaos tour 2006.

Starting Kingsbury Studios label with first album by reggae artist Elan Atias.

Participated in 2001 reunion, working in graphic design.

Recording new Metallica album with Rick Rubin.

Finished his computer science degree. Rocks and blogs at jeffjlin.typepad.com

Planning and masterminding a comeback.

Headlining shows with her own band The Fontaine Toups.

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